Philadelphia's Christmas Village is abuzz with excitement over a new vendor that has taken the holiday shopping scene by storm - Chain Mail Unclaimed, where customers pay anywhere from $10 to $40 for unopened packages shrouded in mystery. The brainchild of 37-year-old Emma Zielinski and her husband Charlie, the company's concept is simple: buy a package, take it home, and discover what secrets lie within.
With over 3,000 packages sold in just two weeks, Chain Mail Unclaimed has become an overnight sensation. Located in the City Hall Courtyard, the booth is a treasure trove of bins, boxes, and shelves stocked with everything from seemingly innocuous items like watch bands to more unexpected surprises, such as T-shirts featuring NSFW designs.
While Zielinski has previously acquired packages through government auctions, she now uses a broker who sources them from suppliers and warehouses - essentially the "last stop before the landfill". With no guarantee of what's inside each package, customers are drawn in by the thrill of the unknown. Some opt to save their unboxing for a White Elephant gift exchange, while others, like Nicole Smith, purchased packages impulsively hoping to score something hilarious.
Zielinski's decision to sell mystery packages has been a resounding success, with daily sales reaching as high as 500 packages per day. However, the sudden surge in demand has left her scrambling to keep up, waking up at 6 a.m. each morning to process new shipments and manage inventory.
"I don't pick any packages, I don't open anything," Zielinski confesses, "I'm almost always wrong when I guess." Meanwhile, social media buzz surrounding the business - dubbed "modern day treasure hunt" by its proponents - has drawn in customers from far and wide. Co-workers Zachary Atkins and Robert Wilson, who stumbled upon Chain Mail Unclaimed during a work trip, described their experience as "unhinged", adding to the excitement.
As for Zielinski's own take on the operation? She attributes it all to serendipity: two years ago, she watched a social media video of a similar business in Paris and couldn't shake off the idea. The rest is history - now, with her booth already sold out for weeks ahead of Christmas, she's urging customers to "play catch up" as demand shows no signs of slowing down.
"I could not stop thinking about it," Zielinski recalled, still marveling at the success of Chain Mail Unclaimed. With two young children to care for and a business to run, she's proving that with determination and a dash of creativity, even the most unlikely venture can become a holiday sensation.
With over 3,000 packages sold in just two weeks, Chain Mail Unclaimed has become an overnight sensation. Located in the City Hall Courtyard, the booth is a treasure trove of bins, boxes, and shelves stocked with everything from seemingly innocuous items like watch bands to more unexpected surprises, such as T-shirts featuring NSFW designs.
While Zielinski has previously acquired packages through government auctions, she now uses a broker who sources them from suppliers and warehouses - essentially the "last stop before the landfill". With no guarantee of what's inside each package, customers are drawn in by the thrill of the unknown. Some opt to save their unboxing for a White Elephant gift exchange, while others, like Nicole Smith, purchased packages impulsively hoping to score something hilarious.
Zielinski's decision to sell mystery packages has been a resounding success, with daily sales reaching as high as 500 packages per day. However, the sudden surge in demand has left her scrambling to keep up, waking up at 6 a.m. each morning to process new shipments and manage inventory.
"I don't pick any packages, I don't open anything," Zielinski confesses, "I'm almost always wrong when I guess." Meanwhile, social media buzz surrounding the business - dubbed "modern day treasure hunt" by its proponents - has drawn in customers from far and wide. Co-workers Zachary Atkins and Robert Wilson, who stumbled upon Chain Mail Unclaimed during a work trip, described their experience as "unhinged", adding to the excitement.
As for Zielinski's own take on the operation? She attributes it all to serendipity: two years ago, she watched a social media video of a similar business in Paris and couldn't shake off the idea. The rest is history - now, with her booth already sold out for weeks ahead of Christmas, she's urging customers to "play catch up" as demand shows no signs of slowing down.
"I could not stop thinking about it," Zielinski recalled, still marveling at the success of Chain Mail Unclaimed. With two young children to care for and a business to run, she's proving that with determination and a dash of creativity, even the most unlikely venture can become a holiday sensation.
. Like, what's the appeal? Is it just the thrill of not knowing what you're gonna get or is there something more to it? And I'm also curious about Zielinski's decision to use a broker instead of going through government auctions - does that make her business model any safer or more legit? 
Also, I'm loving the term "modern day treasure hunt" 
. It's like she's creating this whole experience around not knowing what's inside the package, and it's kinda genius 
.
Oh my gosh, I'm obsessed with this new vendor Chain Mail Unclaimed in Philly! 
The idea of buying unopened packages for just $10-$40 is pure genius 
️! 
I need to get my hands on some of those mystery boxes ASAP! 
. The brainchild Emma Zielinski and her hubby Charlie have done a fantastic job in creating this unique shopping experience 
. They should totally expand this concept to other cities soon! 
Can't wait to see what surprises I'll get from my package 
! So there's these mystery packages they're selling where you pay anywhere from $10 to $40 and get nothin' but a box with a secret inside 
. I mean, who wouldn't wanna buy a T-shirt with an NSFW design 
.
The whole experience just felt super chaotic and disorganized. Can't they just make it more user-friendly for once?! 
. And the fact that she has to wake up at 6 a.m. every morning to keep up with demand? That's just crazy 
. Guess you could say she's the ultimate holiday worker 
. I guess it's all about the excitement of not knowing what you'll find inside each box... but let's be real, isn't that just a fancy way of saying "I'm too lazy to go thrift shopping"? 
Can you even?! It's like a treasure hunt, but instead of digging for gold, you just dig through boxes and see what weird stuff you can find 
) but this concept is pure genius 
The fact that Emma and Charlie have managed to create such a buzz around it is just mind-blowing 
And I love how Emma Zielinski just rolled with it and now her booth is sold out weeks ahead of Christmas - talk about playing catch up! 
. And now they're selling out weeks ahead of Christmas? Someone's gonna get burned if they don't watch their back 
. I mean, what if it's just a bunch of worthless junk in there? Or worse, what if someone gets hurt trying to open one of those packages? Not exactly the most responsible thing to do 
i mean i tried to play it cool but i cant help myself i wanna buy everything!! Emma Zielinski is a total boss btw she woke up at 6 am every morning to process new shipments lol i wish i had that kinda energy haha 
