Selling it.(labeling and advertising anecdotes)(Humor)(Column)

Something to sneeze at.

Shopping smart can require math skills beyond those of most mortals. A case in point: These Puffs boxes, for which a reader paid the same price. The old box (left) held 250 tissues measuring 8.8 x 8.2 inches. The new box (right) holds 216 tissues measuring 8.6 x 8.2 inches--but Puffs says they're 25 percent thicker. Is the new box a better buy? Hard to say, since the manufacturer wouldn't reveal thickness measurements. What we do know is that if you use tissues by the sneeze, you may well use up the new box faster. For the record, a Puffs consumer-relations representative told us the puffier Puffs cost more to make and that the company puts fewer in each box to keep the cost down.

Costs mower than it should.

A California reader thought Sears Parts & Repair Centers could have cut customers a better deal. The $39.99 must be for looking at the mower.

Calling all carnivores.

This tag accompanied a small rosemary plant trimmed in the shape of a pine tree. A customer-service rep at Pinery Tree Farms said she thought the warning was "precautionary" and "for liability reasons." But did the company really mean to keep people from eating their spinach?

No Time.