kjell@wisc-ai.ARPA (07/21/84)
The strip that is removed from old magazines is supposed to be proof that the magaznine was destroyed by the original vendor. The original vendor is reembursed for the strips returned to the magazine distributor. The "strippers" that some books stores used to sell were magazines that were supposed to have been destroyed; in effect these bookstores were participating in criminal fraud. This is not as common as it used to be; I suppose this is because second hand paperback stores are much more popular now than before, so magazine distributors are more likely to be interested in cases of fraud. Some of the more expensive magazines (the dirty ones) insist that the whole magazine be returned if it is unsold after its time on the newstand.