I would seriously doubt that there is any law (in the US) that makes this
practice illegal. Amateur radio operators are hardly the only group that
barters IRCs. Do a Google search on "International Reply Coupons Barter" and
you'll see that this is a very common practice. I'm worried about a lot of
things, but not about a visit from the Post Office Police!

Rich Eckman KO4MR
Hampton, VA



--

"Dee D. Flint" wrote in message
gy.com...

"Richard Eckman" wrote in message
news:ym4Kb.34762$F22.17774@lakeread02...
There's nothing unethical about this process! The manager gets loads of
IRCs and replies to the cards via airmail, as would be expected. But,
rather
than redeeming them at the Post Office for $0.80 (in the US), he/she
sells
them for face value or a slight markup (I've seen them go for $0.80-$1.10
recently) to other DXers as a service. That way, DXers get the IRCs at a
significant discount compared to Post Office prices and the manager gets
what he would have if he had redeemed them at the Post Office, or
possibly
a
slight profit that can be rolled into printing more QSL cards or other
operating expenses.

Some one bought them at post office prices originally. And somewhere
along
the line the QSL manager has to buy postage. If he is buying postage for
$0.80 and selling the IRCs for $1 that is probably illegal.

I haven't purchased an IRC from the Post Office since the early 1970s,
when they were considerably less expensive. I've never redeemed an IRC at
the Post Office. I've been buying them from QSL managers for years. They
simply continue making the rounds as a sort of currency. The new IRCs
have
an expiration date which will somewhat short circuit this wonderful
process.
I certainly appreciate the efforts of Derek and other QSL managers for
selling IRCs back to the DX community.


Since they were never intended to be "currency" this is probably illegal
and
no doubt one of several reasons that expiration dates are now put on them.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE