I have a couple items from the kahiki - Collecting Tiki

T tikipedia Member San Diego Joined: Aug 25, 2004 Posts: 491	T tikipedia Posted posted on Sat, Nov 26, 2005 9:44 PM While I don't think BDLER3 necessarily deserves the vituperative comments that have been made here, this entire discussion is reflective of the current state of Tiki. Those of us who think of ourselves as collectors are at odds at those who we think are mere opportunists, and buy up all of the available items in the wild in order to make a buck. I found a thrift store that was very productive. Then, a few months ago, a couple of guys (I presume antique dealers) showed up. These guys would hang out at the thrift store from the time it opened until an hour before it closed (after all of the backroom items were put out on the shelves). These guys would raid the carts as the employees wheeled out new stuff from the back. It seemed that this rich hunting ground suddenly dried up. On the occasions that these guys were not there, I did score stuff, such as a recent vintage Mr. Bali Hai mug. Were these guys snagging all of the good stuff? I liked to tell myself that they were. I still bristle when I see them, but I never actually say them buy any Tiki. Are they actually buying up all of the vintage ceramics, including Tiki? I have no hard proof of that. They may or may not be buying up all of the vintage Tiki, but I have certainly projected my resentment on them. I completely understand what RUSTBELTCAT and the rest of them are saying... that bonafide collectors are paying through the nose and are forced to turn to Ebay because opportunists who don't give a rats butt about Tiki, are snatching things out of the wild. And as long as guys like Ebay's Kohalacharms are willing to pay $40, $50, or more for a mug that we used to be able to snag for a buck or two, things aren't going to get any better. So is BDLER3 a real enthusiast, or an opportunist? I have my suspicions, but I don't really know. In any case, unless he is violating the rules, he does have a right to post just like the rest of us. In the short run, what Formikahini suggested is best. Post the Ebay auctions in the Tiki Marketplace, and leave Collecting Tiki for enthusiast discussion. But in the long run, as the finite pool of wild vintage Tiki becomes smaller, things are only bound to get worse.

While I don't think BDLER3 necessarily deserves the vituperative comments that have been made here, this entire discussion is reflective of the current state of Tiki. Those of us who think of ourselves as collectors are at odds at those who we think are mere opportunists, and buy up all of the available items in the wild in order to make a buck.

I found a thrift store that was very productive. Then, a few months ago, a couple of guys (I presume antique dealers) showed up. These guys would hang out at the thrift store from the time it opened until an hour before it closed (after all of the backroom items were put out on the shelves). These guys would raid the carts as the employees wheeled out new stuff from the back. It seemed that this rich hunting ground suddenly dried up. On the occasions that these guys were not there, I did score stuff, such as a recent vintage Mr. Bali Hai mug. Were these guys snagging all of the good stuff? I liked to tell myself that they were. I still bristle when I see them, but I never actually say them buy any Tiki. Are they actually buying up all of the vintage ceramics, including Tiki? I have no hard proof of that. They may or may not be buying up all of the vintage Tiki, but I have certainly projected my resentment on them.

I completely understand what RUSTBELTCAT and the rest of them are saying... that bonafide collectors are paying through the nose and are forced to turn to Ebay because opportunists who don't give a rats butt about Tiki, are snatching things out of the wild. And as long as guys like Ebay's Kohalacharms are willing to pay $40, $50, or more for a mug that we used to be able to snag for a buck or two, things aren't going to get any better. So is BDLER3 a real enthusiast, or an opportunist? I have my suspicions, but I don't really know. In any case, unless he is violating the rules, he does have a right to post just like the rest of us.

In the short run, what Formikahini suggested is best. Post the Ebay auctions in the Tiki Marketplace, and leave Collecting Tiki for enthusiast discussion. But in the long run, as the finite pool of wild vintage Tiki becomes smaller, things are only bound to get worse.

Post #200177 by tikipedia on Sat, Nov 26, 2005 9:44 PM