eBay: Damn!

One happy seller

I've always been confused on this mug. I know it is expensive and rare.

Are there only 2 different colors? Yellow and Green?

Are there phony or remakes out there and if so, is there a way to tell the difference?

Thanks

There has been some discussion about the Don the Beachcomber bust mug...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7758&forum=5

This should clarify some things. :)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Holy S#$*!!!!!!!!!!

that guy is doing some serious collecting - 25 items in two weeks! - and he's obviously not afraid to pay top dollar.....

If you're a seller, I'd make sure he knows about your auctions!

and he's a TC Grand Member (the buyer)

The buyer is very well known by another name in the tiki collecting community; he goes by many different eBay names and lurks here on TC often.

webwide wrote:
that guy is doing some serious collecting - 25 items in two weeks! - and he's obviously not afraid to pay top dollar.....

I probably shouldn't mention this, but maybe we should open a chapter of Tikiholics Anonymous for those who don't know when to say when!

Looks like Danlovestikis has some competition.

I thought I'd just give this one a bump with this post rather than create a whole new WTF topic...
This one just posted yesterday, and started at $9.99
In less than one day it got to $155.00!!!!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stockton-Islander-Ca-Tiki-Bar-Tiki-Mug_W0QQitemZ7711175882QQcategoryZ29460QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

That's a highly sought-after mug, the Bumatay Islander mug (though there's been some debate as to whether this design comes from a tiki carved by Andres Bumatay, or by his carving protege, Richard Ellis). There's also a version from the Kala Kahiki. The unusual style of the design, coupled with the high quality & detail, make this mug command some high bucks, you can expect to see that mug go a lot higher than it's at right now. It's really a lovely piece.

Islander Bumatay/Ellis Mug on Ooga-Mooga

What the...???

I see a very amateur "flurry of bidding activity" driving the price up very early. But...the participants are decidely "non-amateur." What gives?

Is this a new technique to keep the seller from ending it early due to back door propositioning? If so, I suppose it makes sense in an extreme meta-Machiavellian way. Hula?

Ebay's getting too complex for the likes of me. Maybe I should focus my energies on the arcane and Byzantine world of the Inuit snowball trading market. I think it would be easier to figure out. :)

Actually, the more I think about it, the early "flurry of activity" makes sense as a deterrent to insidious back room deals. Then again, I am drinking cheap rum and listening to The Blue Hawaiians Savage Night at this moment, so I am prone to indulging in half-baked conspiracy theories!

It's now become common practice for big spenders to email sellers and urge them not to end auctions early for too little money. So goes collecting.

There are some mugs on Ebay right now that are gonna be whoppers.

On 2005-09-06 19:07, Swanky wrote:
It's now become common practice for big spenders to email sellers and urge them not to end auctions early for too little money. So goes collecting.

There are some mugs on Ebay right now that are gonna be whoppers.

Those three luau 400 mugs on your mind? The first of them was 9.95 last night, today up to almost $50. Definitely cool but way outside my price range....

On 2005-09-06 18:05, Kono wrote:
Maybe I should focus my energies on the arcane and Byzantine world of the Inuit snowball trading market. I think it would be easier to figure out. :)

Kono, I just got in a rare early 1900's model 6" round ball if your interested? LMK. I will let you have it for half the price of a Luau 400 mug.

[ Edited by: Maori_man 2005-09-07 09:12 ]

On 2005-09-06 22:10, TikiJosh wrote:

On 2005-09-06 19:07, Swanky wrote:
It's now become common practice for big spenders to email sellers and urge them not to end auctions early for too little money. So goes collecting.

There are some mugs on Ebay right now that are gonna be whoppers.

Those three luau 400 mugs on your mind? The first of them was 9.95 last night, today up to almost $50. Definitely cool but way outside my price range....

Actually, no. I'll post it later when it ends. The rarest mugs I have ever seen in my life and, they are in a lot together. Should exceed $1000 easy.

On 2005-09-07 09:48, Swanky wrote:

Actually, no. I'll post it later when it ends. The rarest mugs I have ever seen in my life and, they are in a lot together. Should exceed $1000 easy.

Is this the one you are refering to?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7347547948&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1
The end of this one should be interesting.....

On 2005-09-07 10:51, BambooLodge wrote:

On 2005-09-07 09:48, Swanky wrote:

Actually, no. I'll post it later when it ends. The rarest mugs I have ever seen in my life and, they are in a lot together. Should exceed $1000 easy.

Is this the one you are refering to?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7347547948&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1
The end of this one should be interesting.....

I saw that one earlier in the week. It's pretty cool to see those all in a lot, but I knew that was going to end WAY out of my price range. If that's the one Swanky was talking about, he might be just about right, that lot should hit $1000. I wonder if the seller knows what a goldmine that was when he posted them.

On 2005-09-07 12:17, TikiJosh wrote:

On 2005-09-07 10:51, BambooLodge wrote:

On 2005-09-07 09:48, Swanky wrote:

Actually, no. I'll post it later when it ends. The rarest mugs I have ever seen in my life and, they are in a lot together. Should exceed $1000 easy.

Is this the one you are refering to?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7347547948&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1
The end of this one should be interesting.....

I saw that one earlier in the week. It's pretty cool to see those all in a lot, but I knew that was going to end WAY out of my price range. If that's the one Swanky was talking about, he might be just about right, that lot should hit $1000. I wonder if the seller knows what a goldmine that was when he posted them.

Surely he did not know since the Mystery Bowl alone would sell for over $700. The last one on Ebay went over $600 and it was not nearly as old and rare as that one is. That Rum Barrel is an old one and would fetch $75-150 minimum normally. The Hawaiian Village looking clown, who knows. The yellow barrel mug with the handle is not from the Mai Kai in Ft. Lauderdale and the 2 red mugs are not. Green urn thing is not Mai Kai, nor the Fu Manchu. These all came from an estate in Ft. Myers, FL. and are all likely from the same mid to late 1950s period.

Wow! You've really kept up on your E-bay! And I am totally drooling over those mugs despite the fact that I won't be bidding on them. I think my wife would kill me if I spent $1000 on some mugs. Not because I spent money on mugs, but because I spent the rent money on mugs. HA!

Wow, that was a STEAL! I saved the best for last. The grey pedestal mug/glass is also from the Mai Kai. It was used for a very short time in the 50's and was too fragile, so they stopped using them. This is the only one I have ever seen and maybe will ever see. The Hoffman Mystery Bowl, I think I know where 2 others are, and Duke owns one of them. Those 2 are as rare as they get as far as I can tell. I have watched Mai Kai for a while and I have never even heard of that pedestal glass. Only because I know the Mai Kai family am I sure what is really Mai Kai there. There are few one of a kind items out there. This is better. Items they used in the restaurant for a very breif time when they opened. I can think of one bowl I want more...

On 2005-09-07 21:05, Swanky wrote:
Wow, that was a STEAL! I saved the best for last. The grey pedestal mug/glass is also from the Mai Kai. It was used for a very short time in the 50's and was too fragile, so they stopped using them. This is the only one I have ever seen and maybe will ever see. The Hoffman Mystery Bowl, I think I know where 2 others are, and Duke owns one of them. Those 2 are as rare as they get as far as I can tell. I have watched Mai Kai for a while and I have never even heard of that pedestal glass. Only because I know the Mai Kai family am I sure what is really Mai Kai there. There are few one of a kind items out there. This is better. Items they used in the restaurant for a very breif time when they opened. I can think of one bowl I want more...

I definitely think those mugs were worth the $700. It's a lot of money, but they are some kinda cool!!! The buyer got a pretty good deal on those....

Kohalacharms!