Expiration Notices

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

With their aversion to the shoddy realities of the capitalistic framework, fans set up a defense mechanism by making their gimmes humorous, as "your subscription has done the well-known thing". In the Fantasy Magazine days, a printed notice of expiration with an order blank at the bottom was common. Nell introduced an enclosure gratulating the reader on his subscription's having expired, what time Wilson didn't so inform correspondents in personal letters. Fantasy News gave the number of issues yet to run, "(0)" if expired, in parentheses after the address on the envelope. Others took to the use of a rubber stamp, on either the wrapper or the magazine itself; and some used a colored pencil check-mark. The main controlling factor is that the notice must be given only to those to whom it applies, yet postoffice rules about third class matter must not be violated. Some geniuses discovered a away to mimeograph "expired" only on certain copies. Finally came Tucker with a sticker saying "Your Subscription has Expired -- Now we don't want to get crass about this!"

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Publishing