5. Demise of the Trade Card

A number of developments contributed to the ultimate extinction of the trade card, but enormous changes that took place in periodical publishing during the late 1880s and early 1890s undoubtedly represent one of the most important factors. New postal regulations adopted in 1885 reduced the cost of second-class mailings to a flat one cent per pound ( jay 99)  this had the immediate effect of bringing a number of new subscription-based periodicals into the field.(jay 99). This was especially popular with children who would subscribe to boy scout magazines and receive more specified advertisements within the periodical.