Official Introductions Thread. New Members, Post your introduction here...

Well, I guess I'm the new girl on the block and I'm delighted to discover this site because tiki has been a big part of my life since my dad fell in love with tiki as a merchant navy engineer in the 60's.

I'm currently based in beautiful North Yorkshire in the UK and my next big tiki purchase is going to be a tiki bar - my husband doesn't know this yet ;o) But, he'll love it.

Great to be on board,

H.

On 2010-10-26 04:36, tikitorchesgal wrote:
Well, I guess I'm the new girl on the block and I'm delighted to discover this site because tiki has been a big part of my life since my dad fell in love with tiki as a merchant navy engineer in the 60's.

I'm currently based in beautiful North Yorkshire in the UK and my next big tiki purchase is going to be a tiki bar - my husband doesn't know this yet ;o) But, he'll love it.

Great to be on board,

H.

Welcome aboard from another UK Tikiphile...

Hello! :)

I'm Anna and I'm also in North Yorkshire, UK! Bonkers, 'eh?!

xx

The British are coming! The British are coming!

Welcome to TC Anna, cool name :lol:

On 2010-11-05 11:56, MadDogMike wrote:
The British are coming! The British are coming!

Welcome to TC Anna, cool name :lol:

Cool Burlesque dancer as well...

Was great at the Tiki Today show.

Well, hello all!

My name is Reb, And I'm from Las Vegas.

I'm also a big fan of all things Polynesian.

Here, let me give you a brief (I mean really brief) history-

Since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be from Hawaii, I love the idea of surf, and sand. Just this last year I was working outside the Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland. And while my fellow cast members hated the thought of it, I was so obsessed. I play a Santini Tenor Ukulele (which I picked up last February. I know it's a cheap one D: But I wanted to see if I could pick it up.) And love anything surf, Tiki, or Polynesian.

It's very nice to meet you all. I can't wait to start making some new friendships!
-Reb

As a special-event planner/designer, I know this site will be a great resource!

I love the Technicoloured wacky-tacky Tiki style. I think this stems from growing-up in Vancouver, B.C.
where the scenery is shrouded in grey drizzle five months of the year. Unfortunately, Trader Vics is no longer a bastion for those struggling through another anaemic Vancouver fall/winter, but we still have the Waldorf!

Hey TCers!

I figured it was probably time I joined in on the forums that I’ve been mooching off of for the past 5 years.

I’ve always been really into mid-century art, architecture, movies, cartoons, TV shows, guitars and cars. But I didn’t fall in love with Tiki until I moved out to LA and started to frequent the Tiki Ti. Since then I’ve been steadily growing my mug collection, hitting Tiki Oasis every year, experimenting with a bit of mixology and hanging at all the So Cal Tiki bars I can make it to. TC has been a great resource and hopefully I can help contribute to the community that’s given me so much in the past few years.

[ Edited by: klockwork 2010-12-05 12:21 ]

A warm welcome to all the newcomers. Happy to have you on board. Happy holidays to all. :tiki:

Hello all,
I'm in Minnesota. I joined up, as now is the season to think of warm places where the words "black ice" and "snow emergency" do not exist. I've just started re-building a vintage mug collection that was lost to a break-up. I now scour antique and thrift shops to replace it, as well as vintage wooden items and bar-ware.

I'm also interested in all things Atomic-Era, from furniture to music. I also collect vintage vinyl and 1970s Japanese plastic robot toys.

I believe in pagan idolatry, especially the sort with gods that ply me with alcohol.

"I believe in pagan idolatry, especially the sort with gods that ply me with alcohol." Doc, you have come to the right place. Welcome!

Dr V,
Welcome....and don't forget there's Beyond Tiki to post pics of your robots and other atomic age stuff.

Hi everyone,

I'm Chris, I guess i just wanted to say hello to everyone, I discover this forum while I was searching the web for info's on bone carving and woaw really happy about it, therefore here I am.
What to say, I'm into Polynesian and Maori art since I met a kiwi guy who is a bone carver. And I'm really glad I met him 'cos I discover a whole new world and I get myself into bone carving, or at least I'm trying to, and bone carving really helped me, act as meditation....
I also surf and spearfish....
and of course I enjoy life....
Be water
Chris

shipmates,

i've got it bad...that rare tropical fever that's taken hold of so many before me...

put down the quinine friends...it's all too late for that now, i'm afeared...

but cast me ashore on yonder island, wouldn't yeh?... with just a cask or two for company?

[ Edited by: komohana 2010-12-13 16:50 ]

Hello All.

I'm new to the board and wanted to say hello. I've been a tiki lover since the mid 90s. I collect tiki ephemera wherever I can find it (and whenever I can afford it!) I'm a digital artist and I've done some tiki artwork as well. My interests are pretty diverse, though primarily focused on different aspects of mid-century pop culture, so my art is all over that spectrum. I've recently started a blog where I'm writing about retro pop-culture and showcasing some of my art.

Looking forward to enjoying some good conversations here.

Jason Snyder
http://www.toyshopgreetings.com

[ Edited by: jasonsnyder 2010-12-29 13:53 ]

Hello! My name is Andy. I live in Sweden and I own a Buick Roadmaster Sedanette -47.
I am quite new to this scene, but I liked tikis all my life! I espeseally like the Moais, (just read at wikipedia that they have nothing to do with tikis..)
But they defenetly have something to do with tiki culture as I see it!
Outside my door I have a 7 foot Moai, carved from ash wood with a chainsaw. (pic will come)

Hello everyone. I'm a big fan of mid century culture, including tiki, and I've started accessorizing our house with tiki items to go with our mid century furnishings. I live in northern Virginia outside of Washington, DC. I'm also into old cars, 1960s Mercurys to be more specific.

Currently I'm in the middle of my first tiki carving project, what started out as a tulip poplar stump in our backyard. Johnny Dollar turned me on to this forum, and I'm looking forward to meeting more of you. Details of my stump carving project are on my blog.
Thanks
Uncle Atom
http://www.uncleatom.com

Hello Tiki Afficionados!

My Name is TikiShipman and I love the Tiki culture and lifestyle. I'm also a fan of Mid-Century, Googie, vintage cars & trailers, vintage men's hats & watches, and vintage cocktails.

I've been familiar with the Tiki culture probably all my life, since I was a sixties kid, but probably didn't take full notice of it until "The Book of Tiki" came out. Just recently I've rediscovered it again, but now with more vigor!

Great to be here, and Aloha!

P.S. The Tiki mask above in the photo is my first acquisition. Picked it up from the Value Village for $9.99!
Love it!

[ Edited by: 2011-01-16 21:24 ]

[ Edited by: tikishipman 2011-01-25 18:43 ]

[ Edited by: TikiShipman 2015-01-02 11:03 ]

Hello!

Mike here from the West Coast of Canada -- been lurking a while and decided to take the plunge and register and join in on the fun.

I'm new to the whole Tiki culture, though I always loved going to the Tiki Tiki restaurant when it was in Edmonton decades ago. I mix various Tiki-related drinks at home, though no Tiki Bar just yet. Next step: learning some Polynesian cuisine. Mmmmm.

Looking forward to joining in the conversations on the site.

Mahalo!

Mike in Victoria, BC, Canada (formerly from Edmonton)

Hi y'all. My husband and I just bought a midcentury split-level home with an inground pool and large screened porch. It cries out for at least a little tiki decor.

However, being a lifelong central Missourian, I have not been exposed to much/any of the tiki vibe. I have one ceramic tiki mug from a yard sale (printed with a sorority party logo on the back), and a ceramic statuette from a relative's estate. I've seen some tiki-type stuff on a trip to Key West, but the Into Page said "Carribean is not Tiki", so I will have to navigate that carefully.

I'll be mostly lurking and soaking up the zeitgeist, trying not to make an @$$ of myself if I do post.

:)
Liz

Longtime lurker, new registrant, live in Tampa Bay area. Can't say I'm a full tiki devotee (yet?), but as a student of cocktails I enjoy the information and enthusiasm imparted here!

Hello everyone

I'm a new member that is interested in opening a Tiki Bar in Jacksonville, Florida. I came upon this website while conducting market research. It appears that there are not any known tiki bar's in the Jacksonville area.
If you are reading this and happen to know of one, please reply or contact me.

I look forward to to meeting as many of you as I can as I move deeper into developing the Delta Lounge Tiki Bar.

-Rob

Hello erverybody! I'm very nervous entering the world of tiki central for the first time, but now it's done and I think I'm fine. I'm from Germany and my interest is mainly focused on the world of music (exotica,surf) but also like art and crafts. Ok then, cheers!

Hello all!

I'm a new member from the Poconos region of PA.

I'm looking forward to using these forums for inspiration for tons of projects I have in mind!

Mark
Tiki94

Newb here. 32 YO male visited Hawaii about 7 times and loved every minute. Can't wait to go back. USMC proud and finally introduced my family to the collectibles of Polynesian culture. Look forward to seeing what everyone else has discovered.

Hi Guys,

I have been running the tiki gauntlet below the radar for a number of years and have enjoyed reading the posts here on Tiki Central. I am not what you would call a "card carrying artist," but I do dabble in graphic design and carving. I will probably get around to posting a few pics in the near future. I hope you like my take on the subject.

My user name is based upon my esteemed appreciation for Bourbon (not whiskey). If you see me at Trader Vic's in Atlanta I will probably be enjoying a Honi Honi rather than a Mai Tai.

Hang Loose!

I like music with bird calls included. I'm a boomer.

After being on a ....well....rather long hiatus (aka college and such), I figured it'd be safe to re-introduce myself. I'm Andy. Haven't posted in this forum in YEARS. And I'm serious....it's quite sad. I'm looking forward to posting here more often!

Welcome back, Pocky.

On 2011-02-12 18:13, sarahing wrote:
There really are few youngsters that happen to be lucky plenty of to get paid a contract by using a professional golf club at age 16; this can make them while in the touching distance within their dreams to be able to play with NFL having on Steelers nfl jerseys.

I'd like to stab you in the fork with a head.

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2011-02-12 18:42 ]

On 2011-01-19 05:28, CanTiki wrote:
Hello!

Mike here from the West Coast of Canada -- been lurking a while and decided to take the plunge and register and join in on the fun.

I'm new to the whole Tiki culture, though I always loved going to the Tiki Tiki restaurant when it was in Edmonton decades ago. I mix various Tiki-related drinks at home, though no Tiki Bar just yet. Next step: learning some Polynesian cuisine. Mmmmm.

Looking forward to joining in the conversations on the site.

Mahalo!

Mike in Victoria, BC, Canada (formerly from Edmonton)

Welcome to Tiki Central, Mike!

aloha i'm jurgen from belgium, here's some of my work

Hi all,

I just found this forum while while researching Shag.

Let's see, I live in Denver, CO and used to run a framing store for about 10 years. I came across the Tiki scene about 3 years ago and have actively buying pieces from Shag, Mark Ryden and others. Feel free to ask me anything. Thanks!

Woden

Aloha Tikian's,

Very cool room. I just came across you all today and didn't know such a place existed!

I've been going to Hawaii since 1978 and have lived there off and on up until 2000. I lived the Maui Life for several years and told the story of Hawaii through original hand painted collectible trading cards from local Maui artist Richard Fields.

Back in 1999, Pokemon' was all the rage and my children couldn't get enough of them. That was when I thought I needed to bring a positive message to the youth of America and introduce them to Tiki Man. We printed 50,000 packs of these beautiful cards and sold quite a few for a couple years, but they never caught on.

All that to say, I have several thousand packs and haven't done anything with them for over 10 years and I thought maybe Tiki Man Hawaii was ahead of his time.

So, I am unashamedly giving away these cards (5 pack max.) to whomever wants them, and I would love to hear from the Tiki community to see if they are worth entering back into the marketplace.

I'm not asking anyone to buy from me, if you want a free pack of 10 cards just let me know.

[ Edited by: Tiki Man Hawaii 2011-02-15 12:56 ]

For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted a tiki room (Pool, hot tub, tiki bar, the works). Well, in June, I'm getting married and moving in to my first place, and thus my journey begins...

Aloha
My name is David. I've been lurking for some time and enjoying my tiki fix several times a a day here at Tiki Central. My habit started way back in the mid sixties when I built a small water feature with a large lava rock, some tiki torches and a couple of rolls of bamboo fencing I bought at a place called "Palley's" in east
los Angeles .nMy lovely wife of nearly forty years has not only enabled me but actively encourages me in this vice. I suspect she's been bitten. We went to Don the Beachcomber (on McCadden Pl.) following my wifes prom in '68. I use to frequent "The Tikis" in M.P. till it went Disco. My tiki urges lay dorment for many years.A couple of years ago my grown son happened to show me some tiki mugs he'd found at a thrift store-we went to his house and he showed me quite a collection. I jumped back in with both feet. I have a free standing tiki bar (seats six) in the backyard, lotsa tiki, 150 plus mugs and have not met a Mai Tai I didn't like.( my fav is my own using the traditional T V recipe) I also have a spare bedroom( now the tiki room) filled with tiki stuff and can't control my urges to accumulate more. I introduced my brother- he really got bit and he is an active and frequent contributor (Tikivato) to t c .I have learned so much from Tiki Central- I am so glad that I finally Joined.
Mahalo,
David

Welcome my Brother. Glad to see you posting and no longer a lurker. You forgot to mention that you taught me how to carve Tiki's from Palm fronds when I was a mere lad of 11, 49 years ago.

Hi all Things tiki lovers,
I saw a post about "Ports of call" Chicago and was thrilled! I went with my Dad on a business trip and ate there. It was incredible!!!!! I had the "virgin" pineapple drink in a real pineapple! I remember walking over bridges over water to get to our table. I was blown away by this incredible immersive environment , a fantasy of wonder and delight for any 11 yr. old. I went on to move to So, Cal and went to Kelbo's,Tiki-Tai,Tips , Moon gate and a large outdoor Polynesian restaurant in east.riverside?
I wish Moon gate was still there in Van Nuys Excellent Chinese food (old school east cost gourmet) Fantastic Tiki drinks with real Gardenias floating in them,Orchid wall with trickling water Huge bamboo 1960's peak of tiki interior a little dusty And a wonderful Hostess Susan Ahn Cuddy who was hilarious! Looking for some places to go to now!

Hi Marilyn - Welcome to Tiki Central!

Just wanted to let you know the Moon Gate building on Van Nuys Blvd. in Panorama City remains, you can still see the original round window next to the blvd entrance is still intact. Its been a latino business for some time within a larger latino shopping center. If I can find my modern photo I'll post it.

I've met a few people from the SF Valley that went to Moon Gate back in the day. The reason for my interest is I used to live across the street and wondered what the building must have been years ago...I found my answer here on T.C. one day reading thru the forums. Thanks for the memories. G

Hello! I am Diane and I live north of Seattle, WA, about 70 miles. I like to browse thrift stores for vintage 'stuff' and I came across these a couple of weeks ago. I don't know anything about them except after hours of searching with Google and then through a ton of posts here I came across a pic of the same mug. I sent a message to the gal, Zeta, and I hope she gets it.
In real life, they are 6" (15cm) tall.
Thanks for any replies!!
3-1-11 After more searching on Google, I found the image is, as Zeta said, the plumed serpent god, Quetzalcoatl of the Aztec/Mayan civilization. the same image is found carved in the rock on the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.
So, I don't think you all would call it Tiki at all! It must be a knockoff souvenir from Mexico. It is nicely designed and I think worth having.
Anyone wishing to delete this message is fine with me. I had a nice time visiting and learned a lot! Also remembered a mid 70s visit to the LosGatos CA Tiki Bar which was buried deep in my memory. thanks Folks!

[ Edited by: WineberryCandy 2011-02-26 23:21 ]

[ Edited by: WineberryCandy 2011-02-26 23:34 ]

[ Edited by: WineberryCandy 2011-03-01 14:33 ]

[ Edited by: WineberryCandy 2011-03-01 14:35 ]

hello all,

i just registered here and am looking forward to finding inspiration for my soon to be tiki garden....a big fan of tiki art as well...here's one of my latest posters

Hi, I am new to tiki central. Been a seller at tiki oasis for many years.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/msformaldehyde
I made some new tiki earrings and matching bobby pins

I have many hair flowers in my shop so check it out:)

Giving a big shout out to all the newbies...welcome to TC. Looks like a lot of great artwork. Have fun!!!

just joined yesterday. discovered this site through my good friend Buzzy.

Mahalo! My name is Chris Clark. Brand New to the forum. My Friend Rose turned me on to this site and I'm so glad she did :D This place rocks!

Aloha,
Although new to T. C. Lil Hula and I have been enjoying the Tiki lifestyle for quite a while now. Just thought it was time to join up and say Hi!

I found this site as I was looking for pictures to add to my daughter's 18th birthday video. Her favorite restaurant to celebrate her young birthdays was the Kahiki in Columbus, Ohio. It was my favorite, too. Sadness.

BUT, thanks to all the other Kahiki-ites, I have beautiful pictures to remind the whole family how we had a very unique and memorable dining experience in this day of chains and conformity. She, as the rest of the family, will be so excited!

It was also good to see one of my favorite bartenders and friends, Skip in a picture or two! Memories!

Thanks Again!