Gas Prices Impacting Tiki Hunting?

Are sky-high gasoline prices impacting your Tiki habit? (Habit? What habit? I can handle it!!!)

I am starting to develop the rational that it is better to pay a few more bucks for a sure thing on Ebay, rather than burning 5 gallons of gas to hit the local thrift stores and risk turning up nothing.

The same goes for hotspots. I've deferred my visit to the Polynesian show at Sam's Seafood, because it would cost over $25.00 just for fuel.

I would spend some gas money if there was somewhere to go. I would sell mine locally just to find them again.

Has anyone esle ever wished that they had tiki X-ray vision. Where they can see through buildings and houses and the tiki would be glowing for your eyes. A tiki rader/ homeing device.

To me, the thrill is in the hunt. I enjoy the trip to the flea market/thift store to sift through the crap to find gold. Its the modern day equivalent to a treasure hunt. Ebay is great... especially if you are searching for a specific item. But there is something to be said for just happening upon an item at a thrift store... and then paying 25 cents for something that would go for at least $10 on ebay. On ebay, you're not going to get very many bargains because there are so many knowledgeble tikiphiles that are bidding on items. Whereas, at thirft stores, you the competition for an item is much less.

Buy an economical car! :)

[ Edited by: cheekytiki 2005-08-29 13:27 ]

I just got rid of my gas guzzler, but, still in principal, I prefer "hunting" om ebay. I have scored 2 Tiki Bobs, Trader vic Zombie glass and Big shot mugs for way below what they would have if sold as described accurately.

It is still fun to hunt in the wild too, I have just hit a dry spell.

McTiki

Live in Europe for a while.....

Trader Woody

On 2005-08-29 14:12, Trader Woody wrote:
Live in Europe for a while.....

Trader Woody

I would LOVE to! Wher can I get a job? Spain perhaps?

On 2005-08-29 12:41, joefla70 wrote:
To me, the thrill is in the hunt.

Well said. There is that 'thrill' about spotting some overlooked item on the thrift store shelf.

On ebay, you're not going to get very many bargains

Yup, I totally agree. But my original post was intended to determine if the laws of diminishing returns of skyrocketing gas prices vs. a hit-and-miss hunts, have compelled people to modify their normal strategies of acquiring stuff.

This could be anything from buying more often from Ebay, or visiting thrift stores less often.

The Tikipedia
www.tikipedia.com

[ Edited by: tikipedia 2005-08-29 15:09 ]

no

i asked myself that same question as i was driving all over seattle on friday ~ i love driving randomly. but at these prices... :o i like the stores outside the area where i live, so i have changed my thrifting habbits a little bit.

• if im out shopping, i stop at ALL the thrift stores in sight. even the tiny church-run thrift stores (just in case!)

• i havent done much garage sales, because i dont have the patience to map out sales and hit one area ~ so only if i happen to see a sign when im out, i'll stop. (there oughta be a law that people rip down old signs.. grrr)

• i try to get more things done while im out driving (groceries, hardware etc)

• if the tag is not the "half off color of the day" at Value Village, i usually buy it. (before i'd pass, and hope it'll be there the next week)

• i belong to a couple of Estate Sale Mailing lists, and only go if the stuff listed seems "fun". i avoid the words "shabby chic" and "chippendale".

i'm gonna put a copy of the yellow pages in the car, so if i'm out, i can see if there's something nearby!

elicia

Yeah, just this past Saturday I got the urge to visit a favorite thrift but since I've moved it's about a 35-40 minute drive. I decided to save the gas. Especially since in the area there's only one other thrift and if I come up zero (which is the way it usually goes) then I wasted all that fuel. I'll save my gas for the flea markets since I have much better luck there.

I'm with McTiki, I get a bigger thrill with the ebay hunt than the thrift hunt. You ask me to name my top 5 "scores" and they are all ebay.

dogbytes, how does one get on an estate sale mailing list?

I'm experiencing a double whammy. I got a Honda Insight a year ago and was feeling a little smug about it with the gas prices and all. Then it got hit by some yutz a couple of weeks ago and is gonna take a while to fix. So...I'm in my back up car which is no gas guzzler by any means (Mazda Miata) but after 70 mpg in the Insight it's hard to go back.

Told you that to tell you this... I'm thinking of packing in the estate sales for a while because of the gas. My rationalization is that I can spend the time on some refinishing projects. Things I've found at the estate sales in the last year, but haven't gotten around to. One is a trashed rattan bar I found not long ago and a couple of chairs, etc.

Although there is that feeling that the one I miss is the BIG one, but C'est la vie.

On 2005-08-29 11:02, tikipedia wrote:
Are sky-high gasoline prices impacting your Tiki habit?

Not at all - Sabu always drives!

(Then again, I expect that some time soon he's gonna hit me up for about 6 years worth of gas money...)

SDT: check your yellow pages (or whatever colour you canadians use :) ) for ESTATE SERVICES.

and when you go to an estate sale you find from the classified ads, ask to be put on their email list.

sometimes under ANTIQUES a dealer will say they handle estate liquidations.. they're a good source too. although lots of times, they drag their old stuff into the house to fob off to the unsuspecting.

AUCTIONS is another way to find estate sales. i've never actually bid on anything, but i have gone to preview days.

lots of the estate sales in seattle happen on thurs and fridays ~ i've found most of those are cutthroat, with resellers in line before they open. draw a number, and wait your turn to enter the house. but then again, they often have half off sundays.

i like estate sales, because its easy to target the neighborhood (white collar/blue.. snobby, etc.) and its fun to snoop through photo albums n such.

btw: i loved your tagline "cuz crap doesnt buy itself"

I think gas has gone up a $1.50 since this was last discussed.
I have stopped driving cross town for hunting. Unless, of course, I am in the area for household/family reasons. :)