Christmas gifts to get 'em hooked...ideas?

Aloha, All! Well, now...Holiday season is fast approaching, and I've been thinking about what to buy, (hopefully in large quantities,) to send out to friends and family. It occurred to me that my tiki madness started with one solitary tiki mug I purchased at Urban Outfitters three years ago, and now has exploded to take over half of my house! What suitable gift(s) for Christmas/Hannukah would you. my esteemed colleagues, recommend for getting people in a likewise appreciative, addictive state...my recruiting drive disguised as holiday cheer...Tiki lights? A four pack of tiki mugs? A Yma Sumac CD? What would you recommend? Thanks for any forthcoming, and pensive advice....!!!! Grey

Hiya Grey!

Hmmm, well...if ya wait a week, anything from the "November" Midnite Madness Tiki Mug Sale is a surefire pleaser! Other than that shamless hype I do have a few ideas:

• The "Tiki Sampler" cd from the Ultra-Lounge series or a "best of" Denny/Lyman.

• A quality mug (see above under Midnite Sale) :D

• A Trader Vic book, either the Bartender's guide or one of the cookbooks.

• Oh, speaking of books, that one by what's his name? Yeah, Sven...Ki.. K-something. "Book of Tiki"!

Book of Tiki is number one pick, for sure.

midnite :drink:

How about a vintage Tiki Gardens postcard book? It's packed with 14 cool images of legendary Polynesian theme park that are sure to pique the interest of your friends and family. Being a vintage item, it will be a unique gift. Their small size and cheap price make them perfect stocking stuffers. Check out these and other tiki gift ideas at TikiGardens online giftshop:

http://user.gru.net/cateye/ape.html

Lono

Tiki Decals! They are hi-qualiity, they are hip, you can buy em online and they fit in a regular sized envelope for cheap and easy delivery. Get em while they are hot.

http://www.stores.ebay.com/lostisletradingpost

chongolio

It's usually the mugs that get 'em hooked. That's how it was for me. Now my mom even has a few mugs. I'd buy something lovely from Munktiki if I was you. You can buy off the site, munktiki.com. So fine!

I would suggest the Tiki Tote'em Economy Pack from Tiki Farm. It features 4 different-region tiki gods and the price seems pretty fair.

chefgrey2, I am curious about the Urban Outfitters tiki mug that started your tikimania. Can you post a picture of it?

Thanks for the inputs! Alas, my digital camera is a piece of crap, but the tiki mug is just a generic copy of the Kahiki moai-esque mug...nothing special, but was the seed of a mighty growth! Grey

A great gift that I did one year was homemade hot buttered rum batter. I bought empty tubs at Smart and Final, and designed labels with my PC. I found a few great recipes online, and while the pot was NOT fun to clean, it was fun to make and tasted great. I also found these cute 375ml bottles of Whalers dark rum for about $3 each, so bundled them together.

This year, I am probably going to make liqueurs for people. I have to start now to have them ready in time, but I'm probably going to make a mango/pineapple one. Tasty!

On 2002-11-03 08:35, chefgrey2 wrote:
It occurred to me that my tiki madness started with one solitary tiki mug I purchased at Urban Outfitters three years ago, and now has exploded to take over half of my house!

Good point. I got into tikis because I collect ashtrays, and one day my father gave me a Detroit Chin Tiki ashtray from a yard sale. Well, I'm going back home to Detroit for Christmas, and I'm making a point to drive by the old Chin Tiki and take a few pictures.

telegraph14,
The Chin Tiki was recently restored for the new Eminem film 8 Mile. There were scenes filmed there.

See if you are lucky enough to get in. Maybe someone will be there to open the doors for you to take pictures.

I plan on seeing if I can get in. If so, I will take some pics. I heard that all of the decor was removed, steam cleaned and replaced for the movie.

On 2002-11-06 08:52, PolynesianPop wrote:
telegraph14,
The Chin Tiki was recently restored for the new Eminem film 8 Mile. There were scenes filmed there.

I usually try to keep my posts on the upbeat side, but I have to say this news frightens me. In my opinion, putting anything tiki in the same room with that eightball is like putting a sweet delicious cherry on top of a dog poop sundae. eminem is the anti-tiki as far as I am concerened. Having tiki associated with that moron could be the end of tikidom as we know it. I will be praying to the gods that every scene with a tiki in it gets left on the cutting room floor.

Chongolio

Here's what I know (sorry for the old timers I f I sound like a broken record!)

-The decor still exists inside, and was indeed cleaned and repaired for the movie 8 Mile.
-Because of this, Marvin Chin is considering possibly re-opening the Chin Tiki but only on a rental basis for events.
-Marvin Chin has been saying he's going to re-open the Chin Tiki for years, so take this info with a grain of salt! I'd like to think he's just waiting for Cass ave to perk up a wee bit more, then the doors will be thrown open. Crossing my fingers!
-In the meantime, you can visit the Chin;s other tiki restaurant location in Livonia, which is reviewed on my website http://www.tikifish.com

I'm sorry mama.

I know that Cass Ave. is in need of "revitalization." It would be nice to see Chin Tiki reopen especially since it is a landmark. Furthermore, I agree that "M&M" doesn't exactly project real class. Why anyone would associate him with a tiki lounge is a mystery. Chris Isaak, or even Brian Setzer, might be more appropriate.

I think I am going to introduce my friends and family to Tiki by giving those that I love a world of Tiki for the Holidays. Yes I get teased and mocked for my love of all things polynesian, I plan on giving everyone Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl with their very own mug. I love the Homemade Hot Buttered Rum idea too. I plan on incorporating this with an evening with Sven and Thor, Sven on Tiki Archeology then finish the evening with the Kon-Tiki DVD. If they don't get it by then, there's no hope for them. :P

[ Edited by: DawnTiki on 2002-11-09 17:18 ]

Dawn tiki!...Thanks so much for getting this topic back on track....yes, it sounds like a tiki basket of sorts is a good idea...just seems like all we need is something like tiki lights or something that will make the rest of the decor seem unfinished...that way people start collecting....or a homemade tiki drink recipe book and a bottle of Myer's rum....that's what I'm leaning toward...great ideas! Mahalo! Grey

I REALLY like the idea of a Tiki basket, I was going to throw in a copy of The Grog Log, but the homemade Tiki cocktail recipe book is an even better idea, more personal. Happy Holidays! :drink:

[ Edited by: DawnTiki on 2002-11-10 23:18 ]