Orchids of Hawaii R-7 Bamboo Mug

I picked up one of these in a salvation Army for 50 cents a few weeks ago, It had been used as a paint brush holder, almost passed it up. I got it home and it cleaned right up. I went to add it to my Ooga Mooga collection but was surprised that there was only 1 other on there. I then Googled and Ebayed it and all I found on it was a link back to the one on Ooga.

I'm kind of surprised that I am finding so little on an Orchids mug. Can anyone shed more light on this mug?

In my travels and hunting I've never seen one to buy.

There are three factors that contribute to the value of a mug:

• Condition
• Desirability
• Rarity

Desirability beats out the others, and I think in a lot of cases the desirability of a mug is a result of a feedback loop based on the "Average price" listed on Ooga-Mooga. The higher the price the more people are willing to pay for it—sometimes well above average—and the price goes higher. Tiki Bob mugs are always on eBay, as are Suffering Bastards, but they'll bring $100—$200 each. The desirability is higher because of the association with a restaurant, but it doesn't explain the prices.

I've found quite a few mugs that aren't listed on Ooga-Mooga, or only have one or two other listings. But their rarity has actually helped to diminish their "value" because there aren't any prices listed on OM. The good news is, it means you can sometimes make a great find for a good deal. And that's what I think you've got—a great find that no one else values because there aren't prices listed for it. The desirability on it is going to be lowered somewhat because of the imagery and the lack of association with a restaurant, but I believe from a collector standpoint that mug is a winner. OOH was the biggest mug manufacturer, and had an important place in tiki culture.

Nice!

"You can't eat real Polynesian food. It's the most horrible junk I've ever tasted." —Trader Vic Bergeron

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-07-09 08:28 ]

On 2014-07-09 08:27, TikiTacky wrote:
There are three factors that contribute to the value of a mug:

• Condition
• Desirability
• Rarity

Desirability beats out the others, and I think in a lot of cases the desirability of a mug is a result of a feedback loop based on the "Average price" listed on Ooga-Mooga. The higher the price the more people are willing to pay for it—sometimes well above average—and the price goes higher. Tiki Bob mugs are always on eBay, as are Suffering Bastards, but they'll bring $100—$200 each. The desirability is higher because of the association with a restaurant, but it doesn't explain the prices.

I've found quite a few mugs that aren't listed on Ooga-Mooga, or only have one or two other listings. But their rarity has actually helped to diminish their "value" because there aren't any prices listed on OM. The good news is, it means you can sometimes make a great find for a good deal. And that's what I think you've got—a great find that no one else values because there aren't prices listed for it. The desirability on it is going to be lowered somewhat because of the imagery and the lack of association with a restaurant, but I believe from a collector standpoint that mug is a winner. OOH was the biggest mug manufacturer, and had an important place in tiki culture.

Nice!

---

"You can't eat real Polynesian food. It's the most horrible junk I've ever tasted." —Trader Vic Bergeron

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-07-09 08:28 ]

Pretty much my thoughts exactly. I estimate value in the 30-40 range due to desirability. I do try to put a value to everything, you never know when you may get devoured by cannibals and your significant other is left with a bunch of crap they have no clue about. I've watched Tiki David's wife go through it and it sucks.

Very interesting...
If you look close, the maker's mark appears to say Orchids of Hawii (no A), which leads me to suggest you also look at this thread I started a few days ago:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=48025&forum=5&6

Typo or knock-off?