Post #56709 by boutiki on Fri, Oct 24, 2003 11:55 AM

Always late to chime in, but Interesting topic and very interesting replies. I can only speak for myself, but Amy and I have been members for quite a while and I guess we post pretty infrequently. There are a number of reasons for this. The first one is that we have so little time. We have what seems like five jobs between us. We both work freelance and besides the jobs that earn us most of our income (graphic design and art installation) we have to try and allocate time for the vintage modern resale that we do, the art that I'm supposed to be working on in my studio, the house that still needs work and of course we are trying to get Tiki Quest promoted and distributed. We pretty much work seven days a week, morning, noon and night, and with a baby on the way, I'm afraid we will have even less time to peruse and post. When we are on Tiki Central we are generally reading and trying to catch up. We have learned a great deal and have found the different personalities and different perspectives very interesting. Frequently I don't post because I do not feel that I have anything terribly new or insightful to add.

I agree with much that has been said about this already and I empathize with the different perspectives and the ideas that have been expressed. It's always fun to be part of a small group of people who are into something and can share their passion. Regardless if it's a band, an underground film or a love of Tiki and all that it entails. It's fun to collect, to see what treasures other collectors have unearthed, visiting Tiki temples that still stand, building your own home Tiki bar, sharing tropical drinks and conversation with friends, and strutting around in your favorite aloha attire. There are so many aspects and avenues to enjoyment of Tiki, it's no wonder it has so many enthusiasts, and each one has found a different route to Tiki worship. It's also no surprise that with as many of us proselytizing about Tiki that there are more and more converts every day. While I can lament with other long time collectors the demise of the days of thrifts well stocked with discarded Tikis and the irrational prices that are being paid for mugs on ebay, I have to accept that this is the nature of the discovery of, or revival of, any "lost" cultural phenomenon.

I too have passed through the Pottery Barn, Kohl's, and a number of other mainstream retail stores, seen all the new plastic Tiki stuff and thought, "Well, you can put a fork in it, it's DONE!". But then I have to realize that if not for this resurgence in Tiki, we would not have Tiki Farm or Munktiki, or Bone Productions, or any of the fine contemporary artisans who are supplying quality Tiki stuff that we can enjoy. It seems like many of the things that I am very passionate about have become very "trendy" or co-opted by mainstream culture, but I think they are only getting a shallow superficial view of things that are very interesting and multi-faceted. I think it's cool that there are some people who are interested enough to dig deeper and find out what discoveries lay out there– and some of those people are doing that here on Tiki Central.

Back to the original point, like I said, having been in on the ground floor of other discoveries like cool bands or other emerging trends, I can understand being resentful of the "johnny-come-latelys" or newbies. I mean, it's something special to you and you hold it dear and don't want to to be diluted or become a fad. But it seems like there is little to do but let things run their course and if you still are an enthusiasts when things have subsided, you will still be able to enjoy it when others have moved on. I don't think that being mean and aggressive to folks who just discovered Tiki or Tiki Central does anyone any good and I have been dismayed at the treatment some new members have been subjected to. It has even made me apprehensive to post sometimes. I don't need to be criticized for my opinion. What's that expression? "Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one". It seems to me like the best thing course of action if someone says or does something stupid or offensive would be to ignore them. I don't think it reflects well on Tiki Central when members are bullied off the forum just because they have what others think are silly ideas or they (out of ignorance) try to solicit information or interest in their auctions or products. It seems to me that it would be enough to politely point out to them that there is a forum to post ebay auctions or if you don't like that they are trying to sell their wares to what they see as their target market, simply do not patronize them. I dunno' I guess I'm just trying to say that the negativity and venom I sometimes see puts a pall over the forum on occasions. The only other thing I would consider a distraction or a dilution of the forum would be the non-Tiki posts like embarrassing photos, Halloween stuff and whatnot. That's cool and fine, but it seems like maybe if it's not about Tiki subjects it should be in the "Beyond" forum.

Otherwise, I still think that Tiki Central is an engaging and informative forum. I really like that Hanford has created the new catagories for finding and creating Tiki. I think it's great that by pooling everyone's knowledge and recourses Tiki Central is a vital and entertaining place that you can spend a lot of time with. I think it's fine that there are members that contribute regularly, some that post from time to time and those that just enjoy reading and learning. I think that's reflective of the community as a whole, and everyone gets out of it what they put in.

Just my two cents. Sorry I kinda' rambled.
-Duke