CHAT LINES, TCHOTCHKES & BRONCOS
Simpson spent a considerable amount of money and effort fighting the cottage industry of unlicensed memorabilia that popped up related to his case. But sales of items ranging from a set of Pogs ( a 1990s schoolyard fad involving collectible cardboard discs) to a board game called Squeeze the Juice added up to an estimated US$ 50 million. He filed applications for trademarks on six variations of his name after the murders and sued at least two vendors of unauthorized trial-related merchandise.
Even stranger was the niche market for physical objects connected to the case. Cowlings’ famous Bronco was sold to three California men for US$ 200,000 in 1995, according to The Associated Press, while Chicago businessman Wasfi Tolaymat paid US$ 4,000 for the contents of a hotel room Simpson stayed in following the murder and attempted to auction them for US$ 1 million during the trial.
Wondering what happened to the life- size statue of Simpson that the accused kept in his garden, a replica of which was featured on American Crime Story? TMZ reports rapper Flavor Flav received it as a gift from radio host Mancow Muller, who bought it at auction in 1999 for US$3,250.
Flavor Flav tweeted a picture of himself with it in March, adding that the producers “shoulda had this on tha show — The real one.”
A 1- 900 chat line set up by Simpson’ s friend Cowlin gs, called Ask A. C ., reportedly net ted US$ 300,000 during its first month of operations. Even Simpson’s limousine driver Allan Park go this payday, appearing on a Trial of the Century-themed cruise with tickets that sold for US$ 500 to US$ 800, according to the L. A. Times.