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Tiki Central / Collecting Tiki

So whats the most u paid for a mug?

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HH

As of now I havent spent more then $30( Not including the $150 for the New Shag set, but I feel thats a whole different thing)or so, but im venturing into the $100+ mark at the moment. Im wondering if this is getting out of hand.

A

$30.00. I've got about 150 mugs and bowls. I've bid higher, didn't win though. I only have a handful of "rare" mugs.
Al

about $30 also. before ebay, $30 seemed like it was getting out of hand.

$27, also having $30 as being the max I'll pay.

Trader Woody

T

That's very interesting, cause 30 is my max too. I wonder how we all arrived at this arbitrary number?

S
Swanky posted on Mon, Oct 7, 2002 8:58 AM

In mugs we usually only buy what we come across in antique stores and thrift stores and rarely, if ever, pay more than $10 for a mug.

But in other things... I paid about $100 for this tiki a couple of years ago. (Now Kiliki knows what her Christmas present cost.)

I think about $36 - $37 for one of the Munktikis that was very close to retirement. That excludes the Shag 2nd set, but that's a better investment than most mutual funds now.

I actually broke down & paid $50 for one of those Kahiki hoffman mugs. I had BIG stars in my eyes.
$50 is my absolute limit for a super rare item.
Here are a few examples that I would "go there" on:
I put in a whopping $34 & got outbid on this super cool mug over the weekend:
Looks like the one in the old Islander Stockton menu that you NEVER see! I really thopught this one would BLOW UP!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=719299346&rd=1
(looks like they took the pic down, rats! i think I saved a copy, I will put it up on the tiki mug database)
here ya go:
http://www.tikiroom.net/gallery/unmarked?&page=4

I will be needing one of these to wipe away madtiki's tears:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=717454731

I like this one too:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=719318343&rd=1

These also blew me away:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2134986664

[ Edited by: bigbadtikidaddy on 2002-10-07 11:54 ]

[ Edited by: bigbadtikidaddy on 2002-10-07 11:55 ]

[ Edited by: bigbadtikidaddy on 2002-10-07 12:06 ]

What do you know, great minds DO think alike.

I think the max I ever spent was on ebay and it was a Trader Vic Amber Stem mug for $30.
I also gave $25 to an old lady who had a Stephen Crane Luau mug (with the tounge sticking out) when she was asking $15. I would have given here $30 if I would have had it.

Now, I would spend $50 on a Hoffman Kahiki, but I would have to have some excess cash to justify it to my wife.

In reality, I think $30 for a rarity to a collection is a fair price. I'm reluctant to spend much more. I'd rather hear / have stories of the $1.00 flea market or thrift store finds.

Excellent topic and a plesant (normal) change to what we have been recently posting and reading.
Thank you.

:sheckymug:
-C.

Well, call me cheap but I never try to spend more than $20.00 - even for the 'rare' ones because you know what? Even the rare ones come along again, and again, and again. Believe it or not, I've been able to pick up a 'rare' mug for cheap. I either get lucky because it was listed obscurely (as a 'teeki cup'), or nobody really knew what it was. Case in point: I was actually able to pick up a brown Islander skull mug for only $9.95 with no other bidders. Why? Don't know, Don't care - It's mine!

However, to answer the question, the most I ever spent on a mug was $38.00 and to this day I still think I overdid it.

Still trying to understand how a Tiki Bob's mug can sell for $50-$80 every time its listed and there's at least 3 listed per week and Hawaii Kai Green Ku mug sometimes closes with no bidders and is listed maybe 1 a month at most.

Wow, the Tiki Central $30 max -factor is amazing....(Watch out, though, now everyone will go to $30.50!)

My $27 mug was the green Mark Thomas Outrigger mug, by the way.

Don't suppose anyone has a Tiki Bob they'd like to sell? I'd go up to......$30!

Trader Woody

T
thejab posted on Mon, Oct 7, 2002 2:29 PM

I paid around $30 for my volcano bowl. That's the highest I've gone. I guess the next highest was $20 for a suffering bastard decanter. Never paid more than $15 for any mug (the $15 was for a skull mug).

[ Edited by: Lance Samason 2007-07-06 15:17 ]

This one thrift store will collect a box full of tiki items for me, and depending on the size/amount I’ll give them $15 - $20 for the set.

oops, hit it twice

[ Edited by: bigbadtikidaddy on 2002-10-07 16:19 ]

bigbadtikidaddy,
I've heard stories of people doing the same thing here in So Cal. I actually know somebody who took a part-time job at a local thrift specifically so he could get first pick at stuff. All the cool stuff filtered through him and all the crap got put on the shelves. On the other hand, some thrift stores have jumped on the eBay bandwagon and are filtering the good stuff themselves. The last time I was thrifting in Pomona, I overheard two employees talking about the bids they were getting on some of the stuff they had posted.

Times are changing for sure - I don't seem to come across anything anymore. Unless of course, I go to eBay.

M

My two chipped Leilani mugs were $109.91. But, that included shipping, insurance and a WHOLE LOT of bubble wrap to protect those rare, fragile mugs. Imagine, getting tWO Leilanis at once. WHAT A SCORE!!!!

Am I lying again?

HH

Well the mug thats causing me so much pain to part with my green is a tiki bob's mug,Over and over I've scoured the antique shops, checked ebay for a decent price, surf the net and to no avail. For some reason I have a burning need to posse this mug,right now, so im finale gonna fork over some big cash for it. But after this im goning back to my $30 limit.
:tiki:

T

I have the Moai tissue box! My brother bought it in Japan for me. It's quite the conversation piece, though sometimes kleenex gets stuck in his nose.

Hula,
If you want it enough it will find you.
A few years back I was walking down the street in San Fran. and saw them from about 2 blocks away! Some hippie chick selling crap on the street, had 2 Tiki Bob's! Keeping my cool and acting like hey these are kinda neat, what are they? I got 'em for 2 bucks a piece!

H

On 2002-10-07 18:18, tikifish wrote:
I have the Moai tissue box! My brother bought it in Japan for me. It's quite the conversation piece, though sometimes kleenex gets stuck in his nose.

Hee!


[ Edited by: Lance Samason 2007-07-06 15:16 ]

M

$85 - Suffering Bastard Mint... sold him a few months later (I have 2 others) for $130; way better performance than the S&P or Nasdaq!

polynesianpop wrote:

bigbadtikidaddy,
I've heard stories of people doing the same thing here in So Cal. I actually know somebody who took a part-time job at a local thrift specifically so he could get first pick at stuff. All the cool stuff filtered through him and all the crap got put on the shelves. On the other hand, some thrift stores have jumped on the eBay bandwagon and are filtering the good stuff themselves. The last time I was thrifting in Pomona, I overheard two employees talking about the bids they were getting on some of the stuff they had posted.

T

I thought I was the only one allowed to give you the fish eye!!!!

Blub... blub...

Speaking of thrift store ethics, I wish some of the stores around Santa Barbara would prctice them! There's this one on State St. (downtown) that always seems to have nice stuff, and charges accordingly! I remember a brief time when they were putting crappy records by the likes of such bands like "Chicago" (apoologies to Chicago fans, if any) in plastic sleeves and seeling them for five bucks! This practice, thankfully, has stopped. Another thrift store down the street actually has sales people that try to get you to buy something! I have never heard of any other thrift store doing this in my life! This store has nothing but crap, but chrages MORE that some of the antique stores! These two stores are the Alpha and RADD thrift stores and should be avoided if you are ever out this way.
I did find one tiki mug for $6 at the RADD, and I had to buy, only to arrive in Hawaii months later to find the same mug in every gift shop for $4!
As for the most I've spent, I wish I had the cash some of you seem to have. I spent $12 for a new mug that has done nothing but chip the entire time I've owned it, and I will probably end up throwing it away. That was the most I've ever spent
TR
BTW, Poison Ivy and Lux Interior of The Cramps also worked at Thrift Stores in the '70s just so they could get cool stuff, too, so I guess this has gone on for as long as there have been thruft stores.

T

My mom has a Jewish friend who 'helps out' at Christian Church sales for that very reasong. People will say anything to get their foot in the door of a sale first.

About two weeks ago a picked up a Paul Marshall, the one with the arms up not the thumbs up, for a whole $3.00. They had like 6-8 of them in this antique store. Way cool.
Peace out!

$9.95

30-40 bucks is my usual max, although I do prefer to snag a mug for a few bucks. The Shag Moatu decantor set will be an exception...hey, come on now, who can resist MOATU?!? :wink:

[ Edited by: TikiManiac on 2002-10-11 14:58 ]

What do you mean: pay?
I trade them for copies of my album. So far I have two mugs.

KK

I already knew it, but it looks like somebody confirmed my suspicions & added comments that this was indeed a rare ass mug from the Islander, Stockton.
http://www.tikiroom.net/gallery/unmarked/ads

I was outbid, & it went for $35 on ebay.
How the hell can the same 3 people afford an armload of mugs every week on ebay?
CANT WE SHARE THE LOVE?
Damn!
I reckon the search continues....

I

The most I paid for tiki mugs were the two identical commemorative ones offered for sale at the Atlanta Hukilau event. How much were those? $15 each?

I may have paid about $20 for one from Harveys of Lake Tahoe - the tall one with a painted nude island girl on it. This was purchased in the French Quarter in New Orleans about 10 years ago, when I wasn't aware of the tiki subculture. I didn't even know it was a mug .... at the time I thought it was vase.

Vern

M

On 2002-10-14 14:00, bigbadtikidaddy wrote:
I already knew it, but it looks like somebody confirmed my suspicions & added comments that this was indeed a rare ass mug from the Islander, Stockton.
http://www.tikiroom.net/gallery/unmarked/ads

I was outbid, & it went for $35 on ebay.
How the hell can the same 3 people afford an armload of mugs every week on ebay?
CANT WE SHARE THE LOVE?

BBTD,
I saw that mug, put it on "think about later" mode in my mind. Then the pc crapped out one last time and I threw it in the repair shop. That auction ended while the pc was being corrected, it totally slipped my mind. I saw the post on Mike's site...and am bummed.

If that is from Islander (LA) and it looks like it is...one terribly happenin' score indeed. Ugggh...you got outbid on it? Barnacles!

Midnite

You just got to know Wendy and Dan. If they want it, they will get it. Wish I could do that!

color me curious...
I added up the total this cat spent on tiki in the last 30 days:
$1959.98

HOLY TRUST FUND!

buying $2,000 a month in tiki mugs on ebay is insane!

$1958.98.. Whoa, did that include shipping?! That's TWICE as much as my MORTGAGE payment!

*On 2002-10-15 11:06, bigbadtikidaddy wrote:*buying $2,000 a month in tiki mugs on ebay is insane!

It might be insane to you. But we're all in different financial situations. If he's got the money and it makes him happy, who is it hurting? As far as i'm concerned it does not hurt anyone...but may only be pissing off those of us who can't afford to spend that much...

I can't believe this guy paid so much for Tiki Bob mugs. What is the big deal? I'll admit, I'd never befre seen the one he paid $294 for, but why? And what's with the Tiki Bob's "tree tiki" mug that looks like a barn owl? Why are these so coveted by collectors? I have seen much cooler NEW tiki mugs. Not to get off topic, but could someone explain the appeal of these mugs? Do people just want them b/c they're rare?

M

$1958.98.. Whoa, did that include shipping?! That's TWICE as much as my MORTGAGE payment!

One could get a nice one-bedroom apartment in my area for that $1900, but utilities will be extra. If you're willing to go studio apt., could get you in for $1300 or so.

It's not how much I pay for a mug, it's how much someone has paid me. If you cannot beat 'em, sell to 'em! On that note, lok for new "must have" items from everyone's Tiki pal, midnite, coming this week.

No Tiki Bob Moari types, but good junk(gems of unmatched appeal and value) nonetheless.

Open thy wallets and bid...it's good for the soul, yessir!

midnite

It might be insane to you. But we're all in different financial situations. If he's got the money and it makes him happy, who is it hurting? As far as i'm concerned it does not hurt anyone...but may only be pissing off those of us who can't afford to spend that much...


First off, it doesnt piss me off at all.
I can afford to pay more for stuff once in a while, but usually choose not to.
I sell stuff too, so trust me, I dont hate ANY big spenders!
If you have the cash, go ahead baby.
My point is: I dont care if you have a rock star budget or not.
To spend $2000 in 30 days on tiki mugs (to me)is an insane amount.
I cant help but wonder what the market will bear for these things once the "tiki resurgence" runs its course.
Good lord, if I chipped or broke a mug I paid $300 for, I think I'd puke.

Why are these so coveted by collectors? I have seen much cooler NEW tiki mugs. Not to get off topic, but could someone explain the appeal of these mugs? Do people just want them b/c they're rare?

Trader_Rick,
Yes, there are a lot of new tiki mugs that look cool but I think its safe to say that serious collectors are after the rare ones. Tiki Bob's in San Francisco has long since been closed and as far as I know, there was only one location. As such, this mug is pretty rare. I personally would choose a rare mug over a new one, simply because the new ones are so abundant and just about anybody can get 'em just about anywhere. I would personally love to add this TB tiki to my collection any day but, as I mentioned in another post, its simply out of my financial reach.

Exactly where was Tiki Bob's and when did it close? Is the tiki pole outside the door still there?

:maitai:

I've gotta say, I actually prefer new mugs to vintage ones, at least at this stage of collection. I have about 20 mugs and I drink out of all but about 5 of them. I actually like using them, and I just get an uneasy feeling about drinking out of old mugs. Like many others here, my faves are the TikiFarm mugs, although I use some of my cheep-o $5 mugs quite a bit too. My whole collection probably cost 1/2 of what that single Tiki Bob mug cost on Ebay. I figure by the time I have all the $5 - $18 mugs I want I will have run out of space to display them, so I really don't see a time where I will be tempted by rare mugs that I either can't drink out of or would be too scared to drink out of because it cost me 300 frickin' dollars!

Sean

The TB Maori mug is cool, but not $300 cool! And the "tiki tree" style is so lame looking IMO. But then again, I don't like Fu Manchu style mugs either, though I see the appeal.

I buy mugs to DRINK out of. If I want to display something, I'll buy a mask or an idol. I get the impression that if you spend $300 on a mug, it's just going to be looked at, b/c you would be terrified of dropping it. I wouldn't buy a vintage mug unless I could drink out of it, or at least use it for SOMETHING. It would drive me nuts if it just sat on my shelf. I hope that everyone here who spends more than $10 on a mug is at least getting some use out of it.

M

Exactly where was Tiki Bob's and when did it close? Is the tiki pole outside the door still there?

Bob's was at the corner of Taylor/Post. Much info is in Sven's book. Bob did try and franchise the scene a few times. The well-known example of his effort was the Sacramento Tiki Bob's. Bob's been closed for well on 20 years now, the location being used for a number of horrid purposes.

Tiki Bob is still out front, I believe he's a load-bearing idol, hee hee. He has been disgraced with a myriad of new paint schemes, but he still greets the day with aplomb.

midnite

My Soul.

Luckily I got it back later in a trade for a Light My Firebird and an Evil Weevil!

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