On 2011-10-22 00:27:35 -0400, "m II" said:

Maybe you can explain why the magazine subscriptions sell for less than
quarter the newsstand price when they have to add shipping (postage
usually) and additional packaging (wrapper)

Do advertisers think that newsstand copies are not read by consumers,
trashed, and only subscriptions count?

Aggregate numbers. "We have this many readers." (holds up both hands...
with all fingers extended)

Postage is pretty cheap, and newsstands are allowed returns. Next time
you see one, read the publisher's statement, required (IIRC, by postal
regs) to run annually. You will find both annual averages as well as
stats for the issue nearest the date of the statement. You'll also find
how many copies were "free" distribution.

Bottom line: press run /= readership