Trader Woody:
Those mug numbers are going down at an alarming rate! After some extensive research into why this is happening, I came across some startling evidence!
Tiki mugs were not designed to last at all... as a matter of fact, they were designed to self destruct! Restaurant and bar owners, fed up with the pilfering of their prized novelty drink vessels, invested a lot of time and capital to develop mugs that will literally self destruct if removed from their establishment!
Here is some rare documented evidence of this:
This mug was made from a space-age state-of-the-art polymer, that when exposed to excess UV rays outside the controlled mood lighting of the Tiki bar or restaurant, would begin to disintegrate!
Here is a rare Tiki Bob with its self destruct device still intact. A trigger string was attached to a pin on the device, and tethered to the bar or table. If the souvenir-seeking patron carried the mug too far from the bar, the string would pull out the safety pin, causing the hammer to smash the mug to bits!
Here is Tiki Bob's proprietor himself, in a publicity photo. Notice how his hand position cleverly conceals the destruct device:
This is the most common descruction device. This one was a dud, or the mug would have been lost forever. Ever wonder why some mugs have those concave bottoms? TO BETTER HIDE THE EXPLOSIVES!
Look out Doctor Z and Z Girl! That clam bowl could go off any second!
There are measures the collector can take to prevent further damage to their collection:
- For the polymer mugs, protect them inside hydrogen gas filled UV filtered glass cases.
- If you should find any of the hammer devices on your mugs, you can make little pillows to wedge between the mug and hammer, in case the device may trigger.
- For any rare mugs with bombs still attached, mail them directly to me to be defused. Be sure to clearly mark your package "WARNING: Bomb inside!
I hope this info will help all of you preserve your mugs for future generations.
:tiki:
[ Edited by: Traderpup on 2003-01-30 12:51 ]
[ Edited by: Traderpup on 2003-01-30 12:52 ]
