Easter Island Mosaic - Craigslist Bay Area

Hello my fellow tiki-philes,

I came across this the other day and since it's beyond my means, I thought I would share it with y'all in case someone wanted the ever elusive "easter island mosaic"

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/clt/232527550.html

They have run this on eBay a few times recently. They are hung up on the idea that someone paid $3200 for one. The price is way high in my opinion. We got one this summer for a fraction of that price– from an antique dealer.
-Duke

I think he got his $3200 from one that was offered on 1st Dibs earlier this year. We posted about it here...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=18033&forum=12&hilite=tiki%20mosaic#fresh

Cheeky Half

Cheeky,
I saw that thread this summer when we got ours. I'm very familiar with 1st Dibs as Amy and I also deal in vintage modern furniture and design. There is a lot of great stuff on there, but it's kind of become a problem. See, when someone has something they want to sell, say of their dead aunt's, they go on-line and do a search for that item. They will often come up with some results from 1st Dibs which they then assume is the value of their item. They often seem to have no understanding of the marketplace and pricing and value in general. They think that because a high-end modern furniture boutique in New York, LA, or West Palm Beach is asking $4000 or $5000 for a Knoll sofa, (which has usually been reupholstered in expensive fabric) that the dirty, worn out old one they are selling out of the dead aunt's apartment is worth the same.

What they seem to fail to understand is these shops are catering to wealthy clientele, and it's usually their designer who is buying it (i.e. shopping with someone else's money) and that designers usually get a 20% discount off the price, if not more. These dealers have a lot of overhead, rent in the ritzy neighborhoods, staff, advertising, etc. They often have to pay a fair piece for an item, then have it refurbished or restored to make it saleable. Therefore, they have to charge more.

People these days don't seem to understand the way the market is stratified. I realize that eBay and the internet in general has leveled the playing field to a large extent, but the price you can ask (and hopefully get) is often determined by context. If you have plenty of scratch, you can go and shop places where the items you want are easily accessible– be it eBay, antique malls, modern design shops, auction houses. If you don't, then you have to roll up your sleeves, get out there and scrounge at thrift stores, flea markets, estate sales– hell, I have a friend who has found some amazing things in the trash cruisin' alleys around Chicago. But it's a crap shoot and you often will come up empty-handed. Though, when you do find something, hopefully it will be priced according to the venue.

Too often these days when I'm at a flea market and I ask the price of something, it's too high. I either put if back (if they are way out of line) or ask if they can do better. The response is frequently, "I can get X on eBay, or that 'books' for X" and I have to wonder, if they can sell it for more on eBay, why don't they? They could save their time and mine. I did not get up before dawn and slog through the mug to pay eBay prices. If I was willing to do that, I'd be home in my pajamas with a hot coco in front of the computer bidding away. As as for "book" values... just because some dope put a dollar sign next to something in a book somewhere does not mean it's worth that to me. It's the very reason we refused to put any kind of pricing in Tiki Quest. I'd assumed it's common knowledge that something is only worth what someone will pay for it. And that changes day to day.

Forgive my rant, but it's kind of a pet peeve of mine. Things are only worth what the market will bear, and there are very different markets. If the seller of the mosaic was interested in getting a fair price for that piece, I'd suggest that he run it on ebay with no or a low reserve and let people bid it up to the price it's really worth. He might even do better than he expected, you never know. The emotional component of auctions ("I want that! They are not going to outbid ME!") can really effect the outcome. If he wants to get the kind of price the 1st Dibs dealer put on theirs, he might think about opening a shop in the high-rent district, stocking it with quality merchandise, and building a wealthy client base. But that's just my opinion.

-Duke

On a different note, ignoring prices and monetary values... I thought maybe the moderators could merge these threads or perhaps a new one should be started to discuss the aesthetic value of these mosaics. I think they are fantastic, and like Sven and others I'd assumed they were sold as a do-it-yourself kit back in the day. But now I don't. Since we got one, I've been looking at these very closely and there are too many clues that suggest that these were made, if not by one person, than by one company. The quality to too consistent, the design is never exactly the same, there are too many size variations, and I've never seen one incomplete. Ours is marked on the back with a sticker that says, "Sunvan 1990 Alaskan Way Seattle, WA MAin2-6162" and has a Lot number and a Piece number (68?) written in pencil. As most of these appear to be found on the West Coast, (ours came from someone in Northern California) I suspect that this Sunvan company produced and sold these. They probably tried to make them vary in size and imagery to make them appear as unique works of art, but the same imagery appears over and over.

A quick google search for Sunvan yielded a moving and storage company, but the address did not jive. I realized the sticker might just have been put on when someone moved, but my impression was that this sticker is as old as the piece. Ours is missing the original frame, and someone put metal banding on the edge which does not look as good. I'd love to find out more, so if anyone has any insight maybe they'll share. If you have one, check the back for any markings, maybe we can post pictures of the different versions, maybe someone in Seattle can find out more if they really originated from there.... time for some research.

-Duke

Here is a picture of ours:

Here is the label on the back:

Ours also has a curious detail, the Moais long ears is raised higher than the rest of the surface. Do any others have any relief to them?

Duke,

I agree with your "Things are only worth what the market will bear, and there are very different markets." The seller of this mosaic is apparently aiming at a market that is beyond the reach of many. That's his prerogative, and I guess if he doesn't find a buyer he may well lower his price.

On the subject of the aesthetic value of this piece, I'm also in complete agreement with you. It is a fantastic piece. I've wondered about this one for years. I'd always thought it was from a kit, although I have no evidence of that. Somewhere I have an old catalog from a company that made kits and patterns (of course I can't find it right now) and although this one isn't in it the styles are similar. I've seen this one in both the full size and the 1/2 size. By the way, did you flip the photo of yours, 'cos its right to left, compared with the other?

I assumed that along with a pattern you got a shopping list of what glass colors you were supposed to use. Following a trip to your local mosaic supply shop and many many many hours of back-breaking fun you'd end up with a fabulous tiki mosaic. This is why no two are really very similar. As a mosaicist myself I could see the possibility of making lots of the same, none of which would be identical, but they'd be pretty close. These babys are usually quite different in execution. And if factory-produced, why are there so few? This is a pretty big piece to mass produce. The fact that yours has the taller glass on the ear would also lead me to think 'home made'.

Let's get to the bottom of this mosaic of mystery and in the meantime I'll try and locate the patterns I have. I can't even remember the name of the Company that produced them.

Cheeky H

I did a little digging and this person had it up on eBay a little while back for a buy-it-now price of $2750...it didn't sell then either...I guess the price will continue to go down and down...

here is the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1950s-EASTER-ISLAND-TIKI-MOSAIC-HUGE-HOLY-GRAIL_W0QQitemZ170046138015QQihZ007QQcategoryZ29460QQcmdZViewItem

With even more digging...they have it up on eBay again as well...buy it now for $2250...at this rate, I can go and pick it up right before Christmas for free...:)

http://cgi.ebay.com/1950s-EASTER-ISLAND-TIKI-MOSAIC-HUGE-HOLY-GRAIL_W0QQitemZ170048598299QQihZ007QQcategoryZ29460QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

On 2006-11-15 10:51, cheeky half wrote:
Duke,
I've seen this one in both the full size and the 1/2 size. By the way, did you flip the photo of yours, 'cos its right to left, compared with the other?

Let's get to the bottom of this mosaic of mystery and in the meantime I'll try and locate the patterns I have. I can't even remember the name of the Company that produced them.

Cheeky H

I'd love to see that catalog, and I'd really love to find out if these were "studio" made or home made. I flip back and forth on it. I can't seem to find out anything on Sunvan.

No, ours is shown correctly. Not reversed. It's the same rendering of the Moai, but different a composition. If they were a kit, I would not expect as much variation. I'm posting shots of other mosaics, the one currently for sale, the one from 1st Dibs, the one on tikiroom.net. I know someone with the two pannel version, I'll ask them to post pics. If anyone has more images of these please post them. It might help solve the mystery to see them side-by-side.

-Duke

jimbowee's:

From Fat Chance:

From Tikiroom.net:

From Woodson & Rummerfields's:

Check out Tiki Quest at http://www.pegboardchicago.com/TCintro.html
Tiki Central members get a discount and a special premium!

[ Edited by: boutiki 2006-11-16 17:44 ]

Back in 2003 Alnshely wrote.....

"Shelley and I were looking at real eastate on my buddies MLS program and I stumbled accross a house in Oceanside with a photo of their dining room:

PHOTO MISSING

Notice the mosaic. I wrote the guy and told him I would like to buy it. He wrote me back and told me that in the 50s his Grandfather, his Mother and her siblings made this from a kit. It took them a whole year. It was the only thing he has of his Grandfathers and would be impossible to part with. Damn and for a minute there I thought I had my grubby little fingers on it.
Mahalo,
AL"

I remembered this old post, and the mosaic they referred to was the one discussed above. The complete post is here...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3106&forum=5&start=0&hilite=mosaic%20kit

Seems like the "Home Made Kit" side just scored a point!

C Half

On 2006-11-14 18:23, boutiki wrote:
They have run this on eBay a few times recently. They are hung up on the idea that someone paid $3200 for one. The price is way high in my opinion. We got one this summer for a fraction of that price– from an antique dealer.
-Duke

Hey Duke,

With all the talk on this thread about the number of these available and the asking price of this one being "way high" anyone mind sharing what they paid for theirs and when that was?

Since getting involved in the Tiki scene I've gotten nailed with a really high price on an item or two more than once, (which naturally I didn't realize until hindsight). But I am learning how to be a smarter Tiki shopper! :wink:

Did you contact an antiques dealer to find it for you or did you just "get lucky" and wander into a shop and find it?

Thanks,
Mojo

*Seems like the "Home Made Kit" side just scored a point! *

In all my years of mindless Tiki babbling, that has been the conventional wisdom on this piece. I too recall Al's experience, in addition I have talked to several other celebrity collectors, who must remain nameless for privacy issues, and all have believed/been told the mosaic to be a home hobbyist type project. Still who knows? We could all have been telling each other the same story, a circle of stupidity if you will. It wouldn't be my first.

This particular piece is good, very good in fact. I saw it when first listed on eBay and thought the same thing about the price and the seller's comments re: presumed value. One price does not make a market, wish that were, as I would have a few $600 Tiki Bob mugs to unload again. I doubt it sells at $2k...but if the seller were to put it out at say $500 and let the bids run...I bet he gets fairly close to that in the end.

Speaking of this mosaic, I own this:

It's a Reyn Spooner.

I wore it to Forbidden Island's Sunday Marketplace event. Offers to buy were made on the spot, but my man boobs were not ready for public viewing, so I demurred. Plus, chicks dig the Easter Island motif, so I ain't selling, yet.

1000 posts, and nothing on.
midnite

Hi All, I am the guy with the easter Island Mosaic up for sale on Ebay and Craigslist...When I first researched the item I saw that one sold for $3200 and thought that for something close to that I could part with it, it really is my favorite piece. I have been collecting tikis since age 10, and have had quite an extensive collection. When I moved out of my parents house I gave away most of my favorites (which are still hanging on close friends walls) one and sold many of the others at a garage sale...In the past 5 years or so, I started collecting again and was pleased to find this Easter Island Mosaic a few years back, it has been the topic of much conversation, and looks incredible at night with the track lighting and cheesy chritmas lights that i a sloppily hung around the frame...I now see that the same mosaic that supposedly sold on firtsdibs is now on sale for $7200, I have read all the post and see that it is from some shop that caters to the well-to-do....

Well I just thought I would throw my 2cents in...I do have a story about my favorite mask, one I picked when I was just a kid, not a big collector piece but it is my favorite mask...it is marked on back "I Maran Fiji Islands"....I have always been one to give away almost anything a friend showed interest in, well I took a trip to oregon years ago, and gave my friend this mask...it started bothering me on the way home, and by the end of the week I couln't stand it I had to have it back, I gathered up some other mask, drove back to oregon...gave them the other mask (which were actually better) and got my favorite back, I couldn't be without it and will never part with it. Wierd uh!! i don't think i paid more than 3-4$ for it. I told my firend I couldn't live without it..thats the only time i have ever been an indian giver that i can think of.

As far as the mosaic goes, not sure what price is appropriate, I am not out to gouge anyone, I would like to see it go to someone who collects tikis and who will chersh it as much as I do....

The main reason I am selling this piece is I can really use the money, have to move in a few weeks, and it was unexpected.. I live above the restaurant where I have worked the past 14 years....the restaurant just sold after 79 years in business ( it hought I'd be here forever and was by no means ready to pack it up and leave)..Seaside Place in Pacifica Ca, Rockaway Beach...Name of the Restaurant is Nick's..I am selling off most everything I have, wish I didn't have to but am ill prepared money wise at this moment

Looking forward for somw guidence in appropriate pricing....might be a good idea to put on ebay for a low price and see what happens

Jim

[ Edited by: jimbowee 2006-11-16 14:10 ]

Well, she was mine for a brief shining moment (three whole seconds). That's not unlike my date with Cameron Diaz back in the early 90's. It was a brief love affair, but doomed to fail in an environment of higher bids and better-looking suitors. Story of my life, the story of my life.

jimbowee's aka "not midnite's":

Did ya see my shirt, though? It's pretty cool, has the same image. Plus, I can take it around and show others without spending a huge load of cash on handlers and assorted logistical requirememts. Just too expensive, a real bitch to have in one's life, I bet. Ya know, she wasn't good in anything after "The Mask", so there. I'm still taking about the mosaic, no?

As always: Red cars, Blue drinks, Blonde girls...bad luck.
loverboy midnite

On 2006-11-16 14:06, jimbowee wrote:
Hi All, I am the guy with the easter Island Mosaic up for sale on Ebay and Craigslist...When I first researched the item I saw that one sold for $3200 and thought that for something close to that I could part with it, it really is my favorite piece. I have been collecting tikis since age 10, and have had quite an extensive collection.

Jim, if you could get in that ball park, hopefully you could only part with that one and keep the rest of your collection.

Of course, post whatever you decide.

I have an Easter Island mosaic for sale on ebay. Check it out: store name Satisfashion eClectables

That's a darn fancy name for a store if I ever heard one! But if you cannot post a link, people won't find it, I'm afraid, it's too much work.

Thanks though for turning me on to this thread, it must have gotten by me somehow til now. The do-it-yourself home kit origin seems quite certain now, if you ask me. That still leaves the question of what company sold the blueprint, and WHO was the designer of it? And are there actual old templates still to be found out there? I mean this would be a classic example of a "abandoned project" kind of a deal that gets put in the garage "to do later".

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-04-09 14:16 ]

Oopsie! Here it be: http://stores.ebay.com/Satisfashion-eClectables

That looks like a well done example (as far as one can tell from those photos, ahem!), it seems they got everything right on this one: The grey rain streaks coming down from the cloud cover, the golden reflections of the lightning and the sun in the water, even the little dabs of grey ash raining down in the volcano cloud on the right.

I am not going to say how much mine cost. Even back then (the early 90s), I thought the store owner had omitted a zero when he quoted me the price. Yet when he repeated that two digit figure a second time, I did not question it again, I just paid and hurried it out of there, barely controlling my composure.

PS: I just compared it to mine, and I'll be damned, it STILL has a slight variance: In the right half the waves and one fish are not there. The Viking ship sits lower (where the waves are on mine) and is flipped:

I wonder what the title of this pattern was...: "The Birth of Aku Aku", perhaps ?

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-04-09 14:18 ]

Sorry about the photos (I'm no Bob Cummings, and I don't have an assistant named "Schultzie"), but I digress. I bought mine for high three digits in '92. (double digits isn't like a "five finger discount" is it?)

I finally found you guys!! I've had one of these mosaics for over 10 years now and was trying to find its origins - which still seem to be a bit of a mystery. HOWEVER, mine has the artists name on a brass plaque on the front: Richard L. Croft (who still remains a mystery to me as I've googled him numerous times over the years..). I was riding my bicycle one night near the Galleria mall near Redondo Beach, Ca and noticed a bunch of stuff on the curb - as in someone got evicted or something. The mosaic was leaning up against a pile of regular crap - I fell in love instantly! Still, I was on a bicycle and these are HEAVY!! Quick sprint to a buddy's house and we went back over in his car to retrieve it and its been on my wall ever since. Interesting note: In the movie 'Demon Night' with Billy Zane (awesome movie btw), there's a somewhat similar mosaic on the wall of the hotel lobby - not Easter Island theme but the style and size are so similar to ours that I can't help but wonder.... Donny Steele - Huntington Beach, Ca

[ Edited by: Devoid169 2009-07-06 11:36 ]

Hello,
This is Ferenc from the band Pollo del Mar. This is my first post to TikiCentral after having been a lurker for years.

One topic of interest to me is the "holy grail" search for the tiki mosaic, of which there are many fine examples posted on TC, and has been the source of inspiration for so many reproductions. There are a few threads about these mosaics, but this is the most recent, so I am posting my info here.

In 1996 I was very lucky to find one at a Santa Monica antique barn and purchased it for $250. We later used it as the art for our 1997 release "The Ocean Is Not For Cowards".

After that I had an email exchange with Sven who asked how I had gotten a pic of his mosaic, and he told me that he had only seen a three of them- mine, his and one in Melissa Etheridge's house.

About two years ago Mel & Jessica Waldorf found a 1957 catalog from the M. Large Company (M. Large apparently is the designer). I have made a 24MB PDF of the catalog for you to download:
http://www.pollodelmar.com/MLargeMosaicTileCatalog1957.pdf

But, briefly, the tiki mosaic and many others were available in kits, but the 16x75 tiki mosaic is featured inside the front cover, so my guess is that this was their featured product. Original price: $58.75. They give color tile suggestions for each design, but you ordered the tiles separately so that explains the variation in the examples posted here on TC.

Recently I ran across one in front of the Hotel Oceana in Santa Monica:

Oh, and look, there's Paris Hilton in front of it:

Enjoy!
ferenc

Nice work Ferenc and welcome to TC.

On 2009-09-05 12:14, PolloGuitar wrote:

Paris Hilton says:

That's hot, bitches....

Welcome aboard, PG!

Ha I just saw that mosaic in from of that hotel on some travel show recently.

I still plan to do some detailed photography of my original so that others can use it as a plan to make their own

as per this thread:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=3106&forum=5&start=45

and WOW! that PDF catalog!!

Seems like the mystery has been solved once and for all.

Those designs are great. Makes me want to blow one of them up and make my own mosiac..

[ Edited by: fatuhiva 2010-02-12 13:23 ]

On 2009-09-06 12:02, Haole'akamai wrote:

On 2009-09-05 12:14, PolloGuitar wrote:

Hey Dumb Dumb...want gum gum!

---

"Something, something, something, Dark Side, something, something."

[ Edited by: beadtiki 2010-02-13 10:13 ]

Found this today when out hunting....

It looks like the home kit that was only partly finished with the remaining tiles or pattern nowhere in sight.

Does anyone have a picture of what the original Moai Mosaic kit looked like when complete? I've seen pictures of the bigger one made with glass tiles. This one is made with the small square ceramic tiles. While I could come up with my own background based on the big original one, it would be great to see, if anyone has a picture of what the small kit looked like.

Mahalo for any assistance!

Can't help with that one, but did see this old photo of the large version.

Hope you find the info your looking for.

DC

I posted this in Tiki finds the other day, but decided to dig up this thread to put it in its proper topic. I saw this one on Sunday at Long Beach antique flea market. The seller asking $1500.00 was out of my price range, though.

Okay....I've been inspired by other TC'ers to create my own Tiki Mosaic and have run into a conflict. IN teh Book of Tiki (and in other posted versions on this site) I have seen the design of the eastern most Moai done in one way, yet in the catalogue it is different (see below).

What is more authentic? The Book of Tiki (my original inspiration) or the original catalogue?

What say thee?

PolloGuitar,

Thanks for posting that catalog. Here is one I recently purchased. It is a 20"x48" coffee table...

PTD

Does anyone have the jpg/pdf of the M. Large Company mosaic catalog that was posted previously on this thread? The link to it is now dead...someone has posted a partial one but we'd love to see the whole thing! My wife & I were lucky enough to come across this one last month & just had to have it!!! It turns out that this one is a real interesting example so I thought I'd post pics/info. It not only has some cool 3D touches...

...but at some point in its life it was turned into a table!

We know this because it comes completely apart. The original mosaic is intact
(the hangers are still on the back of it) & it rests in a "tray" of sorts that
is formed by the wrought iron table. An 80's style(?) frame rests on top of the
mosaic & the glass is placed on top.

The previous owner may have had fears of hanging it too (it's HEAVY!)?