"The magazine division is being hit with postal increases and paper costs increases that were not a factor in 1988," she said.

"Every time there is a postal increase, there is a slowdown and then it slowly moves back up," Mr. Dunhill said.

Privacy laws, though, could be more damaging than either taxes or postal increases, said Mr. DeLay, publisher of The DeLay Letter, an industry publication in New York.

The major immediate worry is the postal increase expected to take effect early next year, which could exceed 15 to 35 percent for catalogues.

Last year's postal increase was only the latest skirmish in a long-running battle between the Postal Service and users of third-class mail.

The leaders of the associations said that if adequate competitive forces were put in motion, future postal increases could be held down across the board.

Erica Camarano, 22, an aspiring actress, said as she was standing near the Empire State Building post office that she was aware of the postal increase.

The increases have driven publishers to look for ways to defray or avoid the postal increases.

Early next year, a sizable postal increase is expected, which could drive up rates for mail-order businesses 15 to 35 percent.

To make matters worse, publishers are expecting an across-the-board postal increase of more than 20 percent in second-class mail early next year.