“How much does one cost?” asked the man.“50 cents” replied the hardware clerk“and how much does 18 cost?” the customer asked.“One dollar” said the clerk

“Ok I’ll take seven hundred six” the man said “That will be $1.50 sir”
What was the man buying?

He was buying numerals for his mail box. each numeral is 50cents.

To determine what the man was buying, let's break down the conversation:

The man initially asked about the cost of one item, to which the hardware clerk replied that it costs 50 cents.

Then, the man asked about the cost of 18 items. The clerk responded that it costs one dollar.

Finally, the man requested to purchase seven hundred six items, to which the clerk stated it would be $1.50.

From this conversation, we can deduce that the man was buying individual items that cost 50 cents each. However, once he wanted to purchase 18 items, the price was reduced to one dollar. Therefore, it can be inferred that the man was buying individual items at a discount once the quantity reached a certain threshold.