A new Ebay record?!?!?

The Maori Tiki Bob's mug went for $*......well what I think is a new record for how much someone has paid for a mug! Does anyone find this just a tad ridiculous?!? I mean the mug is nice, but is it really worth all that $$$...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=722096886

I think it is worth what ever you can afford to pay. Me, I went to 101.00 on it. I could have went more, but I did not want it that bad. Thats the most I have ever bid on any mug.

Does anyone find this just a tad ridiculous?!? I mean the mug is nice, but is it really worth all that $$$...

Well, I personally wouldn't spend that much on a mug but that's just because I'm cheap. For those however, who make a tidy income and have an abundant love for tiki then I can understand it. The only thing keeping me from attaining true rarities in my collection is $$$. My interest in the hobby is the same no matter what my income. Those who spend these enormous amounts for mugs just simply have more financial resource than you or I. To me, there's nothing wrong with that.

Personally, if I had $300.00 to blow on a Tiki Bob's mug, I would instead buy:

Trader Vic's Scorpion Bowl - $30.00
Trader Vic's Honi Honi Mug - $18.00
Trader Vic's Suffering Bastard Mug (repro) - $14.00
Trader Vic's Suffering Bastard Decanter (repro) - $17.00
Bosko Black Kumu Mug - $8.50
Munktiki Volcano Bowl - $42.00
Munktiki Zombie Mug - $18.00
Munktiki Evil Bastard - $20.00
Munktiki Uncle Shrunk - $18.00
Tiki Farm X-eyes - $13.50
Tiki Farm Bali Hai Shot Mugs - $17.50
Various Island Madness Mugs - $36.00 ($6.00ea)
Mai Kai Shrunken Head - $15.00
Mai Kai Chiki Tiki - $15.00
Mai Kai Moai - $15.00

Yes, you can buy all this stuff for the same price of what that mug sold for. Now, if I had a choice, I'd certainly take the "goody bag" listed above over the Tiki Bob's mug anyday. But then again, that's because my budget would force me to. If I could afford the TB mug, you better believe I'd take it. I still don't have that one in my collection!

BTW - If I'm not mistaken, I think the record for something on eBay was in the $440.00 - $450.00 range for a Kahiki Mystery Bowl by Hoffman Ceramics. Here is a pic:

http://www.tikiroom.net/gallery/kahiki/aaa

*** * * The Polynesian Popster * * ***

[ Edited by: PolynesianPop on 2002-10-15 09:47 ]

Whoa! Makes me all the more thrilled I found mine for $8.00 at a local flea market!

:tiki:

BTW - If I'm not mistaken, I think the record for something on eBay was in the $440.00 - $450.00 range for a Kahiki Mystery Bowl by Hoffman Ceramics. Here is a pic:

Hey Pop, Sorry I missed you visit to Tonga, it slipped my addled mind, mainly becasue my pc crashed and I finally took it to the repair shop. Sounds like you had a good time, excellent!

The Kahiki Mystery Bowl went for $800+, purchased by one of our own Centralites. Most for a mug I can recall would be the "Elvis" Tiki Bob type mug ($1000 more or less?).

Tiki Bob rules, but for $300 not in my kingdom!

midnite

Midnite,
Wish you were there. I did have fun meeting the SF Centralites at the Tonga. Also had fun hitting up all the tourist traps the Bay Area had to offer - including Lombard Street. I'll bet I drove right by your house!

Well I thought this is how auctions go, the item gets sold for how much someone is willing to pay. There must have been someone else willing to pay up to $290 for him to get it at $294.

For those of you who want the Maori Tiki Bob's mug, someone else has posted one...hey, the buy now is only $300!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=724574689

How old do you reckon the 'Maori' Tiki Bobs is? It looks like the 70's judging by the writing on the back. (Perhaps).

Trader Woody

--I agree!!! I would much rather have this collection of new/repro mugs than that one old/vintage Tiki Bob's mug. I actually drink out of my mugs and I could actually use all of the mugs you mention below (good choices, by the way). The Tiki Bob's mug would just sit and gather dust and, personally, I just don't think it's as cool as many of the new/repro mugs out now.

Personally, if I had $300.00 to blow on a Tiki Bob's mug, I would instead buy:

Trader Vic's Scorpion Bowl - $30.00
Trader Vic's Honi Honi Mug - $18.00
Trader Vic's Suffering Bastard Mug (repro) - $14.00
Trader Vic's Suffering Bastard Decanter (repro) - $17.00
Bosko Black Kumu Mug - $8.50
Munktiki Volcano Bowl - $42.00
Munktiki Zombie Mug - $18.00
Munktiki Evil Bastard - $20.00
Munktiki Uncle Shrunk - $18.00
Tiki Farm X-eyes - $13.50
Tiki Farm Bali Hai Shot Mugs - $17.50
Various Island Madness Mugs - $36.00 ($6.00ea)
Mai Kai Shrunken Head - $15.00
Mai Kai Chiki Tiki - $15.00
Mai Kai Moai - $15.00

Sean

Well, danlovestiki has shelled out $100 on several mugs lately and at least 1 other for $200+. Looks like he has spent over a grand this month on Ebay tiki. Yikes!

Well, I guess Dan really does love tikis...
I love tikis too but, c'mon...

Sigh...I wonder how much it would have gathered without me having published all the interesting Tiki Bob's info in the B.O.T.-

But then I remember that I wrote about this Mainlander mug going for over a hundred bucks in the book, so the e-bay inflation was already in full swing then...

Still, please note that 99% of the B.O.T. artifacts were gotten pre-ebay (I think the Ren Clark's Headhunter is one exception, right, Fatu Hiva?)

I'm probably going to be getting another wave of hate messages comin at me for this, but I just don't see anything all that unusual about that mug going for $294.

What I mean is, I've been out in the field hunting mugs for almost ten years solid now.. I've never come across one of those. No one i know has ever come across one of those- I'm sure somebody somewhere has, but odds are, its not going to be you.. ever.

That being said, and it being a cool mug- what is getting one worth to a serious tikimug collector?

Consider this: I've seen 3 on Ebay since it began.. ever. Two I own, and then this one. And that's over, what, six YEARS of EBAY -the world's largest market of vintage goods? That spells R A R E to me. They aren't going to get any less rare, or cheaper, unless someone unearths a crate of them somewhere.. or everybody decides Tikimugs are stupid and don't care anymore. So... whats the verdict? As a serious tikmug collector, what would YOU do? Yes, you could tell yourself all kinds of things about why you don't need to pay that money, or it's not as magical as finding one for a quarter, blah blah, but that still doesnt change the fact that your collection is lacking a serious piece, now does it?

That's just my logic.. I remember people thinking I was mentally unstable buying mine for $80 apiece. About 2 years later, its tripled.. will it come back down? maybe.. will it become less rare? doubtful..
Is it the money I'm concerned about? no. It's that I have two sitting on my shelf. I ponied up the money a few years ago and never looked back.. maybe one day I'll superscore and find one somewhere, but then I'll be worried about getting hit by lightning on my way out of the store and getting bit by a shark next time I'm at the beach.

Am I trying to be a jerk? No. I'm just stating the reality as I see it- the rare mugs are becoming valueable, because they are RARE, and thus, there is an inherent value that goes along with it. Yes, you can lament the days of $2 mugs and 'gift mugs' and whatnot- but remember, those mugs werent the Maori Tiki Bob- if it was, you're lucky. But what if you want one and you're not one of the special people that luckout and find rare mugs lying around or have people give them to you?- how else would you get one other than to fight/pay for it?

Screw the S&P 500- Buy Tiki.

Thoughts anyone?

PS- where are my meds?

[ Edited by: fatuhiva on 2002-10-16 00:10 ]

dude your meds are missing again.
Come back to the light...
I'm usually at least partially with you, but you're acting like like good finds cant happen & that's just not true.

I dont know why you think you've seen every mug that has ever hit ebay, but I have seen at LEAST a dozen or so of that exact mug pass me by. (although this latest one WAS especially minty fresh)
Also, 10 years of hunting does not a "ever" make. Paitience prevails.
And I'm not interested in who has the biggest or most serious collection.
It's not how serious your tiki is, it's how you use it baby.

I saw a case of them the other day at "Big Lots" going for .99 cents each! I passed. Too much money.

On 2002-10-15 23:26, fatuhiva wrote:
I'm probably going to be getting another wave of hate messages comin at me for this, but I just don't see anything all that unusual about that mug going for $294.

Well, I don't know about all you suckers, but every single tiki mug in my collection was a tax-free gift which cost me nuthin' at all. I didn't even have to spring for "thank you notes" and postage. Not even for the set of 6 Ren Clark Headhunter mugs given to me 27 years before The Book of Tiki was published. That's why my collection is so much better than everyone else's -- I paid the least of all of you suckers, AND I was into them when most of you posers were drinking formula out of plastic sippy-cups.

You people who buy your mugs for $1 or $2 at the thrift store are being taken for a RIDE. I would NEVER pay that much for a mug.

-Mike

Mike,

I tell you what, if it makes you feel better about yourself, we'll believe you.

"Wow, you're the man!, we all want to pray to you. How did you get so smart? We're all such dumbshits!, we wish we could be like you, we wish we could vote as intelligently as you Florida voters, we wish we were as OLD as you since we were drinking formula when you began fiber therapy, please, oh please be our friend. Tell us more oh miser master."

So what if people want to pay "real" money for mugs, what the f&#* does it matter. Sounds more like you're envious of people with a) jobs other than flipping burgers, and b) money to spend on what they want.

A thing of tiki is a joy forever

[ Edited by: Tiki_Bong on 2002-10-16 09:41 ]

"Also, 10 years of hunting does not a "ever" make. Paitience prevails. "

10 years isn't being "patient"?

come on now- what is ten years of your time worth to you?

I am not saying that good finds don't happen- sure they do. To somebody, somewhere. Like the guy that wins the $80million lotto jackpot- but that guy is most likely not going to be me on any given day. So if I was Joe tiki-collector and reeeally wanted that mug, I'd stay on my meds and keep myself mentally stable about the reality of just 'finding one' by considering just paying for it.

But that's me- if a person isn't comfortable with paying that kind of money for a mug, that's OK too- to each his own. The point I'm trying to make is that I don't see it as some horrible sin- it's just somebody who doesn't have the time or patience to go scouring thrift/antique shops for 13 years on the bad off-chance that they run into this mug for $5.. and they have a basic idea what all that time and effort and luck would be worth to them, so they pay to make it happen now.

Just like you can pay someone to put your sprinkler system in, or you can bust your back doing it yourself..

[ Edited by: fatuhiva on 2002-10-16 09:35 ]

fatuhiva,
I agree with you. The painful reality of collecting tiki or polynesian pop for that matter is that the vintage items so painfully desired are available in only limited quantities. And, as more people discover tiki and begin to collect these items, the rarity and its respective values increase.

As I've said before, I'm not the type that will spend the big bucks/no whammies prices of some ultra-rare mugs but that's just me. There's nothing wrong with spending the money on something you truly want to obtain. Especially if you believe it worth your time or luck in finding a "score."

Let's be honest - not even a Tiki Leilani mug is an easy find anymore.

On 2002-10-16 09:25, Tiki_Bong wrote:
Mike,

I tell you what, if it makes you feel better about yourself, we'll believe you.

Tiki-Bong,

I thought the absolute ridiculousness of my post would make the sarcasm clear, but I guess not. Thanks for editing your comment about my genitals, as I was getting worried about where or how you may have seen them to make such a remark (like those spam emails say, you just can't tell what information about you is out there on the net).

For the record, I think this discussion is pointless. Bob pays a million dollars for a Mai Kai chiki tiki mug and Sally buys the same one from the gift shop for $5. Who cares? If you don't like the price, don't buy it. For some people it's about the hunt, others it's about obsessively acquiring every mug ever made no matter the cost. If it makes some of you feel superior to spend less money on mugs, great. If it makes others feel more superior to outspend everyone else, wonderful.

And if you were into tiki 10 years ago, then rock on with your primitive self. If you got into it yesterday, welcome aboard, and please don't bid against me on eBay.

Now please excuse me while I go look over my sample ballot again. Where the hell is Jimmy Carter on this thing?

-Mike

I've said it before;
Spend all you want! I sell stuff for a living, so I dont begrudge ANY big spenders.

For me personally, I just cant do it.

I guess it's more the thrill of the hunt for me. If I had every tiki mug ever made, would I be happy?
Doubt it.
Could I ever be able to sit back, relax & marvel at my tiki collection that I paid $30,000+ for on ebay?
Double doubt it.
For me, it's more fun to aquire stuff a bit at a time than "I gotta have it right now & I'll pay anything to get it!"
I'd be more inclined to take the same money & travel to Hawaii & Tahiti & Bora Bora & actually "live it".

Mike,

You need to work on the 'delivery' of things humorous/sarcastic. Your post didn't quite work out. But then I guess practice makes perfect so ...

On 2002-10-16 10:51, bigbadtikidaddy wrote:
I'd be more inclined to take the same money & travel to Hawaii & Tahiti & Bora Bora & actually "live it".

I would love to do that! But in reality I probably couldn't get the time off from work :(

It seems I pay more for my mugs than everyone on this list (but not as much as Dan!) I could hunt and scout around my area for years and NEVER run across a tenth of the mugs that are available on eBay right now. I tend to be alittle more selective because if I really want it I'm willing to pay for it, but because of my limited income I will only bid on the mugs that I really like not neccessarily {sp?} just to get the rarest... blah, blah, blah

[ Edited by: tikimug on 2002-10-16 12:08 ]

Bong wrote:
Mike,
You need to work on the 'delivery' of things humorous/sarcastic. Your post didn't quite work out. But then I guess practice makes perfect so ...

Mike, we're tuned into irony here, so I heartily enjoyed your post. Humour at it's best hits targets at their narrowest.

I'd like to also point out that the rare mugs are being produced today in their limited quantities by the folks we all know and love. Even the 'rarest' of mugs produced commercially for Tiki Bars were in quantities that far outstrip the limited editions by Bosko, MunkTiki, and Tiki Farm.

To go to the effort to get a mug designed for a particular bar costs a lot of money. Only someone with zero experience of the bar trade would then go on to order a mere 200 of that mug.

So, these may seem rare because they aren't popping up on eBay too often, but they are out there in far greater quantities than most of the limited editions made in the second wave of Tiki. A decade from now and you'll be cursing the day you didn't buy a mug readily available from our pals!!

Trader Woody

[ Edited by: Trader Woody on 2002-10-16 15:54 ]

Aloha Ku's and Wahines,
You guys crack me up. I love to drop in on your conversations about mugs. It trips me out that you's all get so freaked out about a glazed ceramic item. I was digging around in my grandfather's portfolio (Eli Hedley) looking for tiki mugs but all I came up with were blue prints and contsruction pics of all the bars and restaurants that he decorated that all these mugs came out of. Geez, I wish there was at least one mug in a pic! I have a good one of him and Don Beach hanging out at the Luau pre-tiki mug, drinking out of clear glass. Here's one for you hunter's. A blue martini gobblet that is waxed into a cork float. Eli made these back in the 40's. They came in a crate built out of driftwood. 5 per crate. Sam Goldwin(sp?) of MGM ordered 500 crates for x-mas one year! There has to be a few of these laying around. They were made from saki bottles. Help out a bro and find one for me. I'll pay or trade you a tiki bar or what not!

hmmmm... a floating tiki mug..... hmmm..... if Munktiki beats me to it at least I acknowledged how f'in cool it is that Ben's gramps did it first!....hmmm..... A FLOATING TIKI MUG! "Hey Sweetie, do me a favor and top off that Lapu Lapu and stick it in the pool and backwards dog paddle in my direction for about 30 seconds - love you babe!".
Holden

"big bucks/no whammies"

hahaha hey somebody other than myself remembers that frikkin gameshow..

A "real" cork fishing float. He used blue & green saki bottles. Cut the necks off (the old way by using a sting wrapped around it with lamp oil and lighting it) then they went upside down in the float. A hard wax was used to fill the bottom. My mother said they made thousands of em'. She said she would hide in the heaps of fish net so she wouldn't have to "hand sand" the edge of the glass! This is back in the 40's.

On 2002-10-16 10:16, TheMuggler wrote:
I thought the absolute ridiculousness of my post would make the sarcasm clear...

It was crystal clear to me. And darn funny too!