Mystery items puzzle

pdurrant · 06-30-2010, 03:59 PM

An old chestnut, but fun just the same. I was reminded of it by http://www.mindbreakers.com/mb/mystery1.htm

You go to an old fashioned general hardware store to buy something.

When you get there you find that 1 costs £1, but for 12 you'd only have to pay £2. Even more mysteriously, for 144 you'd only be charged £3!

How much would you have to pay for 96?
What are you buying?

Answers in

Spoiler:

please.

omk3 · 06-30-2010, 06:15 PM

Please tell me you're not

Spoiler:

obs20 · 06-30-2010, 06:41 PM

Say it ain't so!

Spoiler:

ShortNCuddlyAm · 06-30-2010, 06:49 PM

Spoiler:

dreams · 07-01-2010, 02:40 AM

Is this really

Spoiler:

Thank you for these puzzle posts, pdurrant.

pdurrant · 07-01-2010, 02:58 AM

I'm afraid you all seem to think that this one was too old and easy.

Spoiler:

I'll try to make the next one harder!

lene1949 · 07-01-2010, 03:24 AM

How sad...

GeoffC · 07-01-2010, 04:54 AM

Spoiler:

omk3 · 07-01-2010, 05:21 AM

Spoiler:

pdurrant · 07-01-2010, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by omk3

Spoiler:

I have just changed the question slightly to make it a little trikier for people who haven't come across this puzzle before. Anyone who's already answered correctly (all of you so far) doesn't need to answer the added question.

Spoiler:

06-30-2010, 03:59 PM	#1
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 73,859 Karma: 315126578 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	Mystery items puzzle An old chestnut, but fun just the same. I was reminded of it by http://www.mindbreakers.com/mb/mystery1.htm You go to an old fashioned general hardware store to buy something. When you get there you find that 1 costs £1, but for 12 you'd only have to pay £2. Even more mysteriously, for 144 you'd only be charged £3! How much would you have to pay for 96? What are you buying? Answers in Spoiler: spoiler tags please. Last edited by pdurrant; 07-01-2010 at 01:48 PM. Reason: Changed to slightly more interesting questions

06-30-2010, 06:15 PM	#2
omk3 Wizard Posts: 1,454 Karma: 37243 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Europe Device: pocketbook 360, kindle 4	Please tell me you're not Spoiler: buying the numbers themselves, as in bronze house numbers for example (each digit=£1)

06-30-2010, 06:41 PM	#3
obs20 Wizard Posts: 2,793 Karma: 29028512 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Florida Device: Sony PRS 600, Nook ST, Toshiba Excite 10.1 AT 300	Say it ain't so! Spoiler: This isn't the old house number puzzle?

06-30-2010, 06:49 PM	#4
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	Spoiler: Individual house number type things

07-01-2010, 02:40 AM	#5
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,110 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	Is this really Spoiler: as simple as I think? I went in the store to buy house address numbers. The single digit number,"1", is £1, so the 2 digit number, "12", is £2, which makes a three digit number, "144", cost only £3. So yes the 2 digit number of "96" should only cost £2. Thank you for these puzzle posts, pdurrant.

07-01-2010, 02:58 AM	#6
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 73,859 Karma: 315126578 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	I'm afraid you all seem to think that this one was too old and easy. Spoiler: Yes, it really is the old house numbers puzzle. You came to buy a number for your gate. The individual numbers are each £1. So for 1 you need one number, for 12 you need two numbers and for 144 you need three numbers. For 96, of course, you also need just two numbers, costing £2 I'll try to make the next one harder!

07-01-2010, 03:24 AM	#7
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,952 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Middelfart, Denmark Device: Kindle paper white	How sad...

07-01-2010, 04:54 AM	#8
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Spoiler: See previous spoilers .....

07-01-2010, 05:21 AM	#9
omk3 Wizard Posts: 1,454 Karma: 37243 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Europe Device: pocketbook 360, kindle 4	Spoiler: I actually hadn't heard it before, and spent some time chasing red herrings like multiples of twelve. Fortunately it dawned on me pretty early on, or who knows what crazy idea I might have come up with...

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