# Why Are Men's Socks Sold in Resealable Packages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481 "2013-07-25T14:48:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![turtlescanfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@turtlescanfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turtlescanfly)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/21 "2013-07-26T01:16:25Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > But I suspect that the explanation for this depends on the cost of production. Producing two million zip bags is probably cheaper than one million zip and one million regular bags. My father used to sell packaging materials like boxes and bags, and customers who had a dozen items to order would often benefit by making them similar enough to gang up the orders for a single run. If I was a betting man, this is where I’d put my money. They don’t HAVE to be in zipper bag, its just easier that way. ---
**Author:** ![Orionizer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orionizer/32/4442_2.png) [@Orionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orionizer)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/22 "2013-07-26T12:47:51Z")
Wow! A question here other than computers that I can actually answer in a professional capacity! I work at a hosiery manufacturer where we produce socks. I can honestly say, I’ve never seen that type of packaging before and have inquired with others here and they have not as well. I have no idea what purpose that would serve. As for the types of packaging we have done, there are: - Individual pair with a hook and band - Individual pair with hang tag - 3 Pair with each of these as well - Bulk packaging (6 pair or more) like you describe, but usually just a heat sealed bag that you tear open These are the main types we do. We have a few odd balls here and there, but again, I’ve never seen the ziploc type bag you describe. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/23 "2013-07-26T12:56:05Z")
I’ve seen it too and also wondered why. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/24 "2013-07-26T14:15:24Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > I’ve wondered about this too. I kind of get the whole, “buy a pack and just throw out the socks after one use and keep them zipped in your bag”, but who would just throw money away like that? Wouldn’t the kind of people who have money to throw-out be buying more expensive socks than Hanes? You can have the feeling of new socks every day for a very reasonable price. It’s cheaper than smoking, or even a serious coffee habit. Or so I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/25 "2013-07-26T14:22:58Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Honestly, if I was filthy rich I’d buy my SO a new pair of socks for every day, and at night he could just throw them away, so I’d never have to chase them around the house or find them in weird corners again. > [@turtlescanfly](#): > > I suspect you might be exaggerating, but I’ve had the same thought… I LOVE the feel of new socks, if I could afford it, I would never wear the same pair twice. Come on, y’all. Even Ross Webster, the villain of _Superman III_ who claimed never to wear the same pair of socks twice, supposed they got laundered and donated to some charitable institution. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/26 "2013-07-26T14:27:19Z")
> [@Orionizer](#): > > I work at a hosiery manufacturer where we produce socks. I can honestly say, I’ve never seen that type of packaging before and have inquired with others here and they have not as well. I have no idea what purpose that would serve. I found a couple of pictures of the packaging in question: [http://www.everythingsummercamp.com/common/images/products/large/hanes-socks-mens-ankle-6-12.jpg](http://www.everythingsummercamp.com/common/images/products/large/hanes-socks-mens-ankle-6-12.jpg) [http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/03/82/57/52/0003825752083\_500X500.jpg](http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/03/82/57/52/0003825752083_500X500.jpg) On both of them, you can see the label “Resealable Bag” just above the center of the “zip”. I’m beginning to wonder if this is just a Hanes thing. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/27 "2013-07-26T14:36:47Z")
This person wrote Hanes: [http://archive.tylerdave.com/000132/](http://archive.tylerdave.com/000132/) They responded and claimed indeed it was so people could examine before purchasing. If you have to break a seal though - I don’t get it - but maybe all aren’t that way. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/28 "2013-07-26T14:50:27Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > If you have to break a seal though - I don’t get it - but maybe all aren’t that way. The images I linked to above are typical of the Hanes packages I buy, and, yes, the resealable zipper is “beneath” a sealed top to the bag (otherwise, it’d be an extreme invitation to shoplift a pair or two out of the bag, I imagine). So, yeah, it’s weird to me, too. And, Hanes’ response, “view the product”, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when the bag is clear to start with. Perhaps their definition of “view” includes “touch”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/29 "2013-07-26T15:06:43Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Perhaps their definition of “view” includes “touch”. 🙂 When any elementary school student can tell you you look with your eyes, not with your hands. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/30 "2013-07-26T15:17:13Z")
I actually have 5 pairs of white gym socks in one of those bags in my dresser. Why? Because they are cheaper to buy in bulk, but I only needed/had room for one pair in the sock drawer. By leaving the rest in the bag, I am assured that they won’t go a’wandering, looking for their brethren who have Passed Beyond via the Great Dryer or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/31 "2013-07-26T15:29:34Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Come on, y’all. Even Ross Webster, the villain of _Superman III_ who claimed never to wear the same pair of socks twice, supposed they got laundered and donated to some charitable institution. 😉 Yeah, I could give them to Goodwill or something. BUT THAT STILL MEANS I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEM! I can’t train the man to put them in the laundry bin, what makes you think I can train him to put them in the donation bag? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/32 "2013-07-26T15:35:56Z")
Well, presumably, Ross had staff to deal with that. He was after all, a gozillionaire. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/33 "2013-07-26T15:37:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Honestly, if I was filthy rich I’d buy my SO a new pair of socks for every day, and at night he could just throw them away, so I’d never have to chase them around the house or find them in weird corners again. If you was filthy rich you could hire a housekeeper, right? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/34 "2013-07-26T16:01:28Z")
The few wealthy people I have known over the years got that way by doing exactly the opposite. They would wear socks with holes in “You cant see it in a shoe - right?” They bought many identical pairs at a time so there was never a problem if a single one became unwearable. This principle does not only apply to socks. I knew a lady, actually a ‘Lady’ who bought ten dozen pairs of stockings at a time. She not only got a discount for bulk, but she believed (cite please) that they get stronger and less likely to ladder over time. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/35 "2013-07-26T16:04:46Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > You can have the feeling of new socks every day for a very reasonable price. New socks have a feeling? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/36 "2013-07-26T16:06:17Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Yeah, I could give them to Goodwill or something. BUT THAT STILL MEANS I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEM! I can’t train the man to put them in the laundry bin, what makes you think I can train him to put them in the donation bag? Clothing in laundry bin = clean clothes. Clothing NOT in laundry bin = not clean. Once he runs out of clean socks a few times, he might come around… ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/37 "2013-07-26T20:02:12Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Yeah, I could give them to Goodwill or something. BUT THAT STILL MEANS I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEM! I can’t train the man to put them in the laundry bin, what makes you think I can train him to put them in the donation bag? The Container Store has sock clips which lets a pair go into the laundry together. I know that doesn’t solve your (his) problem, but maybe the act of clipping the socks together, which is kind of fun, would help. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/38 "2013-07-26T20:31:46Z")
Maybe the sock manufacturer wants to be green, and is giving away a free resusable ziplock plastic bag with each purchase? Who knows, maybe some guys can use them for sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/39 "2013-07-26T20:39:32Z")
Maybe the cost of providing a resealable bag was outweighed by profit from the extra sales, because of shoppers who perceived the packaging adding sufficient value to persuade them to buy. But it does seem a ridiculous use for a resealable bag, sure there are many other household items (like laundry powder or cereal) which would benefit much more from having an airtight seal. Then again, socks have the potential to smell a lot worse than laundry powder or cereal. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481/40 "2013-07-26T21:33:29Z")
> [@Orionizer](#): > > Wow! A question here other than computers that **I can actually answer in a professional capacity!** > > I work at a hosiery manufacturer where we produce socks. I can honestly say, I’ve never seen that type of packaging before and have inquired with others here and they have not as well. **I have no idea what purpose that would serve.** You must have a really strong union. My sock-buying flowchart: Dress or sweat? Size? Weight? Buy. It would never have occurred to me to open the bag, take the clothes out, riffle through them, maybe try them on, then say “nah, not these,” stuff them back in the bag and try to get the ziplock closed. And, now that the consensus seems to be that that’s what’s intended, my flowchart now includes “Packaged in ziplock bag? Do not buy.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-mens-socks-sold-in-resealable-packages/664481.md?page=3)