Hey…you know what I haven’t seen in a while (due to the home building industry woes)?
Real estate advertising sign twirlers.
You know…those guys that you see standing at the side of a busy intersection holding, tossing, twirling, flipping and spinning real estate directional signs to get your attention (and other types of businesses, as well).
You might have a different name for these guys:
- Street Corner Twirlers
- Human Sign Holders
- Sign Jugglers
- Sign Spinners
- Coroplast Manipulators (or is that Corocel they’re twirling around?!)
- Cirque du Sign Guy
- (in Real Men of Genius style) Mr. Busy Intersection Real Estate Advertiser Guy (I just made that up)
…or WHATever.
Some of them are actually quite entertaining and look like they practice their craft in order to maintain their gig. I don’t know what the going rate for a sign twirler is (probably $8 – $15/hr) but I’d imagine that the more highly skilled you are at spinning, tossing and flipping signs…the more your rate of pay is and the more in demand you are. If that’s not how it works then there’s an error in the system. The guy shown above looks like a beginner. Ain’t no action goin’ on there. Although, he did manage to catch my eye enough for me to take his photograph…only for a different reason…this article.
I mean, look at the picture I took (top of this post) of this guy just standing there holding the real estate directional sign. It looks like the sign is actually helping him stand on his own two feet!!! He was obviously a warm body looking to make a little extra cash. I don’t know…I always feel for the guy if he’s older because he is probably in need of some fast cash, may be down on his luck, or just doing what he can to buy his family an evening’s meal. If he’s a young cat then he is more than likely a student or something like that.
Not only that, but the young guy seems to be having fun with it. Old guy…not so much.
Anyway, that is not the kind of action that I’d want out of a real estate sign holder if it were me. Think about it. A person has the unique ability to really grab your attention by performing all sorts of unusual stunts to make himself stand out and be noticed for his client. That IS the advantage of a sign twirler over a semi-permanent sign sitting on a post on the side of the road…barely noticeable.
Coroplast: A Sign Twirlers Best Friend
The signs that these guys are twirling around are not made of cardboard. Cardboard wouldn’t necessarily be stiff enough and would wear out and get flimsy within a matter of a few flips and twirls. Most real estate directional signs are made of corrugated white plastic. The majority of corrugated plastic signs made in North America are made by Coroplast of The Jim Pattison Group. Coroplast is moisture resistant, durable, light and stiff. Corrugated plastic is a highly customizable product that is great for outdoor advertising…including sign twirling.
Now…What Was I Talking About?
Oh yes! I started this post talking about sign twirlers and the lack thereof. From a business perspective, advertising reels in potential customers and the product and/or salesman close the deal. Human sign holders (and Coroplast) are a contributing factor in drawing potential homebuyers to homes for sale. To my point, the home building business is in a pickle but sales are starting to pick up again in some areas. Let’s all hope it’s sooner rather than later because the homebuilding industry is a leading indicator of how healthy our economy is as a whole. Steady growth would be great to see again.
Randy Boerstler
Writing a home building blog that chronicles new homes during different phases of construction from a consumers' point-of-view is rather unique and loads of fun. Basically, my tips are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building a quality home. So let's have fun seeing what's new in the housing market these days!
