B737-300 CREW HAD AN OVERHEAD BIN MEL'ED CLOSED. THE BIN CONTAINED CABIN EMER EQUIP.

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BROKEN BRACKET ON OVERHEAD BIN/MEL ITEM. THE FO AND MYSELF WERE STARTING A 3-DAY SEQUENCE. THE ACFT ARRIVED 20 MINS LATE; AND DURING THE CREW CHANGE; THE PLTS INFORMED US OF A BROKEN TOP BRACKET ON AN OVERHEAD BIN. WE CALLED MAINT; AND THEY INSPECTED IT AND TOLD US IT WOULD HAVE TO BE MEL. (THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO FIX IT.) UNDER MEL; WE WERE ABLE TO MEL IT BY TAPING IT SHUT; AND BE ON OUR WAY AFTER THE PAPERWORK WAS COMPLETE. AT NO TIME ON THE GND WERE WE INFORMED THAT THE BROKEN OVERHEAD BIN CONTAINED A MEGAPHONE. WE DEPARTED; AND UPON ARR; THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US AS SHE OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR; THAT THE BIN HAD THE MEGAPHONE IN IT. I DECIDED TO CALL DISPATCH TO DISCUSS THE LEGALITY OF THIS MEL; SINCE THE BIN DID CONTAIN A PIECE OF EMER EQUIP. AFTER DISCUSSING IT WITH DISPATCH; THE CHIEF; AND MAINT CTL; WE DECIDED TO CALL OUT CONTRACT MAINT AND GET THEM TO FIX IT SINCE IT WAS KIND OF A GRAY AREA ACCORDING TO THE FOM AND MEL. WE TOOK ABOUT AN HR AND 15 MIN DELAY WHILE THE MAINT MAN TOOK THE BIN TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE MECH SIGNED OFF THE BIN AFTER REPAIRING IT; AND WE DEPARTED.