"Finally, in conclusion, let me say just this." ~ Peter Sellers
Fairs Year-round Information	F.Y.I. Volume 7, Issue 14 July 4, 1997

Planning a Direct Mail Campaign? New Postal Rates Help You Save on Postage

Since July 1, 1996, the United States Postal Service has been making major changes in its “how-to” standards for preparing and handling business mail. Called “Classification Reform,” the program’s goal is to increase the Postal Service’s efficiency, while reducing costs through automation — specifically, using machines to read addresses, and sort and route mail.

As an incentive for businesses to take part in the reform, the Postal Service is offering lower postal rates to those that design their mailers for automation, clean up address lists and presort outgoing mail. (The changes affect bulk mail with a “postage paid by permit” imprint, postage meter or precanceled stamps; single- piece postage rates remain the same.)

How Classification Reform Works

Classification Reform has affected the Postal Service's system by consolidating four classes of mail into three. The old third class (bulk mail) and fourth class (including parcel post) are now called Standard Mail A and B respectively. Second class is now Periodicals, while first class stays the same. As before, to qualify for lower rates, standard mail requires at least 200 pieces or 50 pounds of mail. First class presort requires 500 pieces.

The new pricing structure lowers rates even further when mailings are automation compatible (bar-coded) and large enough to be sorted into three-digit or five-digit Zip code bundles. Additional discounts apply when mailings go to a high percentage of households in a particular neighborhood and can be sorted by carrier route. Be forewarned, if your mailings don't meet any automation or sorting requirements, you'll pay more for postage than you did a year ago.

Money-Saving Mailing Tips

• Use standard class instead of first class when you have at least 200 pieces to mail and can allow for a little more delivery time. (An $85 annual fee is required.)
• To qualify for letter rate, make your mailers no larger than 111/2” long, 61/8” wide and 1/4” thick.

For more information about Classification Reform, call toll-free, 1/800/THE-USPS, or check out the Postal Service’s Web site, www.usps.gov. While there, sign up for a free subscription to The Mailroom Companion. You can also fax a subscription request to 202/268-4336. Information resource: Dynamic Graphics magazine, Save on Your 1997 Postage by Linda Browning.

No time to shop for items your fair needs? Many of them could be available at great savings through CFSA’s Government Surplus Program. Simply give Graeme Stewart, program buyer, a call. In the meantime, here’s a short list of items currently in the South Sacramento warehouse:

• Revolving circular display racks. Ideal for displaying small exhibits
• Dexion carts - 3' x 8' x 29" high. Could be used as table dollies
• Large, electric stencil machine. Save by making many of your own signs
• 5" swivel casters - with brakes. New
• Small refrigerators - brown. Like new
• Paint smocks - sleeveless "surgical" styling

For more information on these and other great buys, or if you’d like to arrange a tour of the South Sacramento surplus warehouse or accompany the buyer on a visit to a surplus yard, call Graeme Stewart at 916/765-3673.

Please Note: CFSA’s Surplus Purchasing Program is only authorized to obtain surplus property for California’s fairs.

Amidst clear skies and a recovering economy, fair attendances are up and more in line with 1994 and 1995’s numbers — at least for the fairs reporting in this month.

Roger Gibbs, CEO of the Colusa County Fair, reports a 6 percent increase in paid attendance and a record-breaking livestock auction with a sales total of $280,000 — very impressive for a county with a population of just 16,000. Records were also breaking at the Glenn County Fair. According to CEO Paul Briggs, the fair’s auction set a new high with sales of $97,800. He also reports a 29 percent increase in the fair’s total paid attendance. And even though “Bud-wiser,” the frog, didn’t break the all-time distance record at the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee, he and his hopping friends helped push the event’s paid attendance up 2 percent.

With 14 fairs reporting in for the year, here’s how their total paid attendances compare with 96’s:

• 1997: 501,746 visitors
• 1996: 523,755 visitors
• Total: -22,009 -4.2%

Something New! Instead of phoning for your fair's total paid attendance number this year, for your convenience, we're faxing a brief form for you to fill out. In addition to your attendance, we hope you'll take a minute to jot down some news tidbits about your fair's run for us to share in F.Y.I. Thanks!

The horses are out of the gate and the summer fair horse racing circuit is off and running. The San Joaquin County Fair, the circuit’s first stop, started the racing season on a very positive note:

• 1996 on-track: $2,261,119
• 1997 on-track: $2,315,722
• Up: +2%

• 1996 Northern California off-track: $9,275,171
• 1997 Northern California off-track: $10,212,346
• Up: +10%

• 1996 Out of state: $445,804
• 1997 Out of state: $818,400
• Up: +84%

• 1996 Network total: $11,982,094
• 1997 Network total: $13,346,469
• Up: +11%

F.Y.I. invites and encourages all fairs to contribute articles and article ideas for the Fair Exchange column. We’ll even write the article for you. For details, call Melissa Thurber at 916/263-6178 or Joan Bartosik at 916/663-9256.
To add F.Y.I. to your press release mailing list, send or fax releases to:

1776 Tribute Road, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95815
Attn: Melissa Thurber
Fax: 916/646-1238