Why Stickers Are Not Just for Ricers

Introduction

Ricers are known for many pointless mods, such as fake hood vents, turbo whistles, Lambo doors, and unfortunately use stickers too. Car meme logic states that ricers believe stickers add horsepower. Jokes aside, ricers are posers, so they use these stickers as a way to be flashy and cool (or so they think). The way ricers use stickers is most often in bad taste, but are stickers generally tacky? I believe stickers have an important place the automotive world and are very useful for petrolheads.

So What Purpose do Stickers Serve?

Stickers are a badge, symbol, or representation of a car person’s love for cars, personality, and interests as a car person. Non-car people also use car stickers in a similar way, which is evident from all the political stickers on cars which represent one’s political leanings, but also serve as an advertisement for candidates, which leads into my next point. Many petrolhead stickers also serve as advertisement whether for BBS Rims, Brembo Brakes, any particular car brand, etc. So stickers are a form of advertisement, and in a way car people are also using stickers as an advertisement, but as an advertisement or an expression of their love for cars. This urge for expression is not only healthy but is found within all humans and should be encouraged. Ricers also wish to express themselves, but this expression is just vapid goals of being cool, fast, flashy, or rich. They do not embody, nor are they willing to work to achieve these goals. Use stickers to “show your stripes” as a car person, not to try to pretend you are something which you clearly are not, because that’s what makes a ricer.

The A E S T H E T I C M E R I T S of Stickers

While some arrangements of stickers are just haphazard, if you arrange stickers in the right way, it can really enhance the look of a car. Sticker bombing is literally just the car enthusiast’s type collage, and its good art even if this is sort of a happy accident. Its kind of cool that without having to be told, we humans will turn anything and everything into art, even if its not exactly the kind we learned about in school. Graphic artists are the ones responsible for stickers these days, and with platforms such as Redbubble, amazon, etc., these stickers are easier to get the market than ever before. Because of my research, I have a newfound respect for those who put in the time and effort to design these little stickers, which most of us take for granted.

Some of the Notable Stickers:

The JDM Symbol ( Shoshinsha Koreisha and Mark)

The origin of the “Jdm symbol”, is as a symbol to denote 1st year drivers in Japan, known officially as the Shoshinsha Mark. Now it represents JDM culture worldwide, and is not just for nube drivers. Also, the the Koreisha Mark, for elderly drivers in Japan, is also popular in jdm culture. Both symbols have a simple but pleasant design. Some people have grown sick of the overuse of both symbols, but they are no doubt timeless badges of jdm culture.

Wagon Mafia Sticker

The wagon mafia sticker is the official symbol for wagon lovers everywhere. The formula of wagon mafia stickers is any wagon plus some text in a nice font saying “Wagon Mafia”. My logo is even an edited version of this symbol, so I think it goes without saying that I love this sticker.

stancenation

Even if you don’t like stanced cars, at least you can appreciate their culture and pride in their vehicles. The Stancenation logo features on many stanced vehicles, and really exudes a sense of style. This logo is intended not for the slammed hack who puts in little to no effort, but is instead for those who wish to make an awesome looking vehicle.

Family Sticker

As much as I loathe this sticker, it serves its purpose of telling people you love your family. Honestly, please don’t use this sticker unless it is a parody version.

Mightcarmods stickers

With this I am referring to stickers sold by Mighty Car Mods, the popular automotive Youtube show from Australia. The best three are the classic mighty car mods sticker, the chopped sticker, maaad sticker, and the “Rake Loves This” sticker. All have been popularized by fans of the show. They all look super cool, and they really reflect the comedy that makes MCM so good.

Fake Parody Safety stickers

Fake safety and security system stickers really get me on a comedic level. When done well, a parody sticker like this can make you smile, but I have seen a few which are just a bland attempt at comedy. In general parody stickers are a great way to get a laugh.

More stickers

I sincerely hope this article gave some of you a fresh point of view of Automotive Sticker culture, and that I peaked your interests in automotive stickers. If you like the aesthetic look of stickers and want to express yourself remember that you should not feel ashamed in the slightest. Comment below your favorite stickers and upvote and share if you enjoyed! #blogpost #stickerbomb