Mug collectors beware!

Just got this off the wire:

"Mug Collectors Targeted"
Collectors of Polynesian-style 'Tiki' mugs may soon find they have to return them to their original owners as a major restaurant chain attempts to reclaim what they say are stolen goods. Trader Vic's, for decades a purveyor of exotic cocktails and South Sea charm are now trying to get many of the mugs, salt & pepper shakers, and crockery lost through the ages to overenthusiastic patrons. "What we are talking about here are essentially items stolen from our restaurants", said a spokesman. "What seems like a fine reminder of a damn good night out, is actually the cause of losses to the restaurant totalling thousands of dollars every year. When these are sold for profit on places like eBay, it's actually no different than buying a CD player off a crack-head pimp in a sleazy bar."

Buyers and sellers in Tiki mugs are to be traced and their 'booty' confiscated and returned to Trader Vic's. Those who have been found to own such items from long closed establishments such as 'Tiki Bob's' of San Francisco may be liable for damages totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars, if it can be shown that the theft and sale of such items led to the establishment's demise.
A long term mug collector, Abe Rilphool, after hearing of these plans said, " I've over 350 mugs, and if they think they can just come over and seize them, they'll have a fight on their hands. And if they touch my Tiki Bob, I'll stick an unlidded Mr Bali Hai where the sun don't shine."

Trader Woody

Happy New Year you pagan. :)

Be sure to look for some neat stuff my forefathers stole from some of these Polynesian palaces in decades past. They ain't the Elgin marbles, but what the hey.

Midnite's "Don't be a Tiki fool" extravaganza starts in less than five hours.

Any foreign TC'ers are more than welcome to bid on the items, we will work out the postal issues for fellow members of Tiki Central. That goes for you Woody.

midnite

wat'evas! i like see someone from trader vics come in my house and try take wun mug! ho gon be trouble braddah!

Don't be so sure, Gecko.

This whole fiasco started when someone from Trader Vic's saw my Voodoo Tumbler sell for $567 on Ebay earlier this month. I guess that was too great a temptation and started the idea germinating in their heads.

I thought it was all a joke too when their lawyer initially phoned me and I hung up on him, thinking it was con-artist out to make a few bucks off me. But then Ebay closed my seller account down and a representive from the Beverly Hill's Trader Vic's showed up at my house with two police officers and proceeded to confiscate all seven of my remaining Voodoo Tumblers from that same lot as well as my four Port/Starboard Light Tumblers. I was also asked to please turn over my profits from my Voodoo Tumbler sale or risk a lawsuit. I paid.

I'm debating whether to ship my remaining valuable mugs to Trader Woody in the UK for safekeeping, where they should be safe enough from confiscation until this blows over here in the States. Keep your fingers crossed and be glad you live in Hawaii.

Sabu

Sabu, I'm shocked! Is this another April Fools joke?
I'm glad my Suffering Bastard was a purchased item but I should see if my parents still have the receipt!
How many other mugs could have been purched back then? If they could, you have a good case on your hands! Fight this!

Laney,

04.01.03

On 2003-04-01 15:37, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
I'm debating whether to ship my remaining valuable mugs to Trader Woody in the UK for safekeeping, where they should be safe enough from confiscation until this blows over here in the States. Keep your fingers crossed and be glad you live in Hawaii.

I'm guessing, this will all blow-over tomorrow! And Gecko, as you know, Hawaii IS in the United States!

Trader Woody and Sabu, thank you so much for the warning. As a precaution against litigation I have just smashed all my vintage mugs. I feel greatly relieved now. :)

WTF!! wat, they had a search warrant o' something? dey wanna play dirty you should have sed NO! not until I see my lawyer!

they can't just take your sh*t! This isn't brand new stuff from that TV that took your stuff. This is stuff you got elsewhere and is probubly older than the police officers dat came to your door. After three years go buy you cannot claim stollen goods anymore. Atleast thats what I was told when I tryed to collect on a tiki that was stollen from a friends yard. About five years went by and we were told they couldnt do anything about it cuz the guy sed he bought it at the swap meet. they called it "Statue of limitations" i think.

Thats BS! I still would like to see dem step in my door without a warrant or seeing a lawyer about this first. There is some layers that will work for you and get paid after the trial if he wins.

Hey, I started this April Fool's crap before anyone else on the Main Forum. You can't kid a kidder!

[ Edited by: laney on 2003-04-01 16:36 ]

On 2003-04-01 14:06, Trader Woody wrote:

A long term mug collector, Abe Rilphool, after hearing of these plans...

"Abe Rilphool"?? Damn, if you can't get "April Fool" outta that name... c'mon!

I guess ther really is one born every minute!

Absolutely frightening story!! It so bothered me that I junked ALL my tiki stuff-tore the bamboo from the walls, went down to the local Thomas Kincade Gallery and I am glad to say that the UGH House Tiki Bar is now..."The Painter of Light" Room!!

I can sleep easier now.

you guys suck!

Laney didn't get me on hers but DAM IT.... Sabu did.

I'm allowed 1 phone call from jail, but with today's electronic avenues, they kindly afforded me one email instead... this is a new option. They got me, it's big... I'm feelin' the cell btch disorder is gonna kick in soon. Sht, somebody sell their TVic repro's now while they can and bail me out! I'm off to make pez heads instead!

I don't see what's funny in joking about crack-head pimps. They have feelings too, you know.

This sounds too absurd to be true. How can Trader Vic's sue people who revive their dusty establishment again after so many years of sleepy existence. Absolutely shocking!!!
But they might be interested to know that some Trader's do sell their mugs to customers. The Cairo Sheraton Trader Vic's does sell quite openly mugs for a good bakshish. I bought a Tiki bowl and a coconut there. The salt shakers followed somehow, I don't quite recall how.
But I also think that this Ebay craze has gone a bit over the top and I understand them being pissed off. I suggest we all go back to trading mugs without money changing hands. Like that they can't sue you. And don't start smashing your mugs for God's sake!

I am not sure about the statute of limitations on such crimes. We really didn't cover specific things like that in law school. However, when the owner receives notice of the larceny can be a probative issue. I now DA's in my area do NOT look kindly at restaurant theives.

Take some advice from Mr. T on this matter:

"Don't be no fool, only purchase vintage Tiki mugs from authorized dealers."

Wise words T, wise words indeed.

Buy these mugs, stay out of jail!

Does everyone know this is an April Fool's joke. yet.

It's not a joke, I read about it on the internet.

These restaurants lose all kinds of money from these thefts. It's about time they all did something about it, too. I support their efforts to recoup some of their losses.

The real victims are legitimate vintage mug dealers. The little guy is getting hurt, all because the larcenous ne'er do wells out there. It's not right, it needs to stop!

midnite

That account ain't been closed. http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&include=0&userid=cycluracyclura&sort=3&rows=25&since=-1&rd=1

they can take away my tiki mugs when they prize them from my cold dead hands:lol:

midnite - the Mr. T quote was the best part of this thread (lmao) with Sabu's first posting a close second. Nice job Sabu, I think you really raised a few eyebrows out there, it just took a while for some to figure it out.

atomictonytiki wrote:
they can take away my tiki mugs when they pry them from my cold dead hands

Yes, I concur! After several hours of serious reflection, and several serious cocktails, I have reversed my position on this matter. I believe it is our right as a nation, a right given to us by God (Lono?), to possess any and all Tiki mugs.

While the right to bear Tiki mugs is not specifically covered in the US Constitution, it can be incorporated within the controlling language of the 14th amendment (pursuit of happiness, due process, privacy and such). Now, how I know this is unclear, I barely passed Con Law (actually never took the book out of its wrapping), but I belive it is sound jurispudence. I also believe we
can extend these rights to foreign Tiki nationals, under the Mann Act. Ok, the Mann Act has absolutely nothing to do with extension of Constitutonal rights per se, but it does involve the transportation of underage females across state lines for immoral purposes. So there's a connection there someplace, at least tangentially, mataphorically speaking.

Thus, I propose the founding of a grass-roots, grass like mow the lawn, not "dude, any more Fritos?" grass, foundation to protect these rights. This foundation will strive, through lobbying and drinking...ok, mostly drinking, to maintain our god-given (see above, Lono) right to possess and enjoy Tiki mugs, no matter what color, creed, nationality, or whether snuck out of the restaurant in your pants (see Mann Act). I envision the NTA (National Tiki Asscociation) as the ideal body to empower and protect those rights in perpetuity, or until we run out of rum.

Fight the power, feed the people, more skin on "Love Boat"...and Tiki mugs for all!

Get involved, make a difference, bid on a mug. The life you save may be yours. If we can save one child this will all be worthwhile.

Tiki Mugs for the People, by the People

midnite

Midnite, that was beautiful man.....

Midnite... You've changed my life.
Mahalo.

:tiki:

Wow, I didn't think anyone could get past the first paragraph without smelling a rat.
Well done Sabu for grabbing the ball and running with it and Midnite for making me glad to be an American. Whoops, I'm English.

Gecko, sorry to get you like that but you can be sure after your spirited defence, nobody in authority is going anywhere near your mugs!

Trader Woody
Ok, no fake scare stories for another year.

Woody,

I didn't catch on till the second read-thru. By that time, I realized that your fake news story was very beneficial at raising one's blood-pressure. I needed to join in the fun.

Thanks also to Laney for playing along as well and pulling a good gullible. She fooled Poly Pop the other way.

Sabu