Glass Floats

I have no idea if this is a good price, or a bad price - they certainly are not vintage, but they looked okay in the catalog that showed up in the mail yesterday.

http://www.catalogfavorites.com/aspfiles/itemdy00.asp?category=&UID=2003013110353922&T1=W60889

J

[ Edited by: jtiki on 2003-01-31 08:56 ]

jtiki,
Yes, these floats are not vintage at all. They came onto the market about a year or so ago. $20.00 bucks sounds about right although, I do think I've seen them for a little bit less - but not much. I believe Oceanic Arts sells them for $17 or $18.

I don't know where you're from but here in So. Ca. I find those at the Orange County Market Place in Costa Mesa for $7.00 and SugarCaddyDaddy told me of a shell shop selling these for $6.00 but they only had one color combo. No shipping cost also!

Well there you go! $7-$8 at the swap meet - very good deal considering that's about what I spent for lunch yesterday. I've never bought these because personally, they look a little chinsey to me. The balls look very fragile and the rope looks like the twine they hand out at Ikea in their loading area.

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

[ Edited by: PolynesianPop on 2003-01-31 10:41 ]

Laney, laney

it is so easy for you SoCal folks to waltz down the street and stumble over someone using a Steve Crane for a pencil holder.

Here, on the East Coast, we treasure each Leilani and we got no flea markets selling aloha shirts, mugs and glass floats. (or if we do, I'm not going out into 30 degree ice to find it).

Anyone know an east coast source? (a Baltimore/DC source?)

I bought a set of those in Rehoboth Beach, DE about two weeks ago for about $18. They're definitely not authentic, but they look nice in a small room and add some color. I've got two larger floats hanging from the ceiling as well, so they look good in combination with the others.
By the way, I may have a line on a guy who makes the lighted floats everyone keeps asking about, but I keep missing him when he shows up for the quarterly antiques show near here. If I ever connect, I'll get his info and post it.
Speaking of glass floats, I can't resist sharing that when I was about 15, me and some friends were sleeping outside on Lanikai Beach. In the morning, I got up early and found a beautiful aqua float that had washed ashore. It was the size of a softball. The whole time I lived in Hawaii it was the only float I ever found, or saw anyone else find. I don't look at it much because it is just sitting on top of some books, but in some ways its probably the best "tiki" item I have.

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2003-01-31 13:17 ]

Well excuuuuuuuse me, jtiki, for living here in sunny, beautiful, (85 degrees right now) So. CA. I've been working in my yard, in shorts, and now think I may take a dip in my pool-ha ha! You could always move here and buy glass floats cheap!

But since I pitty you, try ebay. ( my sis called yesterday it's -20 in Mass.)These floats come up all the time and are very common. Some sellers only sell nautical things so you could save on shipping several sets. Many will also throw in a fish net free. Here's one now
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2304528496&category=10034
and here's an ended one to give you ideas of price.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2300564656&category=20548
I looked under glass floats. Good luck, Laney

Or you could be like me and buy two single floats-in-nets, new, not cool n' old, for $18 per float, cuz they were the first I'd ever seen for sale, in Texas, Georgia, or Louisiana (where I bought then two weekends ago, on Decatur Street in NOLA).

OK, now I feel like a dope.

But not totally, cuz I love 'em! One of those "if it's worth it to you" issues, I guess...

You lucky Californians!

forget California,

clearly Britian is the place to be for affordable glass floats -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2503738908&category=4399

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2504625903&category=4399

About 2 months ago I found a large float at a flea market here in Ohio.
I think the guy wanted like $30 for it - but had I offered him $15 on a Sunday, he probably would have taken it.

It was the old, thick, blue/green glass with no net, laying among other 'junk'.

I passed on it though. They come around every once in a great while - the real ones, that is.

(Damn Californicators! Always having yer fancy parties and yer fancy tiki finds!)

Can someone tell me the story behind the glass floats and what the purpose of them back in the day was...thanks

Glass floats were used by fishermen worldwide to keep their fishing nets & lines afloat, otherwise they'd sink too deep for the fish they wanted to net. They were also used as bouys to mark trap & fishing locations. Glass floats have been around for centuries, and come in many shapes, sizes and colors.

They were a prized beachcomber find, because occasionally a float would break away from its net and follow the currents until it drifted ashore somewhere.

Floats are a popular item for beach, nautical, & polynesian decorating. Authentic floats can get really pricey, affordable reproductions are available.

:tiki:

[ Edited by: Traderpup on 2003-02-06 18:43 ]

ebay stores is where i have snagged many a nice float.if you plan to convert it to a lamp, check out if its colored glass or painted/plastic coated. when setting them up for a lamp, its a pain if they are painted/coated!.

A friend of mine spent a couple nights near Cape Lookout on the northern Oregon coast recently. The weather was stormy but cabin fever set in so he hiked to the beach
despite heavy winds and rain.
In the breakers he spotted a large dark object which was soon deposited on the beach. He first thought it was a mine because of its size. Instead, he found an amber glass float, in excellent condition, which measured 15" in diameter.
He told me he had always wanted to find one but thought since they quit making them 20 or 30 years ago he never would. Apparently, there are some still out there.
That float would sure look good in a Portland basement tiki-bar. Negotiations will begin soon.