Page 5 - Issue 32

And then it hit me.
I stepped back and
looked around. Right
where I was standing
— on that concrete
landing. RIGHT THERE.
That’s where we sold
the very fi rst copy of
Rat Rod Magazine six
years earlier, almost
to the day. I fl ashed
back to that moment,
in our fi rst tiny little
tent, with hardly any
signage … a stack of
copies of Issue #1 in
front of me. As those
gates opened on that
day, people rushed
the tent, buying up
those early copies like
they were winning
lottery tickets. MAY 2010: The fi rst time RRM was sold. (Yep, I’m in that little
I remember tent — with whatever copies of #1 were left by then.)
running out. That
moment of panic when every copy was gone — and there was still a line of
people. One guy yells at me “This is f***ing bullsh*t! I drove two hours to get
one of these!” Another guy, equally upset pulled me aside with the same angry
complaint, shaking his fi st at me like he was going to beat a copy out of me. I’m
thinking what do I do… we’re out!?
I ran around our vehicles and grabbed every copy I could fi nd. Our personal
copies. Even if they were bent, ripped, used — didn’t matter. We grabbed a
partial box that was off to the side and sold those too … only to fi nd out later
that those copies were meant to be set aside and not sold, so we had some left
of our own. Turns out we sold every last copy that was within reach that day.
I’ll never forget the disappointment when we had to turn people away. And at
the same time, I’ll never forget thinking wow, people really want this. We have to
make a second issue.
As I stood there in that spot, six years later … I just kinda smiled. You see, we
never intended to start a business. We just wanted to do something cool, fun —
adventurous. And that’s what happened.
Well, it’s been one hell of an adventure! Thank you all for being a part of it,
and I can’t wait to look back on this moment and the next, and the next…
— Steve

RATRODMAGAZINE.COM RAT ROD MAGAZINE 5

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