A STAMP dealer has received a genuine item of snail mail in the post.
This envelope arrived at Dauwalders Stamp Dealers in Salisbury half-eaten by snails.
Owner Paul Dauwalder said: “The snails or slugs harbour inside mail boxes and are attracted by the starchy content of the paper envelope.
“Snails have hundreds of little teeth and can cause a lot of damage as any keen gardener will know.
“They have a keen sense of smell and can sniff a full mail box at 75 metres.
“The glue on the mailed letters and on the stamps are an attraction to them and they will quickly tuck into a plump envelope, which is just vegetable matter to a gastropod [snail].
“Interestingly the half-eaten envelope which originated from the Guildford area, now becomes a sought after collector’s item.”
Mr Dauwalder who has had a shop in Salisbury since 1970 said: “Each year we receive similar envelopes ‘cancelled by gastropods’ or ‘snail mail’.
“This particular example was exceptionally well eaten. It arrived in a poly bag with an invitation to claim from Royal Mail.
“Snail mail is a natural intervention to Royal Mail’s service and the remains of the letter and the advisory letter from the Post Office could realise up to £20 on the open market.”
“There are many other ways ordinary letters can be enhanced in value such as censored mail or crash mail but snail mail is probably the most unlikely.”