Old Computer Magazines

Vintage Computer Festival &lt;vcf(a)siconic.com&gt; wrote: I think it's a goofy requirement too, but frankly it depends on your postal inspector(s). Maybe you've seen signs at the Post Office informing you that any USPS employee can open a package sent Media Mail and inspect the contents? I have, in Mountain View, California (deepest darkest Sillycon Valley). I don't know what happens if they open it up and find vintage computer magazines loaded with advertising, but "Media Mail can not contain advertising except for incidental announcements of books" (from <http://www.usps.com/send/waystosendmail/senditwithintheus/mediamail.htm>) and I'm not sure how the bureaucracy will interpret the 25-year-old advertisements in 25-year-old magazines, but it probably depends on how irritable its local rep is feeling that day. I expect that if they go after anyone it will be the shipper, as he's the paying customer. I'm pretty sure I've read posts over on rec.collecting.books by booksellers angsting over this. Maybe Al's run into that too. The way you're probably supposed to do this (according to the bureaucracy) is Bound Printed Matter. But that has problems which recommend against it. First, parcel weight is limited to 15 pounds. Second, "Bound Printed Matter with no ancillary service endorsement that is undeliverable-as-addressed is disposed of by USPS." (from <http://pe.usps.gov/text/qsg/q720.htm>). -Frank McConnell