Post #324812 by Tiki Lee's on Sat, Aug 11, 2007 1:22 AM

T'anks Again, folks!

Rattiki- don't ever let anyone get on yer case for collecting that stuff. You can never have enough Vintage Vegas ashtrays!

Urbantiki- Mahaloz for noticing the photography! I take a while setting up the shots and bracketing the exposures until I get just the right light balance. This is my only way of inviting most my T.C. Ohana into my home to see it, so I want it to look it's best!

BigBro- Super-Mahaloz plenny for your kind words; they mean alot to me. You have no idea how much I worry that people think I'm just cashing in on the Tiki craze by being a dealer. I AM a collector first. Becoming a dealer happened as a neccessity after 9/11. After that attack, the T.V. show I was on got cancelled, and the show on the strip that I was in closed down. There was NOTHIN' available job-wise, so I had to start selling off my personal collection of stuff to pay the bills. After I finally found a job as a singing Gondolier at the Venetian 6 months later, most of my stuff was gone, but I kept my space at the Antique Mall because I got hooked on Garage Sales and Auctions, and was finding all kinds of great stuff that I'd never seen before. You are so right when you say that the best stuff sticks!

Also, I HAVE been to several Hollywood prop houses back in the early 90's when I was "in the biz", and I too have had quite a few temptation-filled thoughts of cashing in on the production insurance! Those places get me all filled with frustrated joyous angst. Have you ever been to the one underground at Warner's? It's SO spooky, but SO awesome!

As for the signiture on the velvet painting, it looks like it says "Ben Alano" but I can't be sure. The date is clear- 1960. Here's a photo of it. Anyone ever hear of this guy?

Mahaloz Again for lookin'!