Nifty, but do they only use the middle slot or all mailboxes for different people?

DigitalSympathies: In AL apartment lots, the mailbox/multi-mailbox has only one functional mail slot: the middle one, which is the one Sims always open, no matter which apartment they live in or who they are. So I believe that it is no different with this download.

Sophie-David, thanks for uploading this! I really like this!

The patch uses the standard Apartment Life mailbox animations - so yes, to my knowledge, they always use the middle slot.

So great to see a creator from the early days of mts still going strong and creating. Thank you for this.

Hi Sophie, sorry for appearing thick, but I do not appear to have a Bins folder? Only one I have is LockedBins?

Thanks for the buyable mailbox BTW, awesome idea

What a terrific idea! Thanks muchly! It's great to see cool stuff still being created for TS2!

P.S. Where did you find the three-sided "phone-booth" that's around the community lot phone in your screenshots?

Gotta agree with joninmobile -- great to see you still creating and sharing for Sims 2. Thanks so much for this terrific add to our games!

You're welcome!

Sorry about the complication with the Bins folder. No, it is not the same as LockedBins, but instead is in the Program Files folder group. Hopefully the instructions under the Install Instructions tab will guide you through. The path may be somewhat different if you are using Vista, but a file search in Windows Explorer should get you to the right place if all else fails.

You actually could use the buyable mailbox in an ordinary Downloads folder, but I think it is worth the effort to put the patch file into Bins so that the mailbox can't be accidentally deleted from the catalogue.

You're welcome Zirconia. I have no intention of ceasing creating for the Sims 2 - I have way more ideas than I have time!

The community lot is from Numenor's AnyGameStarter Mini-Game neighbourhood. The phone booth is made with three standard walls and finished with basegame windows and paint, i.e. there is no custom content involved.

Wow, I have been looking for a long time to find something like this! I think you did a wonderful job on this creation! ^.^ Keep it up with your good talent and hard work!

Yay! As an avid Sims 2 player (with no interest in Sims 3 whatsoever) it makes me happy to see that not all creators have run off to Sims 3 land!



Oh cool! I never though about doing that! Awesome trick!

I'm not sure I'm totally understanding ... is the buyable mailbox base-game compatible?

Yup ... you have to go into the PROGRAMS files...and if you have Vista it won't let you unzip directly to the file...it's the ole administrator permission thingy and it doesn't give you a crack at permitting it there <sigh> <I HATE Vista> At any rate, unzip to your desktop and drag the files over to the bins folder file. It'll ask you if you are the administrator and then permit. What a pain lol

I hope this is understandable because I hardly understand it myself. lol I do not consider myself computer literate...but I AM determined. :p

Yes, the buyable mailbox is compatible with basegame, as well as any of the EPs and Stuff Packs.

Thank you for explaining Skanning. I don't have Vista myself, so I'm not much help.

Ok, so, I have windows 7 and I'm trying to download this mailbox. I don't have the "TSData" file or the "Bins" or the "Program Files" or any of that... what folder do I put the patch in in order for it to show up in the game?

I have W7 (64 bit) & can help..I hope!

The 64 bit version of W7 has two different "Program Files" folders, one called Program Files and one called Program Files(x86), & all your TS2 core files for Sims 2 will be in in Program Files(x86).

C > Program Files(x86) > EA Games > the-latest-EP....etc.

Also - just like Vista - you will need to be an administrator to do much of anything under the Program Files folders...however - unlike Vista - you CAN store zips, rars, etc there with administrator access. (I am so glad I skipped Vista & jumped straight to W7!)

I think a lot of the confusion is that there are two different places TS2 files are put on your computer, no matter what your OS is. 99% of the time you only need to worry about finding your "saved game" files, which are under:

My Documents > EA Games > The Sims 2

However the core TS2 files (like "TSBins" & such) are located under the Program Files (or Program Filesx86) area and are not usually touched unless one is pulling files to mod.

It seems that the buyable mailbox is one of the 1% of items that "needs" to be put under your core files & not where most other CC goes.

I finally found my bins folder after much searching (W7)
The path was D:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden Stuff\TSData\Res\Catalog\Bins
I have sims installed on D drive and my latest ep is mansions & gardens
Hope this helps

Thank you Zirconia Wolf and Kims*Designs for helping out!

Great idea!

I literally cannot find the "Program Files" ANYWHERE. I've searched for it and everything, how do you get to the "Program Files" thing?

Nevermind, just found it, I feel like an idiot now haha

Sophie, I can't get this to show up in game, I put it in bins folder first, but when it didn't show, I tried putting it in downloads folder, but it's still not showing up

I just noticed that you installed to D:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden Stuff\TSData\Res\Catalog\Bins whereas sdBuyableMailbox.package should really be going in a path more like D:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\TSData\Res\Catalog\Bins. In other words, the buyable mailbox should go in whatever path is appropriate to your basegame location as listed in the Install Instructions Tab, not to your latest EP or SP path.

Nonetheless the buyable mailbox should work just fine in Downloads, and I don't have an explanation for it not working there (its just that its much safer to put this essential file - or any other buyable mailbox for that matter - in Bins). I imagine you have other custom content that works fine in Downloads? The mailbox should show up in the community and residential catalogues under Misc/Misc and Outdoor/Misc at a cost of zero Simoleans.

Has anyone else had any luck with the Buyable Mailbox under Windows 7? I have no way to test under that environment. I do know it works under XP and Vista, because that's what StephSim and I have at home.