Loco For Logos?

I may have mentioned this before. I noticed a friend of mine wearing a Titleist logo hat and wondered just when things turned around. You see, my father had a bicycle shop when I was a youngster and he had some pens, as well as a few other trinkets, made with the name of the shop on them. He handed these out freely and had a box of them sitting on the counter by the cash register for anyone to take.

These were common back then. Pens, small screwdrivers, various things of that nature... with with some business' name on them. You don't see these as often as you once did.

One of the things you saw were ballcaps with a logo on them. They were handed out at picnics and other events. No charge to the anyone. That doesn't happen anymore. Now these things are sold. They cost the consumer who then takes them around and provides advertising for whatever business named on them.

I don't, though. Because I refuse to pay for something that will advertise someone's business. I don't even tolerate a car dealer's logo or name on my car. I took the decal wit the local Ford dealer's name off my Focus the day I brought it home. The Lincoln may have had one but it was removed quickly.

I remember that we purchased a Ford Tempo back in 1988 and it had a dealer name on it. I told the salesman I wanted it removed. At the time, these were affixed by drilling two holes in the trunk lid and locking them into it with nuts or with fasteners.  The salesman tried to get me to change my mind by saying the holes might leave a mark. To which I replied, "Then you'd better make sure they don't."

He asked why I wanted it removed and I told him he could leave it on for the low price of $20 a month. And suggested that, in the future, the dealership ask before the car is sold if the customer was willing to advertise the dealership for free and then attach the logo only if the customer agrees.

Obviously, that idea didn't catch on.

Maybe if everyone refused to pay to advertise businesses, we'd get that old practice back again.

Think about it.