Saw these in Downtown Philly. Are they real?

My wife and I went to South street in downtown Philly over the 4th.
We saw these at an old light store on 313 south street.
The lady was on the phone with her mother but was "nice" enough to
pause and tell us the tikis start at $500.00 and up, and that they were form some
old restaurant. There must have been ten or more.
Can't tell if they really were or not.
This lady was a b!@%$ch!
I hope they curse her for life.
Pictures taken next day.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2007-07-11 09:11 ]

i'll take the maori one!! where do i send the money??? i need to get it before a certain popular tiki author here on t.c. who has way more carvings than god runs out there and snaps them all up for his greedy self!!

These may be from the old Kona Kai in Philly since it was noted that that location was the flagship. I will venture down this weekend and try to find the place. Maybe it will finally pay-off to be in this locale.

Hey Matt, you beat me to it, here's what I was typing while you posted :) :

"Now now now, Skip! Though I sympathize with your frustration, cursing others is bad mana! :)
Judging by the patina and the dinged-upness of the the two freestanding ones, these indeed COULD possibly be from the original Kona Kai. Especially the Maori one has a level of quality that I would associate with the grand Armet & Davis Marriot chain flagship.

Since a while back I have heard of rumors that some Philly antique store has the Kona Kai Tikis, but that they are very pricey. This would fit the bill. On the other hand though, the poles do not look quality enough to come from there. I do not think that the owner of the store would be a reliable source, and I do not have any interior photos of freestanding carvings from the place, unfortunately."

I am looking forward to more photos for possible identification, maybe these puppies will finally find a home where they will be appreciated.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-07-11 10:05 ]

I will do my best to recon this place on Saturday and will report back (hopefully with more photos too). I may have to break out the plastic since shipping a new tiki to Allentown would cost $100 these may be bargains.

I do not know if they are open on sat or not.
And Big bro you are right but this lady seemed like
she needed the money.
It just kills me when these dealers have such an attitude.
Hey matt When she said $500.00 and up there were some three footers in there
you don't see in the photos.
The maori tiki had abalone eyes hard to see in picture.
She had a cool HUGE fish float for $200.00 blue.
Try to take better pictures.
Looks like the name of the place is C. Neri?
Good luck all!

One more thing the poles look like old OA poles.
And Matt check out this place when you go.
I would say it's 5 blocks before you get to tikis.

Hell Yeah!! Art environments rule!

I am pretty sure that the Maori Tiki is an Oceanic Arts carving. It looks very much like the "phone Tiki" that can be seen on one of their large photos they have from the short-lived Bora Bora Room in Encino, CA (that version had a payphone implanted in its belly). I used to have a slide of that photo, but it is M.I.A., sorry :( Since O.A. supplied the Kona Kai, it looks like a match.

C. Neri...hah!! like "Scenery"!!!

pah!! i was omly kiddin' i love the maori and the ku figure but i'll bet they want a grand for each based on what skip said....i can't afford either right now....hope they find a good home...they are real cool!!

I'd say yer right.
That's why I did not press any farther.
Right now I don't have the room or the cash for them any way.
But if she said something low they would be here right now.
If you take cash then offer something kind of low they will bend.
Ya got to let them see the cash or ask if they will take cash.
They hate to let that walk out the door.

I feel ya, Tipsy and Skip....That Maori piece is tops.. do we know if and how much the maori piece is selling??

skip is right..there is a reason they are still there and not purchased yet...even big bro heard of them being there awhile back and since then, there they still sit....where's kohalacharms when we need him....i bet he'll swoop in and rescue them!!.....why is it that these type of freaks that sell antiques always gravitate to the antique business?? this is not the first time i have heard of or encountered such weird attitudes toward the items that they presumably are selling....nice to know they are set financially and need not worry how the bills will get paid, that they can sit on all this stuff for the highest price offer......this is just like that witco dealer awhile back in kansas that had all that witco for sale at outrageous prices.....

Word!

It is for sale.
My wife told me the lady said $500.00 to $3500.00.
Guess how much the Maori is if thats true.
But then you get the person at the right time you never know.
I've seen stuff sell for half price or even less.
I don't know how this lady stays in business.
She has cool lights but how many could she sell?
Matt if nothing else get the float that was a good buy.

On 2007-07-11 15:50, tikiskip wrote:
I'd say yer right.
That's why I did not press any farther.
Right now I don't have the room or the cash for them any way.
But if she said something low they would be here right now.
If you take cash then offer something kind of low they will bend.
Ya got to let them see the cash or ask if they will take cash.
They hate to let that walk out the door.

You are correct; in instance like these, cash is king! I don't even want to get started on the last two month roller coaster I have been on with trying to locate the remainders of the Stockton Islander from Pollardville. The irony is in the finality. The people who had the tikis and artifacts did not care for them at all, they only cared about the money (how much, no one knows).

More often than not, you will find these people will not walk away from cash in hand. Greed often can supersede delusions of grandeur. I honestly wish I was closer, I would find some way to rescue these artifacts. Someone needs to start a fund to preserve classic icons such as these. Anyone?

PTD

Very cool Tiki's but not from the Kona Kai in Philly.......maybe Pub Tiki?

Below are photo's from the interior of the Kona Kai before it was taken down in '86........

WOW! great photos!
I saw no tiki that looked like those there.

Wow great pictures of the old Kona Kai... looks like it was right before it closed. I like the "missing" paddle, looks like a crime scene outline!

Where on South St is this store?

I don't think those tikis are from the original KK either, and I haven't seen any interior pictures of Pubtiki. But they look in great shape.
I do know that they are NOT from the recent KK revival (now closed) Kona Kai Bamboo Grill. I didn't see any tikis of that magnitude there.

Click Kona Kai Bamboo Grill

It is about half way down South street if you start from
the Art environment picture I also posted, on the other side of
the street.
Or the left side on South street if you walk with traffic.
Its kind of near the three Stooges restaurant on the other side of the street.
I would say that the tikis there look better than the pictures posted
of the Kona Kai.

Tikinomad,
Thanks for the pics they are fantastic!!

Wow! I love TC, someone always comes through. Where the hell did you get these "insider" pics?

Yet they do not DIS-prove the theory of the origin of the Ku and Maori Tiki. The Tikis in the photos are all fixed, mounted column panels (whose blueprints, [together with Monkeyman's Marriot financial report cover photo-please find TC link]-will be in TIKI MODERN)

(B&W of page with unrelated Kon Tiki menu)

while obviously, all FREESTANDING artifacts have already been removed in the photos (even a wall-mounted, O.A.-made Easter Island paddle has been swiped). The Tiki columns at the store might come from a different place, but the Ku and Maori MIGHT still be Kona Kai Tikis.

I will ask Bob and Leroy to chime in once we have more photos.

What is/was this?! It is some maritime piece? It's super cool looking.

It's called a Binnacle they are common in marine antique stores many are reproductions. Check here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binnacle

Haole'akamai, the Binnacle is cool and was actually reproduced by Lionel.
Bigbrotiki, the pictures were given to me by a friend who helped clear out the Kona Kai before it was destroyed in 1986.
Does anyone have any interior pictures of Pub Tiki, maybe the Ku and Maori came from there?
Anyway, someone's got to rescue those fellas from south street!

Sorry, I haven't seen any Pub Tiki interiors either, and I am not sure it was outfitted by O.A. Pub Tiki or Kona Kai, neither source can be ruled out yet.

After a place closes there usually are several phases of devolution: The dismantling of artifacts often begins with employees sneaking out anything that can "walk"...then there is an auction or sale....and only THEN comes the wrecking crew to give the place the death stab.

Sad to see those amazing waterfalls in a state of desertification. What's that lying at the foot of that one railing, mugs !? Or lamp bases? And what happened to those fine Tiki column panels, I wonder.

I have a few pieces from the Kona Kai including a 4 foot Tonga Pole and a wicker lamp. I'm currently using my urban archeology skills to track down more, including the Armet Davis Tiki columns!
I'll keep you posted Big Bro Tiki.......

The Wicker Lamp.......

The Tonga Pole.........

Nice stuff Tikinomad. When I saw these tikis I got the feeling they were not all
from the same place.
But then I could say the same thing about the stuff I know came out of the Kahiki.
ie, it did not match.
But with different owners who knew what took place.
The 7 foot poles looked like standard OA poles.
Think Mai Kai.
I would have only wanted 4 of the 9 tikis there.
Hopefuly we can get more pics soon.
Go Matt Go!!!

I have confirmed that the store will indeed be open tomorrow and am planning to depart A-town at 1000 hours on this rescue mission. I will take the obligatory $500 in cash but plan to have the plastic cavalry on alert!

Rounding off the afternoon I will head down to the new ballpark to watch the Phillies-Cardinals game at 1600.

The weather is supposed to be awesome tomorrow as well.

Good luck!
Take lots of pics.

Rounding off the afternoon I will head down to the new ballpark to watch the Phillies-Cardinals game at 1600.

I bet you'd get on TV if you dressed one of the tikis up in an aloha shirt and a goofy hat.

On 2007-07-12 11:37, Haole'akamai wrote:
What is/was this?! It is some maritime piece? It's super cool looking.

picture taken last sunday at tradervics-munich
http://www.bayerischerhof.de/
http://www.bayerischerhof.de/de/bars/trader-vics-bar/index.php

Saw these in Downtown Philly.... are THEY real? :)

anyone up for a rescue mission to save that tiki? .......oh.. wait a minute... he's o.k. folks, he's got a grin on his face.

Don't tiki-block!!!!

Well? Matt did you go?
What happened?

Tiki Rescue Mission Sitrep:

Arrived South Street Philly 11:30 hours(zulu). Located target: C. Neri Antiques & Lighting at 313 South St. Took up position opposite target in designated parking space (lots of Philly's finest monitoring parking on South St.?) and confirmed tiki presence on premises.

Contact with target at 11:35 hours(zulu). Photographed tikis in shop foyer. Made contact with Mr. Charles Neri (not secenery) to begin rescue negotiations (note subject Neri was wearing an aloha shirt).

The prize Maori asking $3500

8 foot poles asking $1500

More to follow....RugbyMatt, OUT!

Mission Accomplished!

1/2 tank of gas- $24
PA Turnpike tolls - $4.50
5 hours time - $500
1 Bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap - $4
1 roll of paper towels - $1
Perserving PA tiki history - Priceless

I did confirm that while none of these tikis came from the venerable Kona Kai they did come from lots Mr. Neri purchased at auction from Pub Tiki in Philly and Langerman's Luau ex- of Narberth, PA.

Here are before and after photos of the tikis I secured on 14 July:

Question: How much dirty dusty old tiki relics can you fit in an RX330?

Dusty Details:

The tales (tails?) this wad of ABC gum could tell!

Original auction tags:

After 3 hours, 1 MaiTai and 1 Navy Grog: Troops are standing tall and ready for inspection, Sir!

What a great adventure in urban archeology! Roll credits....

[ Edited by: rugbymatt 2007-07-14 20:53 ]

On 2007-07-14 20:01, rugbymatt wrote:

What was the story with this fella who's in a couple of your pics? Looks a lot like a Bumatay....

That's a very nice assortment of tikis - thanks for sharing. Pics like these are grist for the creative mill.

Those yabos in the Crazy Al pic are grist for my mill, YIKES!

I knew this story sounded familiar:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=8264&forum=5

Matt, how much were they asking for this guy?

-Z

Great score! The one Tiki carving reminds me of the Ren Clark Tiki mug.........

See the similarities?

Great scores! Your house will be well-blessed and well-guarded by those tiki gods!

On 2007-07-15 08:36, Tikinomad wrote:
Great score! The one Tiki carving reminds me of the Ren Clark Tiki mug.........

See the similarities?

And while we're on the subject that little one reminds me of this Daga mug

It does have a Daga look to it. The biggest mystery is what it was? The top is carved out like a bowl. Was it an ashtray? a stand for some larger object? a drum missing its skin? I am trying to get the original auction receipts from them to see if they shed any light on things.

I would say it was the holder for an ashtray. Trader Vic's used to have similar mid size Tikis (similar in size, not in form)

What a great haul! Considering the rarity of mid-century Tiki Temples in the Philly area, this is a find of a life time!

On 2007-07-15 08:36, Tikinomad wrote:
Great score! The one Tiki carving reminds me of the Ren Clark Tiki mug.........

That's because the above Tiki is definitely a Milan Guanko carving! Guanko carved all the Tikis for Ren Clark's Polynesian Village. In fact this one looks so much like the Ren Clark logo Tiki (see Polynesian Village brochure BOT page 44), it could have come from there. But Guanko did repeat his motifs, too.

On 2007-07-14 21:04, Paipo wrote:

On 2007-07-14 20:01, rugbymatt wrote:

What was the story with this fella who's in a couple of your pics? Looks a lot like a Bumatay....

That's a very nice assortment of tikis - thanks for sharing. Pics like these are grist for the creative mill.

Paip, You were reading my mind. When I saw those eyes, my eyes got just as big.