Post #385339 by danlovestikis on Sat, Jun 7, 2008 1:43 PM

Dan picked up a copy of Tiki News at Tower Records... He says, "this looks interesting, I'm going to buy it." Next it's, "Hey honey can you find any Tiki Mugs at Garage Sales?" Then on to, "Hey if we got a computer could you get me mugs on eBay?" Then from that point on, "Where shall we drive to find tikis."

The modern day treasure hunt began. The thrill of the big find.

Then he finds "must haves" that have chips or scrapes, he asks, "sweetheart could you repair this for me?"

I start working to fix his mugs, then it's, "Hey they never made a bowl to go with this mug, could you make one?" This is the start of my love of making tiki art.

All of this is fun, it's having your own paradise at home. But the greatest joy that tiki brings are all the friendships you form along the way. We have made and kept more friendships through tiki collecting than any where else.

We went to Tiki Oasis 7 and for the first time I got to meet face to face so many friends I knew on-line. It was a hug fest and I can't wait to do it all again this August.

It's fun for everyone who gets involved, but just like Ben we don't worry about the ones we can't afford or that slip through our fingers. Friendships count for more than the tikis we collect. Wendy

To see our obsession go to http://www.claytikis.com and choose A Serious Hobby section.