Post #272120 by Psycho Tiki D on Wed, Dec 13, 2006 8:17 AM

For the most part, in person I am a relatively quiet and shy, I don't say too much, just sit back and listen. It was great to meet people with the same interest and I look forward to meeting more people and other events in the future.

All I can say is wow. From an impromptu posting to this event was phenomenal and a testament to the dedication of tiki collecting and TCer's in specific.

Even though the weather was somewhat uncooperative, by the time the event began most of the precipitation had dissipated and it was just plain cold.

First stop at Bo's...Bo did an amazing job at cleaning up his shop! I was there in early October and although his place was presentable back then, kudos need to be extended to Bo for the attention to detail he made in showing off his stuff. Truly amazing. Bo took the time to take everyone on a tour and thanks for the tiki bottle openers! As an added bonus, moondog made everyone a Sacramento Event Tiki CD with excellent lounge music as a souvenir of the gathering. Lots of talk, lots of pictures, lots of fun and I was still impressed with Bo's collection and discovered things I hadn't seen from my other visits there.

Swanbergs totally caught me off-guard. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was definitely pleasantly surprised. Loren greeted everyone with Mai Tai's and they were served with vintage Coral Reef napkins. The Coral Reef Mai Tai recipe was printed up on colorful paper and available to everyone. I had seen Swanbergs from the street but never looked closely to see what was in there. Not only does he sell very nice "new" Hawaiian shirts and "new" tiki mugs, he sells vintage shirts and mugs, as well as toys and a wide variety of other items. I ended up buying two vintage and three new mugs to add to my collection. Another great host and stop on our journey!

Next we whisked off to Greenhaven to kingstiedye home to view his monstrous collection! Another wow! The home was a catacomb of rooms of artwork, mugs, bowls, tikis, everything imaginable. There was even a huge "Rat Fink" collection and (I think) 40 pairs of VANS (shoe collection) as well. The variety was endless and although I am partial to vintage tiki (of which there was plenty) I discovered a new found appreciation for the new production items that he proudly displayed.

We (my wife, my buddy and I) made a short detour home to pick up an Islander ashtray for drunken hat and tikicleen and met up with everyone at the Eastern Empire eatery. Sorry we were late! Food and drinks were good and conversation continued to flow. Although not too much in the TIPSY factor it was a good place to have a meal and some drinks.

Our final destination was moondog's house in Carmichael. You never know what you are going to see by looking at the front of someone's house! As soon as you walk through the door you can't help but be impressed by the signed electric guitars hanging from the walls in the living room. Great display and show. Then we were taken to a huge outdoor atrium complete with a hot tub, waterfall, bar and jungle/Polynesian garden with tiki. moondog served everyone Mai Tai's in tiki mugs and the conversation continued to flow. moondog even showed us his shop with thousands of cd's, Rolling Stones collectibles (he is a huge fan) and other goodies mixed in amoungest his workspace. Another great host and an excellent way to end the night.

I would have liked to have everyone over to my house (about two or three miles from moondog's) however we are in the process of renovating our living room, so my bar is in the hallway, and 60% of my collection is boxes or scattered in other rooms (my house is 1,100 sq ft and tiny). So, next time for sure.

I have collected "stuff" for many years. Currently, in addition to collecting tiki and Polynesian, I also collect fifties and sixties stuff, vintage toys (and other related items). It was interesting to see the collections of others and see how they display what they have and specifically what they have. Although each collection is different, it reflects some of the collector's personality. In almost every collection I saw, there was a spin-off into another genre. Although I am pretty much a steadfast vintage collector of tiki I am encouraged by the newer items I saw and will keep an eye out for items that appeal to me.

Thanks to everyone again...pleasant company and event!

Psycho Tiki D (I know I am but where were you)?

[ Edited by: Psycho Tiki D 2006-12-13 09:35 ]