Post #514528 by Tom Slick on Tue, Mar 2, 2010 10:32 AM

Sven, I forgot(idiot me!) all about the real Ren Clark severed head mug that a few people have duplicated over the years! That certainly is a rare and elusive one, and when it does pop up, it commmands high three digit to low four digit figures.

And I also forgot about my favorite carver mug, the Bumatay Islander, although probably not as known as Tiki Bob or the severed head.
Looking and comparing mugs based on Ooga Mooga, the Bumatay mug is beaten out on price and "wishlist want" by the Ren Clark severed head mug.

I actually retract my original Don the Beachcomber mug choice, and consider a coin toss between Tiki Bob and Ren Clark's head(even though it may be debateable if it is truly a "tiki mug". BUT since it was created for a polynesian themed restaurant/bar, it should remain considered "tiki".

On a personal note, my first tiki mug was actually an OMC Black Moai from The Tiki's. Using the "popular piece" aspect in collections, am I misled to think that everyone thus far already owns a black moai mug from OMC, regardless if it is stamped with a specific location or not? And could the O.O.H. Headhunter/Warrior mug, or Generic Coconut mug be just as popular, since they are seen advertised in and on alot of vintage illustrated drink menus?

I ask this because, I may be the only oddball who still has not picked up a
Leilani or Miehana mug, and because that black moai, headhunter, and coconut mugs were used in almost every facet of the midcentury polynesian restaurant/bar industry.

If you really want to entertain a thought, maybe the Party City/OTC tiki is really another top contender, based on its wide availability, its commercially reproduced style, and garish coloring has been seen everywhere... Coast to coast, even worldwide. It is affordable, and whenever non-collectors want to throw a luau, it is simple for them to buy this style and disposable mugs off the internet or in most party supply/outlet location. Plastic tiki mugs can be seen as a "gateway" drug, opening new doors for those who are intrigued with the weird expressioned plastic vessel they drink from.

Again, because this question can actually tap into at least four different results such as Popularity and Desirability(as actually being in most collections), Provenance, Rarity/Elusivness, and Monetary value(price seems to parallel the popularity aspect)
Is there really a right answer to this?
We need a census bureau for tiki 2010!

I think that no matter how we arrive at our own conclusions, personal preference should not cloud the facts of what is elusive, the most expensive vintage mug like the Severed Head, or an overall top seller such as the Miehana. There are absolute hard facts for these areas.