Are pricing dropping

Is it me or has the economy begun to take its toll on tiki related stuff? I found a great Mai Kai decanter at the antique fair this weekend for $15 and a Lanai bucket mug for $5. Normally this stuff goes for a lot more. I am beginning to wonder if the tiki boom might be over and dedicated collectors will now be able to get stuff that we never imagined possible. :)

If you went to the Alameda Fair on Sunday I am not sure if the pricing there reflects the tiki market on a whole.

I always find super cheap tiki items there because of the nature of the seller.

Usually I purchase my items from non-professionals. You know folks who hit garage sales and thrift stores all month then pool their items and sell at that sale. If they can make money above the set up fee (I think its like $175 or so) then they do well for themselves and their scavaging pays off.

I bought all of these Harvey mugs on Sunday for $5:

My seller was a woman who had a few tables set up with her friend.After talking to them they said that they were 2nd time sellers at the fair and do this to make extra money and to feed their thrifting habits.

They had priced all their items to move--mainly because of Christmas coming and also because they both indicated they had tons of stuff still packed away to sell.

Just a hint - At that sale it is always best to start at the back because all new sellers seem to be set up there. Thus they seem to have better prices and a wider range of items. I have found so much tiki stuck inbetween random collecibles over the past few months at the Alameda sale and never have a paid very much for any of it. Too bad it is only once a month!

Not including that monthly fair I think the economy is affecting others now--esp antique malls. First time in a long time did I see my antique mall start to discount their pricing. I think this will benefit collectors of most anything , including tiki, but you have to keep your eyes open and hit such places more frequently to catch those discounts.

This same reasoning is why it seems the amount of garage/estate sales around here are multiplying. Nothing like a fast approaching holiday and a cruddy economy to push people to sell what they can for cheap.

I have no opinions about Ebay pricing because I think that is hit or miss.

That is my take on the pricing matters. It would be interesting to see what others have observed in their neck of the woods.

I too was at the Alameda Antique Show on Sunday...(I think I saw Rumrunner there)?

I did not buy anything myself although I was looking for something that I didn't already have and continued to remind myself the entire time I was there (you have that already, you don't need another one).

Prices??

While I would agree that $5.00 for the Harvey's mugs is probably a good deal (if I didn't have so many already I would have bought them for sure), most of the prices are a little on the high side to me at this show.

Coco Joes pieces started at $15.00 and went up from there. I found a Westwood tiki bank without the stopper and the asking price was $30.00. A single salt and pepper shaker from Bali Hai (bad shape) in SD was $5.00.

IMHO there were no bargains to be found at this show.

Most of the fairly common or newer mugs started at $20.00 and went up from there. Aside from one 3' large carved tiki, asking price of $300.00, I really didn't see much I haven't seen there before.

I know a couple of the sellers, who know that tiki is HOT ( what they say) and they don't bargain much on their items.

Bamboo aquarium and stand $695.00. Saw the same one on craigslist for $25.00 not too long ago.

I ended up buying my mugs at Forbidden Island and the Conga Lounge. If all else fails, support your local bar.

I don't see the prices coming down as of yet. Common stuff will always be cheaper, but the quality and harder to find items will bring a premium.

But I agree that with the economy in the shape it is in, people are gonna sell, some on the cheap, to make some extra cash.

Psycho Tiki D (I know I am and I was there)!

I find that the antique mall booths are doing a lot of discount deals right now. Seems like they do that each year at this time to clear the stuff they picked up from the summer garage sales and of course to generate some cash for the season. There might be more of it this year. I've picked up a few good deals.