Everything must look better on a chopper, kind of like “everything tastes better when it sits on a Ritz.†The rebellious, often painted to the hilt, biker image apparently sells.
The Kids Were Easy to Get
Children are usually a fast sell; that is, if you put a big, gnarly chopper on the cover. I found not only little handheld choppers but actual working models of the real thing, just “chopped†down a to a child’s size (adults, please maintain your dignity by staying off). There are comics, video games, watches, every piece of clothing imaginable; all with choppers on them. There is even a set of three PEZ dispensers modeled after the Orange County choppers guys. Monopoly (the game) has come out with more collectible editions than I can count; so it wasn’t a surprise when I saw the Monopoly American Chopper edition.
Stuff I Can’t Live Without
What would a beer poster be without a beautiful woman straddling a chopper? Ignored, more than likely. If you thought that the kids were an easy mark, never underestimate the gullibility of fanatics and collectors (a group to which I ashamedly belong). From mouse pads to advertising brochures for Los Angeles and Daytona, throw a chopper on there and motorcycle fanatics will bite. Collectors are even worse, I should know. No one buys radios anymore; but install one in a flame painted gas tank and it’s a must have. The latest, and probably as expensive as the chopper itself, is a computer case mod designed to look like a souped-up chopper, custom paint job included.
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, someone’s going to plop a chopper on something that absolutely no one wants… and we’ll be standing in line to buy it.