Our Story

Mail Time! is the original mailbox alert flag, invented in 1988 and made in Pennsylvania ever since. It all began with a simple frustration — and a very practical need.

How many times have you wondered, “Is my mail here yet?” And do you worry about the security of online purchases being left in your mailbox? Mail Time Alert will solve those problems.

My mother, Jan Hartman, was tired of making wasted trips to the mailbox when delivery was irregular. At the same time, my father had trouble getting around, but he loved his mail and always looked forward to receiving magazines and letters.

So in 1988, Jan designed and patented Mail Time!®, the original mailbox alert flag.

Since then, this simple mechanical signal has helped many thousands of people know when their mail has arrived — without unnecessary trips down the driveway.

For those with long driveways, rural mailboxes, or mobility challenges, repeated trips to check for mail can be difficult. And in rainy weather, or when snow and ice make walking hazardous, a trip to the mailbox can even be dangerous.

Mail Time!® solves this problem with a durable, non-electronic design at a much lower cost than the electronic devices on the market. There are no batteries, no Wi-Fi, and nothing to program — just a clear, highly visible signal flag that works.

Mail Time!® is made from all-aluminum, rust-free construction, powder-coated in bright yellow for maximum visibility. It fits most standard “bread loaf” style mailboxes where the door closes over the face of the box.

We have proudly manufactured Mail Time!® in the USA — right here in Pennsylvania — since the very beginning.

We’re especially humbled when customers reach out to replace a Mail Time!® that has already served them faithfully for many years.

Today, we continue to ship Mail Time! alerts from our office outside of Philadelphia. We also founded another small business, RainCaper, where we design beautiful travel essentials including umbrellas, scarves, gloves, and rainproof travel capes.

Warmly,
Lindsay Hagerman & Jan Hartman, Inventor
Questions? Please feel free to call us — we’re a small, family-run business and we’re happy to help.
(610) 293-1450