A method and an apparatus for addressing and stacking individual pieces of printed matter for mailing, especially magazine copies, booklets and other bindery articles. The addressing of the mailing pieces is accomplished by applying to each mailing piece individual address identification data, such as labels from a computer-printed address list. After addressing of the mailing pieces has been accomplished, the labelled or identified pieces are conveyed into one or more stacking machines, the front page and the back of each magazine being oriented in the same direction. Each of the stacking machines is equipped with a first selector for changing the orientation of the mailing pieces so as to stack the mailing pieces in batches comprising a selected number of pieces, the copies of each batch having their backs oriented the same way, but oppositely of the backs of the pieces in the underlying batch. Each stacking machine also comprises a second selector for initiating removal of a full pile of such oriented mailing pieces. When a printed address list is used, a detection of symbols thereon is accomplished prior to the severing of the computer list into individual address labels. Depending on the combination of the detected symbols, the detector and control systems initiate operation of the first and/or second selectors. The symbols and combinations thereof are positioned on the printed address lists or on the storage means in dependence of the number of mailing pieces to be delivered to one post office or one zip code. The method and the apparatus allow for stacking of the mailing pieces so as to make the stack or pile upright despite the normally increased thickness of the backs of the pieces and without introducing any discontinuation in the stacking or removing operation of the piles.