Where have all the sign shakers gone?

[Kilgore]

Read a few threads on the minimum wage hikes, I want to share an observation and personal experience. We have all seen the person on the street corner with a sign advertising a nearby business. Some of their sign waving acrobatics are amazing. I regularly travel through WA, OR, and CA and are seeing less of them.

My brother in law ownes a store in northern CA and has used a shaker for years. Usually a high school kid, but sometimes not. Now he uses a shaker machine. It cost him around $400 and eliminated the person. His biggest reason was the hike in the minimum wage.

I think this is an unintended result of hiking the minimum wage. A better solution would have been a two tier system with a lower wage for the high school sign shaker type of employee, and a higher minimum for the more older worker.

After listening to him, I dont this job will ever come back. The machine was fully paid for by avoiding a few weeks of shaker pay.

[Mosby]

1. the hand held signs are a way around city ordinances

Most cities do not allow free standing signs placed at intersections or on sidewalks but they can't stop people from standing and holding a sign.

[Kilgore]

4. What's that got to do with minimum wage?

[zipplewrath]

8. A machine may not be allowed

That minimum wage job is because the advertiser is getting around signage laws. If a real live human isn't holding the sign, it is likely to get removed.

[Kilgore]

10. Time will tell.

[babylonsister]

2. I see them in FL and see adverts for real people to shake 'em. nt

[NCTraveler]

3. Come to Pinellas County. They are all over the place. nt.

[MineralMan]

5. I can't remember any time when someone holding a

sign at an intersection influenced me in any way. A mannequin doing it would have even less effect. I'd be interested to know how much increase in business this practice actually generates for the typical pizza place or car wash that uses such ads.

[Kilgore]

6. Evidently enough

He has had one for at least 7 years and then bought the machine.

[MineralMan]

7. Well, OK, then.

The only one I see regularly is near a Little Caesar's Pizza place. I can't stand those pizzas, so there's no chance I'd visit.

[Kilgore]

9. Knowing him well I know

He is careful with his finances. Seriously doubt he would spend the money if there want a return.

But I'm with you, beyond the acrobatics, they dont do anything for me either.

[MineralMan]

11. Well, given the long history of people advertising with signs,

Maybe I'm wrong and they do produce results. I know that I want one of those 35-cent sandwiches right now:

[Kilgore]

12. And a 15 cent beer would be nice too!!

[crazycatlady]

13. Wait until some stores are going out of business