Banditsign blues - Posted by Mark

Posted by Redline on June 25, 2002 at 21:26:13:

Many towns have ordinances that forbid advertising a business, even on your personal property and/or primary residence.

RL

Banditsign blues - Posted by Mark

Posted by Mark on June 25, 2002 at 14:57:24:

I put up 5 signs on telephone poles last Friday night. 3 & 1/2 days later I got a call from the city telling me to take them down (friendly warning). In that time I received 5 calls including a builder saying he runs into a situation now and then where his buyer needs to sell their home first, 3 good sfh prospects and 1 looking to buy.

I have a couple questions:

  1. Should I try to put them up just on weekends (our telephone poles are littered with garage sale signs and thousands of staples/nails)?

  2. What other uses are there for my remaining 200+ signs?
    -car windows?
    p.s. I have an add running continuously in the paper.

Thanks

Re: Banditsign blues - Posted by Jeff (CO)

Posted by Jeff (CO) on June 27, 2002 at 23:48:53:

Getting the name and function of your business “out there” is a basic tenet of marketing. If people don’t know you exist, you won’t get them as customers.

Some people choose to use bandit signs. Bandit signs are NOT illegal in and of themselves. They get that name from the way some people choose to use them.

These two informational items will help you in your use of bandit signs:

  1. In most locales it is illegal to post a sign at an intersection, in the public right-of-way, on medians, or on utility poles.

  2. Read your town/city, county and state laws regarding signage. A helpful web site for this is:
    Find Laws, Legal Help, and Attorneys - FindLaw

Generally speaking, it is permissible to post a sign only on private property IF you have the permission of the owner. These signs must also meet setback requirements that vary, but are generally 10-20 feet from the side of a road.

Good luck on making money in your endeavors. Use bandit signs, but use them legally.

My best luck with signs… - Posted by Nathan(oh)

Posted by Nathan(oh) on June 26, 2002 at 10:31:25:

Is when I put them on stakes and put them in the ground. I used to try telephone poles, but it took longer and they didn’t stay up long. Also, I got far fewer calls.

Now that I put them in the ground, I do fine with only 20-30 signs every couple weeks. And that is my only advertising at the moment. Stakes are only a buck or 2 more; Or you can go to Home Depot and get 3ft. contractor stakes for about $14/bundle. They are tougher to put in, but are sturdier.

Good Luck

Nathan

Re: Banditsign blues - Posted by Cash

Posted by Cash on June 25, 2002 at 23:34:02:

Our industry catches enough heat from terms like “flipping”, etc. So my point is if it’s against the law, how many potential customers drive buy your signs and think “he is breaking the law.” Would they really want to do business with you. Keep your credibilty in tact, run your newspaper ads and other promotions: flyers, direct mail, etc. I have purchased and sold many, many houses and never used Banditsigns because where I live it’s against the law.

Re: Banditsign blues - Posted by Ronald * Starr(in No CA)

Posted by Ronald * Starr(in No CA) on June 25, 2002 at 20:20:03:

Mark------------

While I think Shawn J. Dostie is correct in that the city employees don’t work weekends, they might be driving around town on personal errands and see your signs and complain to you. After all, the whole idea is to attract attention. Their attention is probably as easy to attract as anybody’s.

Good Investing*******Ron Starr**************

Re: Banditsign blues - Posted by Shawn J. Dostie

Posted by Shawn J. Dostie on June 25, 2002 at 19:05:18:

I used to work for large new car dealership in Columbus Ohio. During the week, if we ever put our our grass someone would call a city inspector and they would make us remove the vehicles. However, on Saturday morning, we put those vehicles on the grass, in on Sunday evening we’d those cars back into a regular parking space.
Bottom line is, City County State employees never work weekends. So have fun putting the bandit signs up on weekends.
Good luck,

Shawn J. Dostie(OH)

Re: Banditsign blues - Posted by phil fernandez

Posted by phil fernandez on June 25, 2002 at 16:37:59:

Why don’t you put them up in front of friends and relatives properties, with their permission. Someone had a great idea of giving them a gift certificate to a local restaurant for the priviledge.

Mine get taken done buy the city public works guys on Monday morning, so put them up on Fri. PM and take them down before 7 AM on Mondays.

AMEN! (NT) - Posted by Drew

Posted by Drew on June 26, 2002 at 11:18:55:

nt

Re: Banditsign blues - Posted by Rob FL

Posted by Rob FL on June 25, 2002 at 20:18:06:

We had a local county code enforcement officer speak at our monthly club meetings. They told us that they work on rotating shifts so that they can enforce 7 days a week. I don’t know if that’s true, but I have put some signs up on Friday night and by Saturday morning they were gone.

Never say never.

Re: Banditsign blues - Posted by Mark

Posted by Mark on June 25, 2002 at 18:28:56:

Thanks Phil,

The guy I talked to said I couldn’t even put them up on properties I owned. He said I could only put one up at my primary address. I need to verify this!

Re: Banditsign blues - Posted by Shawn J. Dostie

Posted by Shawn J. Dostie on June 25, 2002 at 20:55:04:

Your guys probably work weekends cause it’s 70+ degree’s year round. Our guy’s don’t like to work in 10 degree weather. I guess there are some advantages to not living in Florida (God’s waiting room)

Shawn(OH)

Tell him… - Posted by Corey ND

Posted by Corey ND on June 25, 2002 at 22:43:37:

They better run around enforcing the matter with rummage sale signs then! See what their excuse is.