tiki funds, or lack there of

has the economy effected any of youguys? from what i can tell most put down some big green for alot of this stuff. the wife & i are thrifty, but damm! whats tha key?
im glad somebodys got it.

I think the crunch has hit us all. I used to be able to sock a lot more mula into my collecting. Plus when you are on a home lounge start-up project I think the compulsive buying bug is stronger. I set a precedent for myself to buy just one big$ Tiki item on an annual basis, then the other smaller$ to-die-for items spread throughout the year, and that seems to help. I focus my purchases on TC artists and there is much crying and drama when I can't afford something I really want.

Some say, "When the times are tough, people drink more." I'm not sure if this is true exactly. But I'm in the business of selling food and drinks and business is still very, very good. So I guess it is about what's going on for you personally. Best to all!

On 2008-09-21 12:42, Bongo Bungalow wrote:
Some say, "When the times are tough, people drink more." I'm not sure if this is true exactly. But I'm in the business of selling food and drinks and business is still very, very good. So I guess it is about what's going on for you personally. Best to all!

It is going to go a little smoother for you because you are a cool drink of water in a parched desert. There isn't another GOT TACOS? for a thousand miles.

Bush/Cheney
No child left a dime!

You know things are bad when Big Lots is the new Tiki Farm

TikiLaLe, you know thats tha troof!

I work for a major food manufacturer, going into grocery stores for various reasons. One of my tasks over the past few months has been "product conversion." Basically the package gets smaller so the price doesn't go up. It's literally a constant depressing reminder that the paycheck doesn't go as far as it used to. And yes, I have cut back my tiki spending.

On 2008-09-23 06:48, TikiLaLe wrote:
Bush/Cheney
No child left a dime!

Bush from Texas
Obama from Taxes

Poli-luna-tics aside.... This is not the first time the Mortgage industry has done this but it is the worst. I have seen it at least 3 times in my liftime. my family is fourth generation in the industry and It's cyclical. Free market vs. Government regulation strikes at the very core of that which is taboo in my book to discuss here. The P word.

But speaking to the crunch. It's pretty bad here. I have seen way to many of my friends seriously affected. My previous employer foreclosed on his office building and went from 20 employees to 5 and several friends have lost homes. Our new business is getting a slow start but we are finding that everyone who is out of work and can not find a job is trying to start their own business and a website is a very important part of that so we are facilitating many start-ups and established companies are looking to freshen things up to attract wanning business.

The silver lining may be it is teaching a wasteful society how to be more conscious about conservation. People are turning off their lights, limiting and being smarter about their driving habits and the type of cars they purchase, and as much as it hurts it is a wake up call and warning sign about depending on foreign resources so heavily.

So, today I am keeping my SUV parked and taking my friends more energy efficient car down to the Mai-Kai and staying with friends rather than a hotel. That way I can afford the jet-pilots!

Going to be a funny to see which 'free marketers' vote on this ball/bailout!
Go Rays!

I avoided looking at my 401K until this morning.

Much to my dismay, I have lost $9,500.00 over the past three weeks.

So much for retirement.

Oh well, at least I am a cheap bastard and will continue to look for bargains anywhere I can find them!

PTD

retirement, hahahaha!!!!! the day i retire is tha day i take a dirt nap.

On 2008-09-25 08:50, Psycho Tiki D wrote:
I avoided looking at my 401K until this morning.

Much to my dismay, I have lost $9,500.00 over the past three weeks.

So much for retirement.

Oh well, at least I am a cheap bastard and will continue to look for bargains anywhere I can find them!

PTD

"""""""""""""""""""""""
Na.. yous got pinched for 9.5K

Somebody's got the tiki funds - today was Mauna Loa Detroit Madness Day on Ebay:

Mauna Loa tiki mug:

$67.75

Mauna Loa Coconut mug:

$227.50

And . . . Mauna Loa Drum Mug:

$565.55!

Another Drum Mug came up yesterday - it's already north of $200.

im sorry, but there's not a damn mug on this planet worth what these above sold or are selling for. i know, " art ". i guess it's in the eye of the beholder, or the wallet. go goodwill! yes im cheap!

Philosophically I agree with you insanetikiers, but if people are willing to pay $565 for a mug, then it literally is worth that much. It seems crazy because in the end, it's just some fired clay, but there are alot of collectible items that fall into that crazy category. Have you seen the price of vintage balsa wood surfboards?

The price some mugs attain is not so much about rarity (there is almost always a Steven Crane Ku/clown mug for sale on eBay), but the story of the restaurant/bar behind the mug, and maybe unfortunately, whether or not Duke Carter collected it. That's not a shot at Duke - simply a statement of the weight his collection has had on those of us that followed. At one point I wondered whether I was creating my own tiki collection, or trying to re-create Duke's, so I set off in a different direction.