What History By Mail does

History By Mail is a Chicago-based, direct-to-consumer subscription e-commerce company that delivers museum-quality replica historical documents to subscribers on a monthly cadence. Founded in 2017, the company reproduces letters, correspondence, and documents from American history — including WWII, Civil War, founding fathers, and American Revolution themes — using period-authentic ink and archival-quality paper, with each replica accompanied by a historical context guide explaining the author, recipient, and relevance. The core product is a recurring subscription (1-month to 2-year terms at $8.99/month to $164.99/2-year), supplemented by themed add-on subscriptions (Urban Legends, National Parks, U.S. Holidays, Roots of Revolution), standalone specialty products (Historic Cartoons, WWII Cartoons & Posters, Wall Art, Stamp Stories), the Keepsake Folio accessory, and gift bundles priced at $250-$325. Distribution is conducted exclusively through the company's Shopify-powered website with free US shipping via USPS First-Class Mail, plus a dedicated corporate gifts and bulk orders channel for enterprise buyers.

The business model is primarily subscription-recurring revenue with a complementary one-time product line. Customer segments center on history enthusiasts and gift buyers (primary), with educators, homeschoolers, and corporate bulk orders as secondary segments. The company reached $1M in revenue in 2024 without outside investment, has served over 100,000 subscribers and delivered more than 1 million letters, and holds a 4.9/5 star rating across 800+ reviews. In April 2025, founder Ari Siegel appeared on Shark Tank Season 16 Episode 15 and secured a $125,000 investment from Daniel Lubetzky's Camino Partners for 10% equity — the company's first outside capital. The company has since launched a partnership with the Bill of Rights Institute to distribute 250,000 pocket constitutions to civics and history teachers through the Power of the Printed Word initiative, signaling an expansion into the educational institutional channel.

Name

History By Mail

Legal name

History By Mail

Website

https://historybymail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

History By Mail is a Chicago-based D2C subscription e-commerce company that delivers monthly museum-quality replica historical documents on archival paper to history enthusiasts, gift buyers, and educators across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Document Replicas Subscription

NAICS

Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594)

SIC

Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

Subscription Boxes & Curated Product Subscriptions (CRAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Historical document replicas
• Monthly subscription boxes
• Archival paper reproductions
• History themed gifts
• Civics education materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Recurring monthly subscription revenue from replica historical document deliveries. Plans range from 1-month ($8.99) to 2-year ($164.99) terms. Subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled. Includes core History By Mail subscription plus add-on subscriptions for National Parks, Urban Legends, and U.S. Holidays.
2. One-Time Product Sales: One-time purchases of historical replica products including Keepsake Folio ($34.99), Historic Cartoons Box ($36.99), WWII Cartoons & Posters ($21.99), History Bundles ($250-$325), Houdini/Copperfield Illusion folio, History By The Glass, and Framed Replicas wall art.
3. Gift Subscriptions: Gift purchases of subscription plans with gift messaging printed on envelopes, delivered as physical gifts with digital bonus materials. Limited-time (non-renewing) and ongoing (auto-renewing) gift options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

History By Mail operates a direct-to-consumer subscription business that produces and mails museum-quality replica historical letters and documents on archival-quality paper using period-authentic materials. Each monthly delivery includes a replica (e.g., WWII, Civil War, founding-father correspondence) along with a historical context guide; the core subscription is sold in 1-month to 2-year terms and is complemented by themed add-on subscriptions, specialty products, gift bundles, a Keepsake Folio accessory, and gift cards.

Product overview

History By Mail is a subscription-based e-commerce business that primarily offers monthly deliveries of museum-quality replica historical documents from American history. The core product is the History By Mail Subscription, which provides one physical replica letter or document per month with a context guide explaining its historical significance. The company operates a platform model with the main subscription as the anchor product, supplemented by themed add-on subscriptions (Roots of Revolution, Urban Legends, National Parks, U.S. Holidays), standalone specialty products (Houdini/Copperfield, History By The Glass, Historic Cartoons, Wall Art, Stamp Stories), gift bundles (Deluxe and Ultimate History Bundles), accessories (Keepsake Folio), and a gift card program. The company also offers corporate and bulk ordering services. Founded approximately 5 years ago and featured on Shark Tank in April 2025, the company reached $1 million in revenue in 2024 without outside investment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• History By Mail Subscription Monthly subscription delivering museum-quality replica historical documents from American history (WWII, Civil War, founding fathers, etc.), each with a context guide explaining the author, recipient, and historical relevance. Available in 1-month ($8.99), 6-month ($47.99), 1-year ($87.99), and 2-year ($164.99) terms; themes rotate every 4 months; free US shipping.
• Roots of Revolution - America at 250 Themed add-on subscription offering a monthly journey through the documents, letters, and eyewitness accounts that shaped and propelled the American Revolution, marketed as the 'America at 250' collection.
• Urban Legends Add-on Subscription Six-month add-on subscription ($53.94) featuring replica documents and information about urban legends and folklore throughout American history.
• National Parks Add-on Subscription Six-month add-on subscription ($49.00) featuring replica collections related to America's national parks and their historical significance.
• U.S. Holidays Add-on Subscription Annual add-on subscription ($81.99) exploring the history behind American holidays and their origins.
• Keepsake Folio Vegan leather binder (13.5" x 9.5", 5.2 oz) with brass snap closure designed to hold roughly 85 flat pages or 2+ years of History By Mail content; vintage-inspired brown with metallic red embossed logo; sold as a one-time accessory for $34.99.
• Houdini/Copperfield Illusion Folio Specialty replica product ('The Dream Big Folio') themed around historical magic and illusion featuring Houdini and Copperfield.
• History By The Glass Specialty historical product themed around beverages and drinking history.
• Historic Cartoons Box (Set of 50 Cards) Set of 50 cards featuring historic cartoons from American history, sold as a one-time standalone product for $36.99.
• World War II Cartoons & Posters (25 Card Set) Set of 25 cards featuring World War II-era cartoons and posters, sold as a one-time standalone product for $21.99.
• Wall Art / Framed Replicas Framed replica historical documents suitable for wall display, sold as a standalone product line.
• Stamp Stories - Transcontinental Railroad 150th Anniversary Collection Historical stamp collection featuring the Transcontinental Railroad 150th Anniversary Collection, sold as a standalone product.
• History's First Christmas Card Replica of history's first Christmas card, sold as a standalone specialty product.
• The Deluxe History Gift Bundle Premium curated bundle of history products and replicas priced at $325 (reduced from $400), positioned as a gifting bundle.
• The Ultimate History Bundle Comprehensive history bundle featuring extensive replica collections priced at $250 (reduced from $300), positioned as a premium value bundle.
• History By Mail Gift Card Gift card redeemable for the History By Mail subscription experience, sold as a standalone gifting product.
• Corporate Gifts & Bulk Orders Bulk ordering program for corporate gifts and large quantity purchases, used for employee appreciation, client gifts, conference swag, and team-building needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.9/5 star rating from 800+ customer reviews
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bill of Rights InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Partnership to produce and distribute 250,000 pocket constitutions to civics and history teachers across the United States through the Power of the Printed Word initiative. This represents the largest in-kind gift in the Institute's history.
• Master Printing + MailingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Printing and mailing partner working with Bill of Rights Institute to produce and distribute pocket constitutions. Contributing production capabilities for the 250,000 constitution distribution.
• Konica MinoltaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Printing industry company contributing funds toward distribution of educational materials to classrooms as part of the Power of the Printed Word initiative.
• Canon U.S.A.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Printing industry company contributing funds toward distribution of educational materials to classrooms as part of the Power of the Printed Word initiative.
• HEIDELBERGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Printing industry company contributing funds toward distribution of educational materials to classrooms as part of the Power of the Printed Word initiative.
• TecnauminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Printing industry company contributing funds toward distribution of educational materials to classrooms as part of the Power of the Printed Word initiative.
• Case PaperminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Printing industry company contributing funds toward distribution of educational materials to classrooms as part of the Power of the Printed Word initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OwlCrate: YA-focused monthly subscription box delivering curated books and themed collectibles. Comparable subscription commerce mechanics, themed add-ons, and gifting positioning, though focused on literature rather than history.
• Book of the Month: Subscription commerce service delivering curated monthly selections with themed add-ons. Comparable subscription pricing tiers, monthly cadence, gifting motion, and theme-based curation model.
• Loot Crate: Subscription box service delivering themed collectibles monthly. Similar subscription commerce mechanics, collectibles positioning, and themed monthly drop model, though focused on pop-culture rather than history.
• Bespoke Post: Monthly subscription box delivering curated lifestyle goods to men. Closely comparable subscription commerce mechanics, themed monthly boxes, and consumer gifting use cases.
• KiwiCo: Subscription box service delivering curated educational activity kits for kids and adults (including history/STEM lines). Comparable monthly subscription commerce model with broad theme expansion across age groups.
• History Unboxed: Subscription box delivering replica historical artifacts and documents to children monthly. Most direct overlap with History By Mail in product format, target customer (history-interested families), and themed monthly delivery model, though targeted at younger audience.

Emerging players

• Atlas Obscura: Experience and content platform focused on unusual places, food, and history. Comparable audience overlap (curious, history-adjacent enthusiasts) and complementary gift/merchandise commerce on top of editorial content.

Others

• Cratejoy: Subscription box marketplace and platform provider used by many subscription box businesses. Indirectly comparable as infrastructure enabling the same subscription commerce category History By Mail operates in.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Store: Direct-to-consumer retailer selling historical maps, replicas, and educational merchandise. Overlaps on historical collectibles, educational positioning, and mail-order retail, though operates as a broad incumbent across categories.
• Smithsonian Catalog: Retail arm of the Smithsonian Institution selling historical replicas, gifts, and educational products via mail order. Comparable product category (historical collectibles/gifts), institutional credibility, and mail-order distribution, but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a niche subscription.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDFG6FaR3n9uNsmBY_QPfyw
• Facebookfacebook.com/HistoryByMail
• Instagraminstagram.com/historybymail
• Pinterestpinterest.com/historybymail
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historybymail

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about History By Mail