Post #392537 by Mai Tai on Tue, Jul 8, 2008 6:03 PM

Sounds like the real deal to me. If it looks very close to the pic above, then it's probably the real deal. I have seen many vintage ones, and have a couple that I picked up from the Trader Vic's warehouse sale that were also vintage, and none of them look like they have been floating in the ocean for 50 years.

Most of them look a little worn, but it's usually just dust and grime buildup. They clean up nicely, to the point of looking brand new. And just about all of the older thicker ones that I have seen have some kind of seam on them - I'm guessing that maybe they were (machine) blown into some kind of mold - maybe someone here with more knowledge can elaborate.

If it's colored glass, really thick and fairly heavy, like it could withstand banging against a couple other similar floats in the ocean, then it's most likely the real deal. Most of the thinner ones that look like they were hand blown are for decorative purposes, and a lot of the newer ones like that are clearer in color, and when you look at one you can tell the difference. To me that seems to be a fair price for that float, if not a bargain.