Benjamin Franklin is often credited with launching the U.S. Postal Service after the Continental Congress authorized him to create postal routes in 1775. But before the ingenious founding father became the first U.S. postmaster, there was another important mail manager: a tavern owner by the name of Richard Fairbanks. About 136 years before Franklin’s post office management, Fairbanks’ tavern became the first post office in the United States. There, the businessman, who was permitted to sell “wine and strong water” along Boston’s Water Street, became responsible for collecting and distributing mail.

You can mail unwrapped coconuts from Hawaii.

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Each year, about 3,000 unwrapped coconuts are mailed from the Hoolehua Post Office on Molokai, where senders decorate, address, and affix postage to the fruit’s shell. The “Post-A-Nut” program began in 1991, offering senders free coconuts with paid postage to anywhere in the world.

Combining a post office and a bar might seem unusual by today’s standards, but in the 17th century it was a common and clever system. European practices of the time often designated inns and taverns as post offices because they were regular gathering spots within communities. Public houses had a major influence on colonial life too, providing meals and directions for travelers, entertainment, and news. That logic is why, on November 6, 1639, the Massachusetts General Court designated Fairbanks’ tavern as the official post office for “all letters which are brought from beyond the seas,” specifically meaning any correspondence between the colony and Great Britain. Fairbanks was paid one penny for each letter he handled. As for intercolonial mail, early Americans were resourceful at communicating with fellow New Worlders, privately sending their letters throughout the colonies with the help of traveling neighbors and merchants.

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The modern credit card may not exist if it weren’t for a businessman who forgot his wallet more than 75 years ago. In 1949, Frank McNamara was dining with clients at Major’s Cabin Grill in New York City, when he realized he didn’t have any cash on him and couldn’t pay. Accounts differ about whether McNamara’s wife came to his rescue or he simply promised to pay the restaurant back later. In either case, he was reportedly determined never to allow this embarrassing situation to occur again and began brainstorming new ways for people to pay if they also found themselves cashless.

A billionaire once charged a $170.4 million painting to his credit card.

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In 2015, Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian won Modigliani’s “Nu couché” (“Reclining Nude”) at auction. Rather than pay in cash or by check, he put the entire $170.4 million purchase on his American Express card — earning millions of rewards points in the process.

With the help of lawyer Ralph Schneider, McNamara conceived of a company called the Diners Club, which issued pocket-sized cardboard credit cards featuring details such as a person’s name, address, and membership number. The idea was for members to use the cards at participating restaurants, each of which kept track of a running personal monthly tab connected to each card. While the concept of a running tab wasn’t new, this was the first card that could be used at an array of businesses instead of one establishment. At the end of each month, each eatery would tell the Diners Club how much debt was owed, and the company would collect money from its members and send the necessary amount to each restaurant, minus a processing fee.

The service made its debut on February 8, 1950, when McNamara returned to Major’s Cabin Grill for a dinner that Diners Club International now refers to as the “First Supper.” At the end of the meal, McNamara provided his charge card and signed his name, serving as proof of purchase. The Diners Club became an immediate sensation, amassing more than 330 participating businesses and 42,000 card holders within a year.

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eBay is one of the world’s largest online retailers, auctioning off nearly anything you can think of. While vehicles, jewelry, and electronics are some of the most commonly sold items today, there’s one unusual purchase cemented in the digital storefront’s history: a broken laser pointer.

Silicon Valley developer Pierre Omidyar launched eBay from his home in 1995, though originally it was called Auction Web. When it came time to test the online venture, Omidyar decided to list an inexpensive item he already owned, uploading an ad for a broken laser pointer. He had purchased the $30 device for presentations, but ended up using the laser to play with his cat. When the laser pointer broke after a few weeks, the eBay founder listed it online for $1, making sure to clearly label the device as inoperable. After a week, interest picked up, and a bidding war kicked off; the final, winning bid for the laser pointer topped out at $14.83.

eBay was created for Pez dispenser collectors.

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In eBay’s early days, rumors swirled that founder Pierre Omidyar created the site as a way to find more Pez dispensers for his fiancée’s collection. The myth, which was started by the company’s PR specialist to attract attention to the site, was debunked in 2002 but lives on.

Soon after, the online auction marketplace exploded in popularity, and within two years the company had rebranded to its current name and sold its millionth item — a Sesame Street-themed jack-in-the-box toy. However, it would take another two decades for Omidyar’s broken laser pointer to resurface. Canadian Mark Fraser came forward in 2015 amid the company’s 20th anniversary celebration, identifying himself as the very first eBay customer. A self-proclaimed “electronics geek,” he purchased the discounted laser pointer with the hopes of repairing it himself. Although unsuccessful, Fraser held onto the tool for decades and more recently even considered relisting the item on eBay to see what it would fetch.

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