Here's one for the Witco Lovers!

Myself, Dan, and Reid-O from Taboo Tiki, both collect. That can sometimes be quite challenging to get to the goods first. There's been a few near scraps and over couch diving been going on up here! That's probably why we try not to go hunting together. I went out to a thrift shop near here and when I pulled into the parking lot my heart skipped several beats! I could see it from inside my truck! There, hanging in the window was this large Tiki mask carving. I recognize the style but... could it be??
I don't even remember getting out of the vehicle. Just remember being stuck to the window with drool sticking me to the glass. Sure enough a Witco carved mask! It had to be. It was identical to the mask that is on the bar in the Book of Tiki out of the Witco catalog.
I managed to get my face unstuck and then it set in. "Things in Window Not for Sale until Saturday". I don't know if your Thrift shops do that, but here everyone of them does. And of-course this was the weekend I had plans to go away. Well, change the plans or cancel them. I talked to Reid-O at work about this great find and sure enough at the same time I was telling him he was telling me the same thing. Needless to say I went away that weekend (Girlfriend made me!)and he scored the big guy. You have to get there early because there is alot of other things in the window and the lineups start early. He got there at about 6:00AM(They don't even open until 10:00AM)and there was already two people ahead of him. They were there for some china so the mask was his! Price tag: $17.50.
That's $17.50 Canadian which is about $13.00 US!!
Oh well, atleast it is in the Taboo Tiki collection!
Check out these pictures of it hanging up in the store! I'll add another one of it at his place if you're interested later.

[ Edited by: TabooDan on 2004-08-10 12:32 ]

[ Edited by: TabooDan on 2004-08-10 12:34 ]

[ Edited by: TabooDan on 2004-08-10 12:42 ]

ayeeeeeeee!!!

That "not for sale until Saturday" policy sounds like it qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment. I'd have had a real freak-out, offered them indentured servitude, whatever it took to score that awesome piece of Witco. You at least get visitation rights?

$13.00 US?! Do they do that "not fot sale until Saturday" to drive up desperate offers?
At least now your girlfriend knows what she can buy you for a gift when she's out scouring the thrift stores for them!

You might do some sleuthing and figure out where that mask came from; it may not have always been alone. I know they probably shouldn't tell you, but its amazing how many times I've been pointed to a good find by someone who knows that Mr. Fillinzeeblank is cleaning out his garage.

The Sally Anns here do the window display thing. A while ago I scored two strings of tiki patio laterns (the kind they sell at Canadian Tire). Can't remember what I paid but not much. Like you, I arrived early but no one else did. The clerk had to pretty much dismantle the whole window because the lights were strung through a bunch of other stuff in the display. The lights on one string were filthy with bug larvae and I ended up throwing it out, but the other one was fine.

COOL! i need that mask for my witco bar , wanna sell it? TD

Hey Zebratiki, That's the problem with these "Sold on Saturdays", you can't do anything about it! Just drool over whatever you want and hope nobody else has seen it!
Believe me, I have talked to the stores managers and told them I would even triple the price that they are asking but they still wouldn't move! That would be "unfair" they told me. It's not very often I see good stuff in the windows, but when I do it's a hell of a week waiting until the sale day! Quite nerve racking!!
Sorry TD, This puppy is not for sale! We have to hold on to the goodies up here in BC, Canada because it is very seldom we see the rare stuff!

[ Edited by: TabooDan on 2004-08-11 10:37 ]

Great find Taboo Dan!
That is the COOLEST mask!

Where abouts in BC are you? On the mainland?

TabooDan-considering that most thrift shops are charitable organizations,it floors me that they wouldn't sell something for triple the price because that would be "unfair".I'd think that it would benefit their charity in a very positive way.Strange.

I will never look at Canadian thrift store display windows the same way! Or I'll only look at them on a Friday night. Thanks for this tidbit of shopping wisdom.

[ Edited by: ZebraTiki on 2004-08-11 19:12 ]

On 2004-08-11 11:42, Tikiwahine wrote:
Great find Taboo Dan!
That is the COOLEST mask!

Where abouts in BC are you? On the mainland?

Hi Tikiwahine,
I'm over on the mainland quite a distance from the waves on your coast! I'm in Surrey where I'm making Tiki alive and well!
There's a few more things in the windows of 'Waiting Hell' this weekend so I'll probably post them under that other posting, Thirft finds! Happy Hunting!

[ Edited by: TabooDan on 2004-08-14 13:32 ]

I have the same mask. It is the only real find that I have ever come across in a local thrift store.

I took a brush to mine to clean it and then recoated it with danish oil. It has a nice dark lustre to it.

I got mine for $20 US

Good find.