Post #186698 by TabooDan on Wed, Sep 14, 2005 9:08 PM

Well, it's been pretty dry up here in Surrey, BC, but I did manage to find a couple of goodies the past couple of days. Nothing too exotic but when you find them at the Value Village and a good old garage sale, it can be hard to turn them down when they're less than $1.50 each!!!

In the back ground are 4 Trader Vic Coconut mugs. 2 are from "Trader Vic's USA" and the other two are "Trader Vic's Canada" which are more than likely from the old Vic's that was at the Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver.

(Here's a quick side story relating to that Trader Vics - In our quest to find a local ceramic mold maker a few years ago to make our own mugs, we stumbled across an old timer who did all the ceramic work for the local Tiki establishments back in the day. After meeting with him and talking to him for a while he started talking about all the Tiki and Hawaiian themed places that he had worked for. Upon returning from World War II, he joined his father in the ceramic business. He took over the company and worked in several places across BC.

Different restaurants went to him to make mugs and he did alot of Tiki mugs and other pieces. He is the one that made all the molds and did the ceramic work for The Hawaiian Village that was once located in New Westminster and also the Trader Vics. We managed to get all his remaining Tiki items from him in a big box. Sure enough at the bottom of this box full of the Hawaiian Village mugs and ceramic pieces, there was a Trader Vic's coconut mug mold! Oh yeh, and it's still got a original coconut mug in it!! Don't worry.... we WILL NOT be using this mold to flood the market with new coconut mugs. It's strictly a part of our collection!)

Sorry, back to this photo I posted. On the left is a Tiki carved from the Phillipines. A bamboo shaped mug from the "Poseidon Lounge Pacific Beach Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii" which is made by DAGA. On the right is an unmarked pineapple dish with lid. It is not marked but it has very good detail and is just like the OMC mug ones. A Orchids of Hawaii Hula Dancer mug and up in front is a hand carved canoe/outrigger from New Zealand.

Not too bad but I gotta find something exotic soon. It has been a while since my last big find so I'll keep you posted.

Hey Roadkutter, glad to hear your finding some good stuff. That bowl sounds awesome and I'm still looking for one for my collection. Maybe your daughter doesn't want it and she wants to pass it on!!! Let me know!! Dan