# Your favorite contradictory (or other interesting) business signs **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 27, 2017, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377 "2017-12-27T12:20:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/61 "2017-12-29T04:01:49Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > [Break pads](http://home.earthlink.net/~ah3files/Stuff/Break%20Pads.jpg) > [For rent](http://home.earthlink.net/~ah3files/Stuff/For%20Rent.JPG) > [Jewelry store](http://home.earthlink.net/~ah3files/Stuff/Johannas%20Jewerly.jpg) > [The misprint](http://home.earthlink.net/~ah3files/Stuff/Miss%20Print.JPG) > [Freakin’ nails](http://home.earthlink.net/~ahunter/Upload_Download/Freakin_Nails.JPG) > [Hot wings](http://home.earthlink.net/~ahunter/Upload_Download/Hot%20Wings.JPG) Nice stuff - are these local to you or did you find them on your travels? The only one I don’t get is the last one - huh? You can do this in a spoiler if needed. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/62 "2017-12-29T04:22:02Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Nice stuff - are these local to you or did you find them on your travels? > > The only one I don’t get is the last one - huh? You can do this in a spoiler if needed. I’m guessing that it’s in the pricing. Add the 6 pc to the 9pc and compare with the price of the 15 pc. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/63 "2017-12-29T04:37:44Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m guessing that it’s in the pricing. Add the 6 pc to the 9pc and compare with the price of the 15 pc. Yeah, the 15 pc. order is a rip. But try buying a 6 pc. and a 9 pc. and I bet the store insists on charging you for 15 pieces. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/64 "2017-12-29T04:39:09Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I think if you’re signed in on your own FB account it will show it (somebody please confirm or refute this). I had intended to use Photobucket but that was totally FUBAR last night and wouldn’t let anyone post. Yeah, I was signed in to my FB account, and I couldn’t see the picture. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/65 "2017-12-29T07:31:42Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > What to make of that? I’ve seen that abroad, too. Someone knew just enough English to try to fashion an “OPEN” sign by copying a “CLOSED” sign, but didn’t know the function of the word _sorry_. ETA – That is to say, something like what **cochrane** said, but not intentional, I think ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/66 "2017-12-29T10:58:31Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Yeah, I was signed in to my FB account, and I couldn’t see the picture. Alright, [Photobucket](http://s211.photobucket.com/user/pkbites/media/Subway.jpg.html) seems to be “working” now, if you can call it that. The site has gone completely to shit with too many ads. Still wondering what the deal is with the pic not working on FB. Before you click on that, be warned it’s a picture of a picture. The original was grainy taken circa July of 1996 with an Advantix camera. It was in North Dakota. It’s a Subway sandwich shop with 2 banners reading “Leeches” and “Live Bait”. There were no rivers or lakes close by. What your looking at is a phone pic of the sliver of the pic that’s been in my scrapbook for 22+ years. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/67 "2017-12-29T13:35:29Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > My favorite sign was at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, next to the Marine guard post at the garage entry: > > ID BADGE REQUIRED > TO BE VISIBLE > ON THE PREMISES > > I took mine off and asked the duty Marine if he could still see me. He didn’t get it. Trying to joke with a Marine Guard on duty is rarely going to work… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/68 "2017-12-29T14:56:51Z")
My all-time favorite business sign, one I passed by often as I traveled Varick Street in New York City: AMPLE SUPPLY COMPANY Underneath the letters was a belt with a somewhat wide belly straining under it. I don’t know what they did exactly but it always made me giggle as I walked by. I sometimes wondered if they were a subsidiary of Acme. 😃 OMG, they’re still in business! 159 Varick St, New York, NY 10013. If any of you go past there tell me if the sign’s still there! I’d love to see a picture of it. (They are NOT affiliated with the Ample Supply Company in Illinois.) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/69 "2017-12-29T16:47:27Z")
My new fave thrift store has prominent signs reading “Never buy new again.” Of course they have some new, unopened, unused items for sale. Most common on parts used for home improvement but I’ll find clothing with the original tags on them. So I _can’t_ buy those items in the store??? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/70 "2017-12-29T20:21:01Z")
In Saugatuck, Michigan, which is an artsy little getaway for locals, one of the art stores has a huge ‘‘GOING OUT FOR BUSINESS’’ sign plastered on his front window. He’s been there, with that same sign, for over 10 years, and the last time we went in there, he pointed out it very intentionally says ‘‘Going out _for_ business,’’ IOW it’s a bit of deception intended to create intrigue. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/71 "2017-12-30T00:24:52Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Alright, [Photobucket](http://s211.photobucket.com/user/pkbites/media/Subway.jpg.html) seems to be “working” now, if you can call it that. The site has gone completely to shit with too many ads. Still wondering what the deal is with the pic not working on FB. > > Before you click on that, be warned it’s a picture of a picture. The original was grainy taken circa July of 1996 with an Advantix camera. It was in North Dakota. It’s a Subway sandwich shop with 2 banners reading “Leeches” and “Live Bait”. There were no rivers or lakes close by. What your looking at is a phone pic of the sliver of the pic that’s been in my scrapbook for 22+ years. Sorry. I don’t mean to be critical, but the picture is very tiny, about the size of a postage stamp, and if I try to blow it up, it’s too blurry to make out anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/72 "2017-12-30T00:34:35Z")
FWIW, you can directly link to a photo from your Facebook account. Just click “View Full Size,” then copy and paste the link from your browser bar. For example, here’s a picture of [my dog](https://z-p3-scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/15780998_1185141768269498_2461905133033238325_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&oh=f982e9b69910235313df79b6600c5209&oe=5AB57D49). ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/73 "2017-12-30T02:36:55Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > > [@AHunter3](#): > > > > …[Hot Wings](http://home.earthlink.net/~ahunter/Upload_Download/Hot%20Wings.JPG) > > Nice stuff - are these local to you or did you find them on your travels? > > The only one I don’t get is the last one - huh? You can do this in a spoiler if needed. Do the math on the wings. Pretend you’re interested in 9 of them for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/74 "2017-12-30T03:36:33Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Do the math on the wings. Pretend you’re interested in 9 of them for dinner. I don’t see anything silly, if you’re interested in getting 9 of them for dinner. It only seems to get silly if you’re interested in getting _15_ of them for dinner, since it’d cost less to instead buy 9 for dinner while buying another 6 for dinner. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/75 "2017-12-30T06:44:39Z")
Someone just posted on Facebook in the last month or so a different picture of a store where there was a “Save $0.00” on the markdown tag. There were a whole bunch of them all clustered in the same area too. I suspect that a company wanted their products to be featured and would pay for there to be signs indicating savings, but didn’t want to give an actual discount to the store selling them, so the store just didn’t mark them down. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/76 "2017-12-30T12:35:01Z")
Either that or somebody in IT didn’t write the discounting code to catch that glitch. e.g. take X% off as input by management, then adjust the price (usually upwards) to end in $X.X9. For certain combos of price and discount, those two actions will offset to within a penny. If they did the checking using floating point numbers but then rounded to the penny for display you’d see things like > [@Computer thinking](#): > > Ok, compare the original price to the discounted price. Hmm. > That’s $1.29345 versus $1.28876. So they’re different; we’re good. > Now print the labels. > Print the discount price in dollars and cents with big bold print: “$1.29” > Print the original price in dollars and cents in small print: “$1.29” > Compute the savings: 129 pennies - 129 pennies =\> 0 pennies. > Print the savings in almost as a big and bold print: “$0.00” It’s stuff like this that makes computer programming tedious Asbergery work for tedious Asbergery wankers. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/77 "2017-12-30T13:56:35Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I don’t see anything silly, if you’re interested in getting 9 of them for dinner. > > It only seems to get silly if you’re interested in getting _15_ of them for dinner, since it’d cost less to instead buy 9 for dinner while buying another 6 for dinner. :smack: That’s what I meant! “Hello, I’d like 9 wings please. Oh and I’d also like an order of 6 wings”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/78 "2017-12-30T15:31:16Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > Someone just posted on Facebook in the last month or so a different picture of a store where there was a “Save $0.00” on the markdown tag. There were a whole bunch of them all clustered in the same area too. I suspect that a company wanted their products to be featured and would pay for there to be signs indicating savings, but didn’t want to give an actual discount to the store selling them, so the store just didn’t mark them down. Heh. Interesting. In that case, that definitely seems like it was designed to draw attention to that product. (In mine, it was just one product marked that way. The rest of them were the usual $0.20-$1 off). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/79 "2017-12-30T15:56:17Z")
Some PR flacks back in the pre-social media dark ages used to say “any publicity is good publicity”. Somehow I doubt that in 2017 being the laughingstock of TwitFace and being roundly accused of deceptive marketing will turn out to be a win for these bozos. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377/80 "2017-12-30T16:01:40Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > … > > Somehow I doubt that in 2017 being the laughingstock of TwitFace and being roundly accused of deceptive marketing will turn out to be a win for these bozos. I agree, and I hope they lose the House and the Senate in 2018. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-contradictory-or-other-interesting-business-signs/805377.md?page=5)