Post #90710 by bigbrotiki on Tue, May 11, 2004 10:12 PM

One of my last two offerings from my Spanish Tiki mug samples:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3912147555

...now before everyone begins despairing about the price or starts jumping onto flights to Spain, here's the good news, and the bad:

The success of my previous auctions has convinced me that these foreign "El Tiki mugs" will be appreciated among the brethren, so I will proceed with my plan to import them. This will be my first step to get financially involved in the Tiki business, I hope that eventually it will give me a stronger leg to stand on in the U.S.

I dug up the manufacturer, and they require a minimum order of 12 per piece. These puppies are not cheap to begin with, plus the shipping is expensive, so I will have to offer these wares for around 50.- dollars a piece (a bowl like the above for more) to make a profit, I'm afraid. That will put them into a "serious collectors only" category, but since I have an exclusive deal with the maker I hope to be successful in that bracket. The ones I sold so far were singular samples.

I will not be taking any pre-orders, because it will take a while for these to be available. I will go to Spain to visit the kiln the beginning of June, then they have to be shipped, and I have to set up shop in LA., but will be working in Germany for several months still. So these "precioussss" will not be available to the public until the end of the year, maybe some earlier on e-bay so I can finance the operation. Off course I will give ample notice to the TC community.

I do not want to discourage anybody to take a trip to Barcelona and visit the Tiki Bars there, because it is a great vacation, but warn them that not all mugs I offered so far are available at these places like at a retail store (for example the above bowl is not). Even when on the menu, the proprietors do not always sell their mugs (like Formikahini found out at the Mauna Loa in Madrid). So heed THIS cautionairy tale I was inspired to put at the end of the "Michael Rockefeller" thread in "Beyond Tiki" :) :

"Indeed a very educational story, cautioning us not to go too far in our collecting obsessions!

I can see it now, some Tiki Central member, inspired by the successes of Spanish Tiki mug auctions on e-bay, decides to go on an expedition to distant and mysterious Spain, in search of the Kahala tribe and their elusive "Feather Face" mug.

He joins them in the ritual imbibing of the "Bastardo Safferin" potion, and gets to hold the precious relic in his hands...only to find that the chief of the tribe is unwilling to part with it (because their stock is low).

Alas, no pleading and bribing helps, and feverish in his desire to own the godhead, the TC member decides to nab the mug and flee. But on his hasty way out he bumps into a group of giggling young Spanish yuppy virgins and the mug slips out of his hands (in slow motion) and smashes on the ground!
The village members apprehend the thief and...

OFF goes the head, to be used as decoration for the Men's room door!

Yup, I heard it before, these things happen, matey, you shouldn't have let your collecting obsession get the better of you. Tiz tiz...."

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2004-05-11 22:22 ]