tiki bar authenticity

hello. i am new to the tiki community. i was wondering if someone could determine the authenticity of this witco 70s tiki bar and give me a guesstimate for its worth. thank you very much!!!!

One Yankee Dollar.

So you just joined up to see how much something is worth did ya?

My friend bought one for about $175.00, but the people didn't know what they had. My guess is about $400.00. It also depends on the area you live in or if someone can pick up or you deliver.

nope. i just purchased a new home and ive been an in the closet fan of tiki stuff for a while now. i have a spot in my house that would be perfect for a bar and tiki struck a chord. ive been doing research on purchasing and came across one for sale. i am a very wary person and know there are probably copies out there that are worth much less. a lady i came in contact with locally said she is trying to sell this witco tiki bar. just trying to get some expertise opinions on its authenticity and if im in actuality getting ripped off. im sure everyone knows how twisted this world can be sometimes. any info would be greatly appreciated!

Well then, It does appear that is a real Witco Bar
The condition will dictate the actual worth, if you get it cheap
you got a deal.

Not the most sought after version of a Witco bar. I would not buy it at any sort of collector price. Just think of it as a bar and pay what you think it is worth. ANd it would depend on where you are as to resale value. In some places, it is worth little as it can't be shipped, others more.

If it was me, and in my 'hood here in East TN, I would not pay much more then $300-350 for it. The matching stools are a big plus and seem in good condition. $400 tops.

I saw one Witco bar stool similar to these ones you have pictured on ebay going for $200-plus. Im not a real expert on Witco but if one stool was going for that much and you have a complete bar, you have a treasure there. So I agree with Atomic Tiki Punk. If you get or got it for cheap you scored. :)

Depending on where you are indeed. Not a whole lotta non-pastel tikiness in my neck of the south.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=40041&forum=5

For the last 7 days in our area , someone on craigslist has thought it was worth a lot more. I wonder if it comes with the Tonka truck?

aloha, tikicoma

Wow, is Tiki Central growing up? Not one douchebag has smugly responded, "Well....it worth what someone is willing to pay for it."

On 2012-05-21 20:32, SuperEight wrote:
Wow, is Tiki Central growing up? Not one douchebag has smugly responded, "Well....it worth what someone is willing to pay for it."

Well, I did - but it wasn't smuggly and it was in a PM :lol:

theres the craigslist ad! lol. i didnt wanna blow up where i saw the tiki for sale but yea thats the listing. i told her she was charging too much and she said they could sell it for over a thousand dollars if she wanted to and that i "cant afford it anyway and should just go back to goodwill." LOL

From the photos the bar-top looked damaged so it is not in excellent shape
I saw a big gouge on the side) I would not pay what they are asking as it is not even one
of the nicer Witco Bars.

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2012-05-21 21:32 ]

It IS worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Sometimes people don't understand that there are no sure retails for old stuff.

On 2012-05-22 02:55, Bongo Bungalow wrote:
It IS worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Sometimes people don't understand that there are no sure retails for old stuff.

I really don't think most people on TC really think that the amateur appraisals of lowbrow collectibles on Tiki Central have the same level of scrutiny that say Christie's or Butterfields have when they put to price something. They are just looking for a ballpark average dollar figure of what something is trading for currently. People that collect stuff just tend to have these discussions and hold not ill will if some "off the top of the head" figure is off. When the inevitable "Its worth what some is willing to pay" comment arrives with no further explanation I am always left wondering if the person is trying to make the point that stuff can sell for variable prices in different circumstances, or do they have some objection to the discussion of what something is worth in dollars in our capitalist system? I just don't think it should raise anyone's ire that a person asked for an opinion of what something is selling for. But enough of this....back the to Witco bar.

On 2012-05-22 14:53, SuperEight wrote:
I just don't think it should raise anyone's ire that a person asked for an opinion of what something is selling for.

But why shouldn't it when the very first post from a new member is a question literally asking how much money they can make off someone? The OP might have said that he has "been an in the closet fan of tiki stuff for a while now" yet how can that be proven? We can only take his word for it. It may be true, but how many times have we seen threads started before where the only post/s we see are someone asking for information about what something is worth and then the only other comments they leave are them trying to defend themselves?

I left a post on Facebook about the people who snap up limited edition mugs only to then put them up on eBay at inflated prices. I don't see this as any different. They are not collectors or fans of tiki culture, they have just somehow found a niche market/field/interest, happened to stumble across an item/s those who actually collect and have a genuine interest in, and because something is rare/limited/ hard to come by, thought "Hey, that's one of those Tiki bars/mugs/carvings/whatever things. I'm going to buy that and then re-sell it and make myself some money".

As i said, i can only go by the word of the OP and if i'm wrong, i apologise in advance. However, i have a pretty good feeling we wont see too many posts from him/her again, only to defend themselves and/or attack me.

[ Edited by: swizzle 2012-05-23 02:13 ]

Why would it be called a TIKI Bar if there is no Tiki on it, or on the bar stools? This bar is as Tiki as this mug:

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2012-05-23 13:49 ]

Good point Sven, Not all "Bars" are "Tiki Bars" Witco or otherwise.

Thanks for the chuckle big bro. I am sometimes tempted to respond to ads for tiki items that are not realy tiki, just tell them it's not even close. I guess it's common place these days.

Sven. You always make excellent points. Some of us tend to call something Tiki just because its carved and such when there is no actual Tiki. I tend to do that from timt to time without thinking about it. I will always keep this in mind now. :)

Can I ask here and now, what is the deal with witco, that is to say, what is it and why do people care about it? Is it carved or burnt, and what is the origin? I guess that despite the fact that is is not red, it seems a bit like New Zealand long house art (are they called long houses?) So I asked a bunch of questions, I'll answer one now. The bar is only worth something if it elevates the bartenders talent for producing delicious drinks, and gives their guests a cozy sense of belonging in an exotic setting. As you can tell I don't get witco, but I feel that the most straight forward orchid of japan mug is worth more than the bar pictured. I'm sorry if you love it, and if you do then slice up some limes and love it, and your guests will love it too, even I would if you offered me a drink from behind it.