Bandit Signs in the Winter
Does anyone here place bandit signs in the winter when the ground is frozen? How do you deal with this? I could nail some up to wooden poles but they're not always in the ideal locations.
Never never never never never ever put them in the ground! Way to easy to take out. Get a small ladder or use the side of a truck and put them up as high as you can. Also don't put them up on the biggest intersections. Ok maybe some big intersections but rural areas are good too. Look for older development entrances and exits, areas with houses that have been around a while and make sure the message is SIMPLE.
I recently switched to posting them up high on telephone posts, and they stay around a LOT longer.
Actually some of our signs are still there after three months, believe it or not.
If you're writing the wording on the signs yourself and you choose to post them up high, just go over the words a couple times, because when they're up high, they're harder to read with thin handwriting.
i'd second that.. putting them on the ground is just a waste of money
@Nathan Paisley, @Alvin Grier, and @Fred Ramos: thanks for the suggestions. I had heard that before but it has always been easier to put them in the ground. Guess it makes them easier to remove by the city as well. I'll have to go scope out locations to place them where they can be nailed up on a pole.
Winter is the best time to post bandit signs I think. For some reason they seem to stay up a lot longer. I guess the code enforcement guys don't want to get out of the truck in 20 degree weather just to take a sign down. I agree that telephone poles are the way to go for bandit signs.
Tip: Make sure you write on both sides of the sign to prevent bums from stealing them. Also as stated earlier make sure it's at least 10ft off the ground to also prevent people from stealing them or take them down easily.
Thanks @Wayne Woodson!
The deal with bandit signs on telephone poles versus in-ground. I've not had a problem with in-ground signs regardless of how frozen the ground is with as long as wire stakes were used. You'll most likely have a harder time with rocks in the ground inhibiting your sign placement versus frozen-ground. You may have to stab at 5-6 different spots within the same 3 sq. ft. area before you find little resistance with your stakes.
I suggest using a mix of telephone pole signs and in-ground, as each has their strengths and weakness.
In-ground signs:
They are not going to last very long, usually a week or less, just like everyone else commented above. However, they are FAR more conspicuous in traffic, thus you will most likely yield a higher response rate when your signs are in the ground.
Telephone pole signs:
They can last on poles for months. I've personally had signs that lasted for 3 months or so. So long that the sharpie ink was started to fade on them. But telephone pole signs last longer because they are high-up and harder to remove. Emphasis on the phrase "high-up", as much of your traffic won't notice these signs on poles as well as they do the in-ground signs.
Most signs I've placed in the ground have lasted at least a week, sometimes two or three. I just received a call yesterday from a sign I placed before Thanksgiving. I didn't put out any signs over the holidays and now the ground is frozen. @Justin McClelland, I hope your correct about not having too much trouble with half stakes in the frozen ground. I like the idea of putting signs up on wooden poles but it will be more difficult placing them. Another issue is a decent amount of snow on the ground. Will get some signs out regardless as I need to start picking up the pace.