Mug prices, hemlines, and Ooga-Mooga - Collecting Tiki

T TikiTacky Member Joined: Nov 23, 2010 Posts: 1319	T TikiTacky Posted posted on Sat, Aug 3, 2013 9:14 AM I realize this isn't a new topic, but there's certainly a trend with tiki mug prices. The problem as I see it stems from that most valuable resource: Ooga-Mooga.com. Anyone who spends time on eBay sees that mugs usually sell for close to their OM price. Buy It Now auctions almost always seem to be priced around 20-25% above the OM average price. Any time I find a tiki mug in a local thrift store, if the mug is identified the name matches the info on OM and is priced, again, 20-25% above average. It's effectively become a feedback loop, where it slowly drives the prices higher and higher. It's not surprising, really. OM is really the absolute best resource for mug collectors, and you can't find the information there anywhere else. The problem is that it has effectively become a ghost ship. Humuhumu announced she was going to overhaul it and then vanished off the face of the tiki scene, possibly due in part to her having a child (that can certainly change priorities!). I've emailed her a couple times, but never gotten a response, and she hasn't posted on TC in over a year after being one of the most prolific posters. :( What I'd like to see is the price guide on OM only be available for paid supporters. That would make a huge difference in how mugs are priced, and potentially return some normalcy to the market. Heck, I'd just like to see some acknowledgement from Humuhumu that she's still around and still planning to do something with it. [ Edited by: TikiTacky 2013-08-03 09:27 ]

I realize this isn't a new topic, but there's certainly a trend with tiki mug prices. The problem as I see it stems from that most valuable resource: Ooga-Mooga.com.

Anyone who spends time on eBay sees that mugs usually sell for close to their OM price. Buy It Now auctions almost always seem to be priced around 20-25% above the OM average price. Any time I find a tiki mug in a local thrift store, if the mug is identified the name matches the info on OM and is priced, again, 20-25% above average. It's effectively become a feedback loop, where it slowly drives the prices higher and higher.

It's not surprising, really. OM is really the absolute best resource for mug collectors, and you can't find the information there anywhere else. The problem is that it has effectively become a ghost ship. Humuhumu announced she was going to overhaul it and then vanished off the face of the tiki scene, possibly due in part to her having a child (that can certainly change priorities!). I've emailed her a couple times, but never gotten a response, and she hasn't posted on TC in over a year after being one of the most prolific posters. :(

What I'd like to see is the price guide on OM only be available for paid supporters. That would make a huge difference in how mugs are priced, and potentially return some normalcy to the market. Heck, I'd just like to see some acknowledgement from Humuhumu that she's still around and still planning to do something with it.

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2013-08-03 09:27 ]

Post #688506 by TikiTacky on Sat, Aug 3, 2013 9:14 AM