A number of factors contributed to the steady decline of the dime novel during the early decades of this century. By 1900, the dime novel had been a staple of popular culture for nearly fifty years. Stories had thus long since codified into stock formulas, becoming lifeless and predictable. Another contributing factor was the United States Post Office, which increased the postage on novels sent through the mail by one or two cents per issue. Though not a major increase in itself, it was enough to destroy the slim profit margin that dime novel publishers had relied upon for years. Finally, the young readers who made up the audience for dime novels simply found new interests. Early silent films provided sensational entertainment at the bargain price of five cents per show. Young audiences preferred to go to the nickelodeon and spend their pennies watching the new heroes of the silver screen rather than reading about the latest adventures of their all-too-familiar dime novel heroes.