Post #143927 by Dancin' Lizard on Tue, Mar 1, 2005 8:22 AM

Here's the weird thing I've found in all the Hawaiian islands. If you want to find anything vintage...good luck. You won't find deals or treasure in thrift stores. They are picked clean every morning. The theory goes that all the trinkets and stuff was bought by tourists as well as GIs and brought back to the mainland. Not much is 'naturally' in the islands.

However, if you have the money and want to spend it I recommend Bailey's on Kapahulu Ave on Oahu. It's a cramped little stores with vintage shirts and all sorts of stuff. There are also reproduction shirts on the racks so make sure you know what you're buying.

If you're in Kona on the big island make a trip to Mauna Kea Galleries. This is Mark Blackburn's gallery. He's the one who wrote the Hawaiiana book and man, does he ever have HUGE prices on his stuff. I treated it like a museum and came out feeling much better about myself!

For treasures on the cheap and the new, check out Hilo Hatties. Last year, when we were there, they were starting to get a section dedicated to tiki. Lotsa stuff.. mugs, lamps, shirts, etc. There's also the ABC Stores that carry the regular tourist stuff.