Super Cheap Signs

Category: Increase Revenue

  • Are Bandit Yard Signs Illegal?

    Are Bandit Yard Signs Illegal?

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    One question we get asked a lot here at Super Cheap Signs is, “Are bandit signs legal?” If you’ve ever driven through a bustling city or a quiet suburb, you’ve likely noticed them: small, colorful signs staked into grassy medians or zip-tied to utility poles, offering everything from “We Buy Houses” to “Affordable Roofing Services.” These are commonly known as bandit signs, and while they’re undeniably effective in grabbing attention, they exist in a gray area of legality.

    So, are bandit yard signs illegal? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think. The legality of these signs often depends on local ordinances, enforcement practices, and how creative you are in navigating the rules. Let’s dive into the fascinating (and often frustrating) world of bandit yard signs.

    Most cities and counties have ordinances that regulate or outright ban bandit signs, especially in public spaces like medians, utility poles, or sidewalks. In places like Virginia and Maryland, the fines for posting illegal signs can be hefty—$100 per sign in Virginia and up to $500 per sign in Maryland. These ordinances are usually enforced by local transportation departments or code enforcement officers.

    But here’s the catch: enforcement is far from consistent. In many cases, enforcement agencies only act if they catch someone in the act of placing the sign or can trace the sign back to its owner. This creates an opportunity for businesses willing to think outside the box.

    How Businesses Stay Under the Radar

    Entrepreneurs who rely on bandit signs have developed a variety of strategies to minimize their risk of fines or legal troubles. Here are a few commonly used tactics:

    1. Rotating Phone Numbers

    Savvy marketers often use temporary or unlisted phone numbers on their signs. By rotating numbers regularly, it becomes nearly impossible for enforcement agencies to trace the signs back to a specific business.

    2. Operating After Hours

    Signs are usually placed after 6:00 p.m. when local transportation or enforcement offices are closed. This reduces the chances of being caught in the act, as most enforcement activities occur during regular business hours.

    3. Creative Sign Placement

    Some businesses use telescoping poles to place signs high up on utility poles, where they’re harder to remove. Others use industrial-strength adhesives or two-sided tape to secure signs to metal poles, ensuring they stay up longer.

    4. Registered Agents and LLCs

    Instead of operating as a sole proprietorship, many businesses form LLCs and designate a registered agent in a location far from the jurisdiction where signs are placed. This creates another layer of separation between the business owner and the signs, making enforcement even more challenging.

    What to Say if You’re Confronted by Law Enforcement

    If a police officer or enforcement official confronts you about placing a sign, it’s important to stay calm and professional. Here’s a script that many businesses use:

    • “Do you have jurisdiction over this matter?”

    • “Is this a criminal violation? My lawyer has informed me it’s not.”

    • “Thank you for your time. Have a great day.”

    Most sign ordinances are civil, not criminal, matters. While an officer may ask you to stop, they typically lack the authority to issue criminal charges related to sign placement.

    The Free Speech Debate

    One of the most compelling arguments for bandit signs is that they fall under the umbrella of commercial free speech. Court rulings, including the landmark Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015), have struck down sign ordinances that unfairly favor certain types of speech over others. For example, a law allowing political signs but banning commercial ones is likely unconstitutional.

    That said, challenging a sign ordinance in court is expensive. Legal experts estimate it could cost upwards of $500,000 to mount a successful case. For most small businesses, the legal battle isn’t worth the cost.

    A Smarter Approach to Compliance

    For businesses willing to take a stand, organizations like the ACLU and the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression can provide legal support. They may even help with research or connect you to law clinics that reduce the cost of litigation.

    But if fighting city hall isn’t in your budget, staying one step ahead of enforcement might be your best bet. By operating strategically, you can keep your business visible without running afoul of the law.

    Closing Thoughts

    So, are bandit yard signs illegal? In many places, yes—but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to use. The secret lies in understanding local ordinances, getting creative with your tactics, and knowing when to push back on unfair enforcement.

    Love them or hate them, bandit signs are a staple of guerrilla marketing—and for good reason. They’re cheap, effective, and, with the right approach, legal enough to keep your business thriving.

    If you’ve had experience with bandit signs or want to share your thoughts, drop a comment below. Let’s keep the conversation going!

  • Affordable Business Signs That Appeal to Customers

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    Yard signs have stood the test of time and have been most popular to 3 local markets; good old fashion garage sales, political campaigns, and real estate. There are other markets to appeal to such as small businesses or contractors, but the ones mentioned before are the three main contenders. So, what does it take to make those signs eye-catching? Is it the font or colors? Is it a unique design? With only a few seconds to attract the attention of your audience, knowing these certain insights can give you an extra boost over your competitors and could have potential clients choosing you first. As we go over these tricks of the trade, keep in mind that your signs are not limited to these guidelines and you are free to create your signs as you see fit.

    Why use yard signs for your business?

    Yard signs are much cheaper than larger forms of advertising and are highly effective from a local standpoint. Made from a 4mm piece of corrugated plastic, most yard signs are 18” x 24” and are printed with a UV ink which helps for prolonged outdoor exposure. They’re less expensive than billboards, LED and digital ad displays, but will endure the elements as well.

    Insider Knowledge

    Something to consider when designing your sign is the budget you have to work with. The bigger the budget, the more colors and/or higher quantity you can attain. A smaller budget suggests a one-color sign at a much lower quantity. Another thing to think about is, what colors do your competitors use? You don’t want to have signs that match too closely to your competition’s colors or design. Below are more key points to help you achieve your goal of an affordable and appealing sign that gets your message across.

    • Keep It Local! – Yard signs are a great local strategy for small businesses and using the local lingo to promote your message is a great way get your point across. If you can easily communicate with your community then it makes reaching your market that much more effortless.
    • Keep It Simple! – By keeping the message on your signs simple and clear, you’ll be able to get more attention with just a few words. Overdesigned logos or too many words can deter someone from wanting to read your sign. For yard signs, there is a small window to nab the reader’s attention so keeping it easy to read should do the trick.
    • Text Layout! – Make sure to distribute the words on your signs wisely. Too much clutter will defeat the purpose of the sign. You want to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible, so simple fonts and bold colors are what you’re going to be looking for when designing your sign.
    • Location of Signs! – High traffic areas are key to the success of your signs. You’ll also want to consider the height of which your signs are going to be displayed. Finding that perfect viewing angle can be tricky, but oh so rewarding. The surroundings of your signs are something to think about as well. You wouldn’t want a pesky bush getting in the way of your reach.
    • Be different! – Having a funny slogan or a witty phrase can definitely help with standing out from the rest. As long as you keep it tasteful, non-offensive and in-line with the message you are trying to put out there, then there is no reason you can’t make a sign to remember.

    These are just a few of the deciding factors to consider when creating your sign’s design. Remember, you don’t have to adhere to these methods entirely, just use what you need to help get your layout started. Hope these tips were useful and have answered some doubts you might have had about making your signs more appealing to your customers. With this new-found knowledge behind you and a wide variety of templates to choose from online, there’s nothing to hold you back from getting started!

  • Big Campaign Signs: A Big Winner Post-Election

    Political Big Campaign Signs for 2018 Primaries
    A row of political campaign signs greeting voters at a residential corner street for the 2018 primary elections.

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    As the political campaigning season has come to an end, it seems the use for large campaign signs has dwindled down. Or has it? There are still other opportunities out there that we can grab by the horns and take full advantage of. We’re going to elaborate on those options and explain how big campaign signs can also make a big impression on your potential customers.

    Business/Restaurants

    Let’s say you have a new restaurant or business that you want to get more attention for. With a sign the size of a big campaign sign, you’re surely going to grab some attention, but using them closer to the actual location has proven to be more effective than just in the neighborhood. On the other hand, these are also effective from great distances. A sign for your establishment, saying that its 10 miles away and which way to head, will make it a lot easier for future patrons to find their way to you. Plus, it sure beats getting a billboard! Not that there’s anything wrong with billboards, but corrugated plastic is more budget-friendly, costing hundreds to thousands less depending on your area.

    Real Estate

    Another use you can find for these signs is for real estate. Now there are other options that may have worked for you in the past, such as yard signs, but why not add to your arsenal by having a big real estate sign for you to show future clients where to buy on a plot of land? Maybe a new subdivision is in the works and you need to bring some attention to it. One of these can certainly do the trick but keep in mind that MDO plywood signs are usually used for this kind of thing. A big corrugated plastic sign is still very worthy when displayed correctly and is significantly cheaper.

    Promotional

    You could be having an event special or a seasonal sale that you would like to advertise. Something like a firework stand or a Christmas tree farm. You can display some of these bad boys in likeness to the big business/restaurant signs but since you’re only going to have these signs up for a short period of time, your signs should last longer than your non-seasonal competitors.

    Large Campaign Signs are made from a 4’ x 8’ or a 4’ x 4’ sheet of 4mm corrugated plastic and are digitally printed. That means that a large format, Inkjet or Laser printer will be used to print your signs. Think of how your desktop printer works, just on a much larger scale. They are printed with UV ink and are rated for 3 years of prolonged outdoor exposure. You can always display them indoors but because of their large stature, outside may be more fitting. Don’t forget that you’ll need posts that are sturdy to keep these big boys up, U-Channel Sign Posts are a great reliable solution.

    Whatever the purpose of your promotional efforts, it’s a good idea to consider big campaign signs as a new, more creative approach to help with your promotional needs. We hope you find this information useful and that you can capitalize on some of these ideas. Who knows, you may even come up with your own use for these signs; the possibilities are endless.

  • How to Install Your Yard Sign!

    Yard Sign With Different Stands
    Yard Signs With Different Stands

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    As you know, yard signs in general don’t do very well without the help of something keeping them in place. Even poster’s need thumb tacks. We understand your ad is going to endure things like heavy wind, rain, ice, and snow. We don’t want these or any other elements washing away your potential revenue. Knowing that the yard sign for your business or campaign signage is going to be secure is a must, so we’re here to help. Here we have gathered some items to help bring you peace of mind.

    What are H-wires?

    We have four basic H-wire stands that we sell from our warehouse, all of which easily slide into the flutes of your sign. Each H-wire is made of slim metal posts that are fashioned together to form an “H”. First, we have our standard H-wires which is our top rated and best seller. It’s 30” x 10” and is $1.19. Next we have our economy H-wires and they’re 24” x 10” with a price of $1.09. Then we have our heavy duty H-wires which are the same dimensions as our standard except the actual thickness of the metal is greater and the top posts are slightly wider. These go for $3.40 each. Last but not least are the half sized H-wires which are 15” x 10” and they start at $0.92 . All of our H-wires have available price breaks so don’t be afraid to order more and save.

    Yard Sign Accessories

    Aside from our H-wire collection we also have other accessories like wood stakes, plastic sign frames, and steel sign frames. We also plastic A-frame sign holders for your more particular needs. A-frame sign holders are good for indoor ads, like in a mall. The plastic sign frames, wood stakes, and all of our steel frames are perfect for outdoor signage and can be installed with a hammer and some elbow grease. These will not only keep your signs in place but will stay there for as long as you need, while taking on the surrounding environment.

    Here’s where you can get your yard sign accessories and get started! A good tip to remember when placing yard signs is that six feet from the curb is considered public property so if you don’t want your yard sign up for grabs, push them back a smidge; closer to the house so it’s on private property. This ordinance varies from city to city so make sure and check with the proper local officials. Some people are even adding extra protection to their signs to keep thieves from taking them. You can read about it here! We here at Super Cheap Signs are glad to be able to assist you with all of your sign needs and as always, thank you for your business!

  • Yard Signs: What They Are and What to Know

    Yard signs fresh of the press!
    Yard signs fresh of the press!

    Why Yard Signs?

    Signage has been around for quite some time, to put it modestly. More specifically, however, yard signs are being used as of more recent. Some would even say as early as the 60’s and 70’s, but why. Security alarm companies from that time wanted a new way to thwart burglars from entering a particular premises. What they started to do was put aluminum window signs on to real estate stakes and then introduced the combination to the customer’s yard. Since that time lawn signs have made their staple in advertising and don’t appear to be going anywhere but outside.

    Corrugated plastic and a weather-proof ink are what most lawns signs are made of. Of course if you have some cardboard, a magic marker, a wood stake, and a sunny day then you can make a yard sign at your own leisure but that’s why we’re here. We can assist you with all of your sign needs. Our ads vary from real estate, campaign, special events, and much more. Have a custom design that you want to see on a piece of corrugated plastic? Then look no further because our design team is here to help. Or if you just wanted a blank piece of plastic to write your own message on then we can send you that too.

    Get Your Yard Signs Noticed!

    Now we have to get those signs to stand out and stand on their own. The most commonly used supports are wood stakes and/or H-wires. However, keep in mind our corrugated plastic yard sign material comes not only in 2 colors, but also 2 flute directions. The small spaces located on the bottom and top, or the sides of the plastic are called ‘Flutes’. If you want a sign with wood stakes then you’re going to want the flute direction to be perpendicular to the stake itself. With H-wires the flutes are going to be parallel. The 2 colors we offer are white and yellow, and come in a variety of sizes. Our standard is 18” x 24” but we also offer yard signs in the sizes of 12” x 18”, 9” x 24”, and our biggest of 24” x 32” that can be screen printed. Whether you need signs for your business or political campaign signs, here’s where you can get started!