# The shape of price tags

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-price-tags/557486>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 17, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-price-tags/557486 "2010-10-17T22:05:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![alfonzos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@alfonzos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alfonzos)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-price-tags/557486/1 "2010-10-17T22:05:14Z")

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You know the name tags the contestants wear on _The Price is Right_? I’m old enough to remember when price tags on merchandise was the same shape as those name tags. My question is: how did they arrive at that six-sided form? Why not just a rectangle with a hole?

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-price-tags/557486/2 "2010-10-17T22:23:00Z")

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when the tag is curved or cropped at the top then it is less likely to snag and be torn off accidentally during handling the item.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-price-tags/557486/3 "2010-10-17T22:31:11Z")

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They’re called swing tickets or swing tags. As **johnpost** says, they’re less likely to snag when shaped this way - even if this doesn’t tear them off, it may leave the top corners dog-eared.

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shape-of-price-tags/557486/4 "2010-10-17T22:55:29Z")

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It’s also easier to slide them into plastic sleeves when you can get it started with that short end.