I know I don't post really anything in this forum (well, not much really at all on the board), but the thread caught my eye and I had to respond.
I was there, and it was one of the worst automotive shows I have ever been to. Last year wasn't so bad really. I have pictures of the Orange County crew and their bikes, as well as Indian Larry and his stuff. I double-checked to make sure I wasn't dreaming, and last year there was very little crowd around both displays. It looked about equal to some of the 'unknown' names this year, but the bikes were still just as good. Amazing what influence TV has on America.
I don't think I have a large enough brain to have counted how much OCC apparel I saw this year. Last year it was nothing but West Coast Choppers stuff, but I guess people saw Discovery Channel and had a reason to buy OCC shirts and wait 2 hours to barely meet the staff and kiss up with their Orange County gear. I would venture to say that a good percentage of the crowd didn't care a thing about motorcycles, which is why they weren't there last time around. Everyone is just all "star-struck" by the Teutels and was there for that reason alone. I'll tell you what, though, that whole back right corner of the Javits center was like a huge can of sardines.
Plus, as was mentioned, none of the vendors had anything really outrageous on display. It'll take a lot for me to consider going back next year, let's just hope the Auto Show isn't that packed...
