Post #68684 by boutiki on Sat, Jan 10, 2004 11:10 AM

There are at least three different styles of the United Tikis and they were made in different sizes. In the larger (about 30" tall) size, there is the high density foam version and the vinyl plastic version. The foam Tiki is often slightly damaged since the foam is kinda' brittle and if dropped, chunks can snap off. The vinyl version which looks like the Jim Beam / United / Hawaiian Open decanter, often appears damaged, but is not really, and can be fixed easily. There is a piece of wood that holds two poles inside the Tiki which was often stapled in such a way that it appears to pitch forward (like I said, an easy fix). The staples and the forward torque of the poles often cause the vinyl to split near the base (not really that big of a deal). If you find one with what appears to be damage or flaws you can get a better price. In excellent condition, they seem to bring between $150 and $175 when they appear on ebay. I think that's a pretty fair price for a nice vintage piece that size. When we were in Hawaii, Bailey's was asking $500 for the one they had. When I see them at antique shows and stores, they are usually priced pretty high since folks will pay a lot for "advertising collectables".

We have a couple of each style and love them. We also have smaller versions of the same United Tikis (16 inches and 5 inches) in addition to the United maps of the islands with the cool frame that has Menehunes and Tikis in relief (that came in at least 3 different styles and sizes). There is also the huge 5 foot foam United Lono Tiki many will have seen at Hala Kahiki (they have 3). He has the open headdress. There is the small keychain or charm version of that Tiki. There is also, of course, the male Menehune and the Girl (don't know if she is supposed to be a female Menehune or just a young hula girl).

I think that United used to give these items to the Travel agencies as promotional materials for displays to encourage travel to Hawaii. I have even seen the male Menehune dressed in a snowsuit, advertising travel to ski destinations like Aspen! I guess they had left over statues they wanted to use? There are other cool pieces I have seen including a 3-D light-box with a topographical map of Hawaii including the portions underwater. the surrounding water is an amazingly vivid blue when lit up. I'm sure there are a few pieces that I have still not seen. Since United was based in Chicago, there seems to be more of it here to find. If I come across another piece in the wild I'll let you know Gecko. There are still some old travel agencies in our part of town that use the United pieces, though when I have asked if they'd consider selling them, I'm met with blank stares and "No. We use that for our windows".

I'd suggest holding out for a real vintage example unless you want to use it outside. The guy from Indiana who sells them on ebay simply made a mold from a vintage United Tiki and has them cast in fiberglass which he then paints. I have a friend who bought one and it looks OK, but a far cry from the original. Like I said, if I wanted to put it out in the yard, I might buy one of the fiberglass. But if you want one for your collection, I'd stick with the vintage especially since you can get the vintage for not much more money.

When Amy has time to help me, I'll post some pictures of the different styles and sizes– I'm a helpless idiot on the computer. If someone wants to help me post images, I'll email the photos (I can at least do that). If you have a copy of Tiki Quest, you can see the two different 30 inch United Tikis at the bottom of the very last page.

-Duke