Political signs are bought on price per unit and judged on how many are still upright a month later. Four decisions connect the two.

Ask which way the flutes run

They must run vertically so the stake legs slide up inside them.

Horizontal flutes yield more signs per sheet and give the wire nothing to grip.

Ask for the stake by gauge

Wire gauge and leg length are numbers. Heavy duty is a description.

Soft ground after rain is the condition that decides it.

Decide sides by the road

Two-way roads and corner lots: double-sided, and the second face costs less.

One-way approaches: single-sided, and buy more signs instead.

Then cut the copy

The name, as large as the panel allows. Everything else is negotiable.

A driver cannot guess at a name they have never seen the way they guess at SALE.

And leave the year off

A dated sign is next cycle’s landfill. An undated one runs again.