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From: mjc@cmu-cs-cad.ARPA (Monica Cellio)
Newsgroups: net.bizarre
Subject: Re: Those little colored stickers on mail
Message-ID: <356@cmu-cs-cad.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 01:00:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: cmu-cs-c.356
Posted: Thu Jul 25 01:00:47 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Jul-85 02:15:53 EDT
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 18

Bulk mailing permits require that the pieces be pre-sorted by zip code.  I
don't recall the details, but under some circumstances all the pieces in a
bundle have to be the same zip code, and under others they all have to have
the first three digits matching (these are usually for the leftover zip
codes; there is a minimum size of bundles, and all the random zip codes that
have one piece per get grouped under the regional zip).  The stickers with a
"D" on them are for "direct" mailings -- all items in that bundle had exactly
the same zip code.  The "3"s mean all the items had the same first three
digits.

The post office presumably does the same sorting itself with first class mail.
Also, I have seen unmarked colored stickers (usually light green) and I have
no idea what they mean.

							-Dragon
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