Art & Entertainment: Love For The TV Show CHiPs Spurs Retail Sales

Author: Phoenix Delray

The TV show CHiPs was one of the most popular action crime dramas in the late seventies. It followed around a pair of California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers who often found themselves in rather silly and unlikely situations. The series starred Erik Estrada as Officer Frank Poncherello, often called Poncho for short, and Larry Wilcox as Officer Jon Baker.

Poncho was portrayed as the carefree and often mischievous patrolman who was placed on probation as a result of getting into trouble on duty. This is how his partner Officer Jon Baker was introduced; he was assigned to act as a field training officer. The character of Jon Baker was always portrayed as the more responsible and straight laced of the two. Leaving the audience with a Good Cop, Bad Cop feel for the pair.

Although the 70s TV show CHiPs was only on for six seasons, it did not take long for it to acquire quite a following. And as it typically goes, when you have a following you also have the attention of the mass media. In no time at all, there were hundreds of products on the market that were inspired by the CHiPs TV show. This sent the public into quite a swirl and stores had a hard time keeping the items on the shelves. The top ten CHiPs TV show items and the prices you would pay for them today are:

1. 1970s Erik Estrada posters, ranging from $10-$15.
2. 1970s CHiPs action figures (Ponch, Jon, Sarge, Jimmy Squeaks, and Wheels Willie), ranging from $10-$15 each.
3. 1970s bicycle siren, ranging from $15-$20.
4. 1970s motorcycle helmet set (includes gun, handcuffs and walkie talkies), ranging from $50-$75.
5. 1970s CHiPs camera, ranging from $15-$20.
6. 1977 lunchbox with matching thermos, ranging from $25-$30 for the box and $8-$12 for the thermos.
7. 1970s police set (police accessories in a photo window box), ranging from $25-$35.
8. 1977 motorcycle and badge set, set on card, ranging from $10-$15.
9. 1980s CHiPs Emergency Medical Kit, ranging from $20-$25.
10. 1980s slot car racing set, motorcycle and van in illustrated box, ranging from $35-$45.

Throughout the late 70s and early 80s there were a wide variety of CHiPs TV show merchandise that were must haves for any fan of the show. The great thing about the series was that it appealed to a large audience with a wide age range, so they marketed products for everyone. The fact that people still purchase these items is a true testament to the quality of the CHiPs TV show.