Big Lots discount store California TIKIS stuff 08

Just picked up tiki pots, lanterns, and signs at the Long Beach and Bellflower Big Lots .

Plenty of stock left .

what kind of signs? pics whats the price on the ring/jewellery any big stuff?oh and prices thx maybe you could pick some up and send them to me.....

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=27565&forum=12&32

I did a search for that thread and only found the one from 2006 thanks !!!!!

Big Lots Spring 2008:

Are those tikis or gargoyles?

Hey, they were designed as an hommage to Thor Heyerdahl and his embattled theory that Tiki was of pre-Columbian origin! Those Chinese designers are conceptually way ahead of us.

the tall one with the hat reminds me too much of something outta the disney E. Tiki room (my personal fave tikis)Im a go and look for these guys and paint em up or something

On 2008-03-25 05:36, kreepytiki lounge & tattoos wrote:
the tall one with the hat reminds me too much of something outta the disney E. Tiki room (my personal fave tikis)Im a go and look for these guys and paint em up or something

It's pretty much a copy of the ETR's Pele.

I have to admit that I caved and had to buy the hula girl lights. Very cool. I was on the fence about the string of bamboo hut lights. I would argue that the are made of wood and are fine in even an old school tiki pad, but I wonder if they are a little too cute. Like I said, I'm on the fence.

On 2008-03-22 12:30, Tikinaut wrote:
Big Lots Spring 2008:

Hey Everybody!

Got the tip off from Joe Kona today... Big Lots has the Enchanted Tiki Room Pele style tikis in stock again for 40 bucks, plus lots of other really awful "tiki" stuff (for way too much money for the quality)... grabbed a Pele at the Hollywood Big Lots today!

These look hideous

A killer paint job could save it...

Big Lots in West Sac has all of the above. The good, the bad, and the tacky.

On 2009-02-17 08:58, little lost tiki wrote:
A killer paint job could save it...

I am already working on it Kinny. Well, actually, I started it a couple years ago. It is still sitting near the sprinklers. However, it has not rotted yet. :)

I don't know what possessed us, but since there's not much tiki to be found in the IE these days, Joe Banks and I ventured into Big Lots. The vast majority of this is completely tacky, (and not in a good way.) But there are a few cool things to be found. They had lots of seashells and semi-cool nautical stuff.

Brown spray paint!

On 2009-02-17 08:58, little lost tiki wrote:
A killer paint job could save it...

This is a picture I saved off of TC a few years ago. Sorry I can't remember what TCer did this.

On 2009-03-15 19:40, Tiki-Kate wrote:
I don't know what possessed us, but since there's not much tiki to be found in the IE these days, Joe Banks and I ventured into Big Lots. The vast majority of this is completely tacky, (and not in a good way.) But there are a few cool things to be found. They had lots of seashells and semi-cool nautical stuff.

Should we all pitch in and get Hanford a parrot?

if they had a parrot, yes.....but i see only toucans and flamingos ....oh well....it was the thought that counts...

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2009-03-17 17:36 ]

yuk!! to all of that stuff.

On 2009-03-18 07:26, ron-tiki wrote:
yuk!! to all of that stuff.

I agree. Whenever I go into Big Lots my senses are overwhelmed by the smell of cheap plastic crapola so I have not been in one for about 4 years.

After seeing this thread I stopped by to check out the "tiki" for myself before passing judgement and not much has changed. I would never buy any of it because I would rather spend my money on quality items made by quality artists (you know like the ones who post their good on here).

The only thing remotely attractive were the pink flamingos but that is because I like the kitschy factor and they have nada to do with tiki in the traditional sense.

Also the excuse that in your area you dont have a lot of tiki so you take what you can get is not a valid one since every artist on here can ship their items. Why buy crap when you can buy quality?

On a sidenote whoever painted the one above did a pretty good job...in person they are extremely unattractive and resemble hunks of elephant droppings.

But all that is my humble opinion. Feel free to go purchase the imported toxic smelling items for yourself. Hope they dont kill your plants when you place them in your yard!

[ Edited by: leleliz 2009-03-18 11:03 ]

i'm pretty sure that that stuff is toxic-- it doesn't just smell toxic.i feel sick just thinking about that smell.

This brings up the age old question of: Why is cheap imitation crap from the 50s and 60s cool, when today's is just that --crap!? After all Tiki is largely about fakery, and not about the "natural" and "authentic".
I am am all-out vintage Tiki fan, but I would be cautious with uniformly damning today's Big Lots offerings. For the discerning eye there are always a few --albeit fewer every year-- funny items to be found in there (I actually can't see much in the above lot).

Let's look at some of the vintage Tiki that once was cheap crap:

These two Tikis were mass-produced catalog items, in wood or plaster (which is the equivalent to modern resin statuary nowadays), and are collectable now, because they are from the mid-century Tiki period and pop up in other manifestations:

This thing was largely unloved for a long time, but then some guy photographed it nicely, and presented it in its context of the "Do-it-yourself culture" and put it in his book:

And here is some REAL cheap plastic Tiki stuff:

So what is different?

The problem of much of today's bargain store Tiki stuff is that it is not referencing authentic POLYNESIAN culture and "modern" art like Americans did in the 50s, but it references mid-century Polynesian pop (IF it even does that), and often the product bears no resemblance to any original Oceanic Art anymore --which kills the joke (unless you are amused by how today's Asian manufacturers interpret mid-century American Polynesian pop!)

The degree to which this happens varies, and it is left to everyone's individual taste and ability to differentiate between the good crap and crappy crap of today. One comparison are these windchimes:

While this one is way too Asian in its facial features and too "off" in its horrible colors....

...this one (that hung right next to it) has at least some resemblance to a Tiki, and for folks who cannot find vintage Tiki, I would say it could fly as "Tiki":

Both are cheap imported plastic crap.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-03-18 11:51 ]

So plastic is the new Monkey Pod wood? That'll be a relief to those poor monkeys.

:)

One difference between the old plastic tiki stuff and the new stuff is a matter of quantity. When one finds something plastic from the 50's, it tends to be sitting off all by itself, perhaps in an antique shop or a thrift store. The new stuff, however, is often grouped together with a dozen similar items, and if you drive to the next store, a similar grouping will be available. Its a matter of exclusivity.

When I was in Bali, I would see shops selling dozens of wooden items, all of them very similar to one another. But I wanted something unique, so I passed on those items. Once I returned though, you realize that you may not see such items in the U.S., and it is only then that you regret not buying one.

Related to plastic, the following is a link to another thread on 'Plastic Maori' that touches on the relationship between commercial plastic trinkets and authentic Polynesian culture. It makes me wonder - if Warhol were alive today, would he be into plastic tiki trinkets?

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=31505&forum=1&vpost=440628&hilite=plastic

On 2009-03-18 11:00, leleliz wrote:

I would never buy any of it because I would rather spend my money on quality items made by quality artists (you know like the ones who post their good on here).

We all would if we could. I can't see paying $300.00 + $50.00 shipping for a beautifully carved 3 ft. tiki and then put him in my backyard so he can be destroyed by the elements. The nicer stuff stays indoors.

I bought my Big Lot's Pele 3 or 4 years ago and she's aged nicely. The shrub is actually growing around her and she's sunk partially into the ground. Doesn't look too bad considering the harsh weather she's been through.

[ Edited by: Kenike 2009-03-19 03:31 ]

On 2009-03-18 15:45, Kenike wrote:

We all would if we could. I can't see paying $300.00 + $50.00 shipping for a beautifully carved 3 ft. tiki and then put him in my backyard so he can be destroyed by the elements. The nicer stuff stays inside.

I bought my Big Lot's Pele 3 or 4 years ago and she's :) aged nicely. The shrub is actually growing around her :) and she's :) sunk partially into the ground. Doesn't look too bad considering the harsh weather she's :) been through.

Remember Pele is a Goddess :)

---

[ Edited by: Kenike 2009-03-18 15:47 ]

My mistake. Corrections made. She's just so un-ladylike at times

gotta say in Canada ( well at least currently in Alberta ) we got NUTHIN'! NUTHIN', except for the store that I work for that carries TIKI FARM and some FUZZY DUDE stuff, books etc ...
well what I'm saying is from that photo there looks to be some fun "throw that in the garden" stuff that needs a good paintjob!
OPTIONS ....are always good , even if it's between great art and recycled plastic.

I agree with Kenike.

I live in a small town, and I mean small.
I've had yard decorations vandalized or stolen over the years buy foolish kids who have nothing better to do. Now I'm not going to defend every cheap plastic tiki out there, but ones like the Pele and the ones found a Target a few years back (and many other places) are great for out door use. If the tiki is sculpted in a decent design that I like, I'll buy it, even if it has a horrible paint job. When that baby gets to my house I will make some modifications to it (some sanding or repainting) and stick it in my backyard. If they get stolen or vandalized, then I didn't waste good money on a nicely carved tiki from someone on the board. As Kenike said, I would rather admire a nicely carved one while inside next to my bar.

[ Edited by: Unkle John 2009-06-25 13:33 ]

On 2009-06-25 13:31, Unkle John wrote:
I agree with Kenike.

I live in a small town, and I mean small.
I've had yard decorations vandalized or stolen over the years buy foolish kids who have nothing better to do. Now I'm not going to defend every cheap plastic tiki out there, but ones like the Pele and the ones found a Target a few years back (and many other places) are great for out door use. If the tiki is sculpted in a decent design that I like, I'll buy it, even if it has a horrible paint job. When that baby gets to my house I will make some modifications to it (some sanding or repainting) and stick it in my backyard. If they get stolen or vandalized, then I didn't waste good money on a nicely carved tiki from someone on the board. As Kenike said, I would rather admire it while inside in my bar.

When I was younger I used to "borrow" yard decorations and then take ransom photos of that item posing with different landmarks around the city. I would then send the owner random pics and letters from their yard art's travels.

This came to a bitter end when a guy flipped out as we snuck up to his house to remove his goose that was dressed in a raincoat....he would dress it up based on the month/season -very bizarre...and threatened to call the cops.

I just have visions of carting around the plastic Pele to places like Trader Vics or standing in front of The Alamo.

I will have to swing by your place next time I am in Texas Unkle John!