Go to page 10 - Found Secret Stash of TIKI TOWELS!!!!

Hey Tiki Central!

SO, I FINALLY got my TIKI Beach towels manufactured! (I've been trying for the last two and a half years). I got a TIKI design approved by the wonderful folks at Body Glove, and a nice big order for them from the nice folks at Big 5 Sporting Goods! Here's what they look like......................

They will come in 3 colors...

Yellow and Black (The classic Body Glove logo colors)

Blue and Black

and Coral and Black.

Each towel comes with a spiffy Body Glove hang tag/sticker.

I just got off the phone with the shipping company, and the towels are on a boat heading for the port of L.A. right now. The towels were woven together by 99 beautiful naked dancing girls in the tropical lush sea side wilds of the mysterious East. They ( the towels not the naked dancing girls) land in mid April, get trucked to Riverside California to the Big 5 distribution center, then off the the Big 5 stores from there. There are something like 344 Big 5 stores in the western United states. You can find a store near you by going to http://www.big5sportinggoods.com/store_locator.html

Unfortunately not all the stores may have the towels. I'm considered a new vendor for them and they didn't place a mondo huge order, but more like (for them) a small sized order. You may have to call and check your local store to see if they will be carrying them.

I know all the stores in the So Cal L.A. area will be stocked with them, but beyond that I'm not sure.

The towels are marked for retail sale at $19.95 - HOWEVER, I have inside info that they will be on sale for only $10 for a certain period. TEN freaking bucks! Sheesh! That is a cool towel for $10! Really! I mean, come on, this is a nice soft fluffy 100% cotton double Jacquard woven beach towel! Not a cheep ass printed towel, no way. I don't know how they are selling em so cheep, but hey, they must know what they're doing. As long as they're buying em from me they can give em away I guess!

Big 5 is going to run an AD for the Body Glove Tiki Towels the week of 5/18 in the LA Times. That's when they are planning the big Blow Out Summer sale.

We should be able to make the delivery of the goods later this month without a glitch. Of course, of something goes wrong, like the ship sinks before it gets to the port of L.A., Big 5 will send out hit men to cut off my balls, and I will lose every red cent, and my company will be wiped out, and my wife and twelve small children will go with out food, and I'll get kicked out of my tiki hut and have to live in the jungle off wild bananas and lizards.

Tiki Shark

http://www.tikishark.com
http://www.myspace.com/Lotus_Land

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2009-03-06 12:30 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2009-03-14 14:01 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2009-03-21 14:46 ]

[ Edited by: tiki shark art 2009-04-07 17:11 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2012-02-04 22:18 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2012-02-04 22:20 ]

Ok - so those are pretty cool!!!

Any advice on procuring a couple of these for those of us who don't happen to live on the West Coast????

Damn, I want some of those as well. Are you selling any besides the ones to Big 5?
Thanks!
Shaun
HulaHangout.com

Love them... But yet another coastally challenged person here will they be selling anywhere else or be available by mail?

Tikisgrl

I am interested also but as with the others, I am on the East Coast. Please let us know if they are available somethere other than in the store.

Luv Dat towel!

On 2007-04-06 12:37, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
Hey Tiki Central!

SO, I FINALLY got my TIKI Beach towels manufactured! (I've been trying for the last two and a half years). I got a TIKI design approved by the wonderful folks at Body Glove, and a nice big order for them from the nice folks at Big 5 Sporting Goods!
Unfortunately not all the stores may have the towels. I'm considered a new vendor for them and they didn't place a mondo huge order, but more like (for them) a small sized order. You may have to call and check your local store to see if they will be carrying them.

I know all the stores in the So Cal L.A. area will be stocked with them, but beyond that I'm not sure.

The towels are marked for retail sale at $19.95 - HOWEVER, I have inside info that they will be on sale for only $10 for a certain period. TEN freaking bucks!

Well here's a thought as you designed them. Get a bunch on sale where you are for $10 each and sell them to us Eastcoasters etc. here for $19.95 each :wink: .........I'd like one in Coral and one in Blue please :D

Hey thanks everyone! Glad you like em. Ratiki, unfortunately there are no Big 5 Sporting Good Stores where I live either! We got some sets in and they all went out as sales samples to other retail buyers. I have 1 set left - and it's up on e-bay w/ an art print. Check it here...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=170097791829&rd=1&rd=1

However, I will talk to our folks overseas and see if we can procure some from the factory (if they have any left). Don't fret East coasters, I may be able to get a hold of some more.
Thanks,
Aloha~

Tiki Shark

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2007-04-06 20:33 ]

Awesome....how kewl is it to know someone's arse will be laying on your art all slathered in suntan oil. :D

I am going to be clammoring for one of these babies too!!!

WoooHoooo! Hmmmm? Maybe I can take some orders for you East Coasters. That is if Big 5 can keep these towels in stock :)

Any advice on procuring a couple of these for those of us who don't happen to live on the West Coast????

Hey! What's all with all this complaining and whinging about being on the wrong coast? Think about us poor b*stards on the wrong continent!!! Great towels!

Trader Jim - Make mine a Mai-Tai!

Hey if the hitmen are really going to cut off your balls, I'd suggest running away....far far away from your home now. Also, don't forget to bring the cans of Chef Boy-R-Dee! It's a must if you're going to be living in the wild.

Pocketiki - Hey, the UK is another Island, just like here! Well, except for the palm trees, and tropical lush atmosphere, crystal clear blue warm ocean water, and erupting volcano. Er... right? Anyways...I'm contacting our folks overseas about getting some more towels, I should know for sure if I can get some more, that I can offer up on TC, soon. Actually I had a great time in the UK when I was there - last year, I got a crazy uncle who lives in the West End.
Pockytiki - Hmmm, sounds like you've had some experience in this? (own your own business do ya? I understand!) Good advise, but I think the Big 5 hit men will hold off till they see if the towels get there in time. fingers crossed!

On 2007-04-09 10:43, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
Pocketiki - Hey, the UK is another Island, just like here! Well, except for the palm trees, and tropical lush atmosphere, crystal clear blue warm ocean water, and erupting volcano. Er... right?

Thanks ol' boy! It's good to see that us BRITIKI folk are recognized as an island people too! I'll keep an eye out for the towels on TC, 'cause sometimes, in the Summer, the sun does actually shine here and we head in droves to the beaches, ha, ha!

Trader Jim - Make mine a Mai-Tai!

Anyone see these surface anywhere?

POCKETIKI - YEAH! Rock on with your cool mag you native islander! I'm gonna snag me one off e-bay! And I don't even know how much 12 pounds is? Sounds like a very heavy mnagazine! - I'll be listing any towels I get from the factory up here on TC.
Spy-tiki - They are still on the boat... ever making their sweet voyage to the sunny shores of California. They should get in about mid April. Then, they get trucked out to the stores in the LA area a few weeks after that. I'll post here so you have fair warning.
Thanks for joining me in the Tiki beach towel watch!

Aloha from the Volcano!

Aloha TC!

Well, today I found out I could get the remaining towels from the factory. There's about 30. However, today my business partner ALSO got an e-mail from Russ Lesser the President of Body Glove International. You won't believe it. Please read below...

"On the weekend of May 5, as part of the Body Glove Kona underwater photo contest, we have a kid’s day, where kids from the local orphanage go snorkeling for treasure and get prizes. Could I please get some towels for prizes for the kids? We donate sets of masks, fins and snorkels, about 50 bikinis, 50 rashguards, etc. We could use some towels also.

Thanks!

Russ"

E-gads! Hawaiian orphans! I had a discussion with my business partner about what to do with the towels. I'm so sorry TC, but we gotta give the towels to the orphans. I mean, wow. Orphans! I couldn't live with myself if I didn't. Apologies, East Coat ohana.

Well, you certainly can't keep Hawaiian orphans from their Tiki Towels!!!!

Can you post a note here when they get to stores? I have a friend in UT who is willing to get a couple for me, but I don't want to send her hunting for them before they are there. & with UT not exactly being the hot bed of tiki, they may not be a "selected" stores anyway....... If you could let us know, that would be great! Mahalo.

...I'm so sorry TC, but we gotta give the towels to the orphans. I mean, wow. Orphans! I couldn't live with myself if I didn't. Apologies, East Coat ohana.

How could any of us live with ourselves! Good call my friend!!

Trader Jim - Make mine a humble Mai-Tai!

croe67 - Absolutely, I will post here exactly when they reach California, and the date they hit the stores. But, most importantly, also, the date they go on SALE!
POCKETIKI - Yeah, your right. How could we talk about "living Aloha" and not contribute the towels to the orphans. I hope to attend the event and get some photos. Should be really fun!

I hope Andy Landry isn't one of dem "orphans"! :lol:
You and Abbas are great and kind people!
You're doing a good thing!
Bravo!

Thanks LLT, I chock up my being a good person to the fact that I now hang out on TC and have interacted with such high caliber and high on the "Aloha Scale" type of folks. The experience has done me good.

Big Aloha from the volcano.

Tiki Towel UPDATE:
The cargo ship carrying the container of Tiki Beach Towels will be arriving at the port of LA tomorrow or the day after. (finally!) So I found out today from our shipping company. I've been nervously checking with them, (Boy, have they been patient with me. "No sir, I don't think pirates have attached the ship and stolen your towels. No, I don't think the possibility of Godzilla sinking the ship is very high either.) ...and with the routing people at Big 5. Now, I just faxed the "delivery order" to the trucking company to pick up the container. It should be unloaded, and through customs, by Monday, April 23rd.

So far, so good. Of course, many things can still go wrong, but the list of them is getting fewer as the goods actually get physically closer to their destination. However, I did get a call from the buyer at Big 5 asking where the towels where, and to remind me about the big ad space they had already placed for the towels in the LA times. I told her everything was fine and on schedule, and the towels will be in the stores on time, and there was no need to send out the hit men. She said "Okay", but I could hear the cool disbelief in her voice.

Meanwhile, I found out the factory still had not sent out the remaining towels. Sheesh! sometimes, dealing with the "non-American" sense of efficiency can drive you crazy. You have to ask, demand, and double, and triple check everything with the overseas factories. And often, they still get things wrong. Lord knows now if the remaining towels will arrive here in time for the charity event, and the Hawaiian orphans...

(actual photo of Hawaiian Orphan awaiting a Tiki towel)

Hey TC,

SO, Friday was a day to find out just what a "Pier Pass" was, and who was going to have to get it, and who was going to have to pay for it. ($200!) Luckily, It turns out the nice folks at the trucking company are taking care of that. However, they had not received my "Delivery Order" so I had to re-fax it again. (good thing I checked!) Big 5 had contacted me three times, wondering the status of the towels. (Yikes! They are very nervous about me not getting them the towels in time for their LA times ad!) As of Friday, the ship was in port but the towels were still on the ship. Things should be unloaded and going through customs on Monday. I hope. At least it's the weekend now, and I can relax just a tad....
More later.
Big aloha from the Big Island!

...Things should be unloaded and going through customs on Monday. I hope. At least it's the weekend now, and I can relax just a tad....

Don't forget to pull one of those towels out for yourself, my friend! You'll need it to wipe all that sweat from your brow, ha, ha!

Take care - Trader Jim (Make mine a 'weekend' Mai-Tai!).

Pocketiki~ Yeah you know what it's like running your own show! 24-7 tiki, baby!

On 2007-04-22 01:32, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
Pocketiki~ Yeah you know what it's like running your own show! 24-7 tiki, baby!

Hey you shirker! You only puttin' in 24-7! You ought to get yourself one of these 14 hour day converters I got on eBay, ha, ha!

I'm off to a well earned chill out at a BBQ with the CHEEKYTIKIs - enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Keep busy, it'll keep you out of mischief! - Trader Jim (Make mine a Mai-Tai!).

TC~
Tiki Towel Watch...Monday...

So my pal Sergio at Del Bajio Trucking confirmed with me that the towels had made it through US Customs and were ready for pick up for the Port of LA. He's got a truck on the way. Great! However, my business partner just got off the phone with Big 5. They are very anxious about the towels making it to the stores in time for the L A Times AD the week of 5/18. My partner read them the Purchase Order and assured them we were delivering on time. (which we are). But, they are nervous, so they decided to push the AD. It seems like they will push it to the next week.
What does all that mean?
It means the towels will be hitting the stores, perhaps a week earlier than the ad goes in the paper - (that's when the towels go on sale for 50% off!) So, I'll be sure to keep you posted as to when the towels should be hitting the shelves. However, I can't actually tell exactly, cause I can't go check my local Big 5, BECAUSE.... we don't have a Big 5 on the Big Island! I may have to ask some of the LA TC ohana nicely to go check for me.

Big aloha from the Big Island!

KEEP PAINTING BRAD!
Someday,all you'll have to worry about is private commissions!

Aloha TC,
My buddy Sergio, at Del Bajio Trucking, told me today that the truck had delivered the Body Glove Tiki Towels to the Big 5 Sporting Goods main distribution center in Riverside California yesterday!

Whoo Hoo!
That means in about 2 weeks, or so, they should be hitting the shelves on a Big 5 near you! Were waiting for a firm date from Big 5 on when exactly. Also, on when they sale starts.....
Hey, LLT, I know, I'm still trying to squeeze in that precious painting time!
Thanks.
big aloha from the Big Island!

Hey TC,
Just got back from the ol' P.O. box, and I had a big DHL box waiting for me. Seems the spare Tiki Beach towels made it here in time for the charity event after all! Whew! I was a little concerned. The week end of the 5th will be a big Body Glove event here in Kona and these towels will be used as give-a-way prizes for a treasure hunt for kids from a local orphanage. We only got 7 sets, 21 towels in all. Hope it's enough!

Big aloha from the Big Island!

...these towels will be used as give-a-way prizes for a treasure hunt for kids from a local orphanage...

Good things happen to good people! You will be rewarded for this my friend!! Now...Get on with that painting, we are all waiting! Kinda ironic really...Good things happen to good people, but there is no rest for the wicked! Go figure?!!

Trader Jim - Make mine a Mai-Towel, ha, ha!

Hey TC,

the Body Glove Tiki Beach Towels are at the main distribution center for Big 5 - It should be another week and they will bi in the Big 5 stores in the So CAL area. I'm still waiting to hear a up date on the exact ETA from Big 5. So... soon, very soon!

At least the towels made it there! things could have gone bad. Very bad. Like for this other shipment I have. It's beach mats. But not enough mats were ordered to fill an entire shipping container. So, it was shipped "loose shipment". Which means it got stuck in another container with some other things going in the same direction. Well, it seems U.S. customs pulled the container out. X-rayed it and saw something they didn't like. the container is whisked away to a wear house for further inspection. Weeks go by and I have no news. I finally get ahold of a wear house manager,and he tracks it down for me. Seems U.S. Customs either damaged the container, or it was damaged elsewhere, so everything was pulled out, inspected. Or not inspected yet, we're not sure. It's being held, and will have to be inspected, then they will have to call for new transport to come get in in a new container.... and my clients were expecting their beach mats two weeks ago. Yikes!

Big Aloha from the Big Island!

I really want to tell you how much I appreciate your diligence in tracking, and communicating, the state of your Tiki towels here for the TC Ohana!

I understand your excitement in the fact that, despite you having prooven your talent as a fine Tiki artist, you have created a Tiki PRODUCT, an instant piece of Polynesian Pop that will go out there and be used. Keep up the good work. :)

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-04-27 17:49 ]

Bigbrotiki~Wow, thanks so much!
It actually feels really cool to have created a piece of "tiki" merchandise that may some day be looked at in some one's garage sale and have folks mention, "Oh yeah, remember back in 2007 when the Tiki craze was really taking off?"
In the next few years, a personal goal it to create something that will be carried by the mecca of tiki merch: Hillo Hatties!
For now, though, if folks could watch their local Big 5's and post when the towels surface... the anticipation is killing me!

Aloha Tiki central,

Hey, my business partner created his first press release for Tiki Shark, inc. It's all about the Body Glove Tiki Towels. Check it out here...

http://www.i-newswire.com/

You go to the web site, scroll down till you see Tiki Shark, and then click on it.

Still no sighting yet of the Tiki Towels in any Big 5 Sporting Goods store. I know they got to the distrubution center last Monday. So this coming week they could hit the shelfs!

Big Aloha from the Big Island~

Welcome to Tiki Towel Watch 2007!

Yes, we here at Tiki Shark Control Central Command have all our scanners and radar searching the skies for Tiki Towel sightings... and we picked up this...

http://tikitalk.astropad.com/

It's a nifty little net news letter. However, no surfacing of the towels in any Big 5 as yet. but, could be this week! I still have not got an answer back from Big 5 on exactly when they will populate the shelves. The Sale ad will appear sometime this month.

More later as it comes in. This is Tiki Shark Control Central Command signing out.

(I've obviously been listening to coconut wired WAY too much!_)

Hey Tiki Central,

I talked with Big 5 today, and the nice fella I chatted with felt that the towels wioll be hitting the stores this week!

Aloha from the volcano!

did not see them in this week's ad.

dibroc~ Thanks for looking. I have not heard back from Big 5 on exactly when the ad will be coming out. I think the buyer I talk to is on vacation, or just not returning my calls. I was told by the distribution folks that the towels should have made it to the stores by last weekend. The towels will be in the stores before the ad hits the paper. If anyone in the LA area could casually drop by your local Big 5 and look in the water/sports area and check to see if the beach towels are there yet, I'd be your friend for life.
The children's treasure hunt for the charity event is this Wed 2:30 to 3:30, at the Kona pier. I'll go over and get some photos.
Aloha~

Tiki Shark

http://www.myspace.com/Lotus_Land

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2007-05-07 10:52 ]

There here! I saw not an hour ago at the Big 5 in Pismo Beach, CA. They have all three colors, for sale at $19.99 each.

Big 5 Sporting Goods
829 Oak Park Blvd
Pismo Beach, CA 93449

(805) 473-1709

They have made it to Vegas. I bought 3 of them today.

They're also on the tropical island of Alameda.

YAHOO! They are out in the stores! Great! I'll keep you posted on when they go on sale. (if there are any left by the time Big 5 gets around to putting the ad in the paper!)
Thanks so much for the Tiki towel info!

Tiki Shark

http://www.myspace.com/Lotus_Land

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2007-05-08 03:00 ]

I struck out today at their store in Burbank. Guess they don't surf much in Burbank.

No beach towels of ANY type at the Oceanside Big 5, as of today...

I've bloody well searched 'British Home Stores', 'Argos' and 'Harrods' top to bottom and they definitely haven't reached the shores of Great Britain yet!

Trader Jim - Make mine a Mai-Towel!

Great Apologies Pocketiki, if you are not looking in a Big 5 Sporting Goods store, you're not going to find them.
I would have loved our towels to have gotten world wide distribution, but alas, not this year.
Aloha,

Hey Tiki Central,

Thanks for looking everyone! It's really great to be able to hear about the towels getting out there. Big mahalo folks!

Sorry they are not out in all the stores.

It's strange that they made it to the Big 5 stores in Alameda and Los Vegas, yet Burbank and Oceanside doesn't have them out. what I think is happening is the individual stores have them, and now it's up to the store manager when to put them out. I know they HAVE to go out for the ad in the LA times - at least in the LA area stores. If you give your local Big 5 a phone call and ask them, I bet they'd let you know when they'll have them out on the shelves. And, sheesh, if customers were asking about the Body Glove tiki towels, it might get back to corporate and next year they'd place a bigger order an we could get them to all the stores! But, I'm not asking for favors, I'm really just happy to have gotten some tiki stuff out there.

Hey, today is the kid's ( I've been advised not to refer to anyone as 'the orphans' anymore) treasure hunt at the Kona pier! I'll post photos later!
aloha! :)