The bumper sticker is one the more peculiar aspects of modern society. Tens of millions of automobiles tool about on the highway and byways of the land with political slogans, advertising, and simple jokes affixed to their rear bumper, window, or fender. The 3×12 inch rectangles have become arguably the most common form of social and political statement. It is probably just a need for self-expression that drives us (no pun intended) to have a record of our journeys, tastes, and religious opinions glued to our cars. Bumper stickers allow the unusual opportunity to express our possibly controversial views to the world without the social awkwardness that could accompany walking around yelling them out.Despite a good deal of research by a number of motivated writers it is impossible to settle on an exact date or for that matter an exact person for the invention of the bumper sticker. The Model A, first built in 1927, was the first mass produced vehicle with a bumper so it is very unlikely that the sticker predate it.It is probable that the first bumper stickers were released just before World War II and were primarily advertising tools for gas stations and political campaigns. They were made of painted metal and attached to the bumper with a set of wire that wrapped around the bumper.Forest Gill is commonly accredited with the invention of the modern vinyl bumper sticker. The Kansas City silk-screener developed a method of printing combining self-sticking adhesive and fluorescent ink. These two items had been invented just after the World War II and made what we think of as a bumper sticker possible. Gill’s company, Gill-line, still does business and says that bumper stickers remain a corner stone of their success.One of the problems with bumper stickers has always been that while they need to strongly adhere to the bumper they often adhere too well. Over time the printing on a sticker will fade and become unsightly. A joke will become tired or perhaps not seem quite so funny in retrospect. Political campaigns come to an end and candidates lose or lose their popularity. The point is sooner or later a car’s owner is going to want to remove a sticker. The glue used on old-fashioned stickers is very difficult to remove and requires some variety of penetrating solvent. However, more forgiving adhesives and magnets are increasingly used in modern bumper stickers. The clear window stickers commonly baring the logo of a university are normally held in place by simple static electricity.The magnetic ribbon has become a sub-category of bumper stickers all its own. The ribbons in their variety of supportive colors and messages adorn the rears of millions of vehicles and introduced a whole new vocabulary of color to the language of bumper stickers. Nearly every cause that can be imagined has a unique color or pattern meant to raise awareness.Actual stickers can be found baring any sort of message from the highbrow to the vulgar and from all sides of political debate. One company claims to offer 11,214 different bumper stickers in over 500 categories.A retailer looking online for bumper stickers to sell is confronted with only the problem of choice. There are dozens of wholesale bumper sticker suppliers out there. For those for who even the thousands of ready made stickers aren’t enough many bumper sticker suppliers will custom print just about anything onto a vinyl sticker. Custom printed stickers will normally only be of interest to businesses looking for advertising stickers or practical stickers for delivery vehicles such as the ones with phone numbers to report dangerous driving.Humorous or political stickers can be purchased in bulk at very attractive prices from most suppliers. Like many industries some companies don not list their wholesale prices on their web sites and have to be contacted to get wholesale pricing. In any case a merchant shouldn’t have to pay much more than $.75 each for any sticker purchased in quantities of 100 or more. Most companies offer some kind of wholesale pricing on quantities of less than 100 but of course charge a little more.Usually the same companies that sell traditional glue on bumper stickers also sell the magnetic and static-cling types of stickers as well. These types of stickers are often more expensive than the glue-on type but have obvious advantages.Regardless if your customers are the “Save the Whales” type or the “Keep Honking, I’m Reloading.” type there is a sticker for them. Bumper stickers combine low initial cost, lengthy shelf-life, and low shipping costs to make an excellent addition to an existing business or a good way to get your entrepreneurial feet wet.Art Mickelwraith is the author of the Wholesale Buyer’s Guide at TopTenWholesale.com. He can be reached at artmicklewraith@gmail.com.