Disneyland shrunken heads…

So, does anyone know anything about those shrunken heads that they used to sell in Adventure land back in the 70s and 80s? Doing a little research I managed to find out a little about the Randotti skulls but I haven't been able to find anything out about the shrunken heads. So now I'm looking for the Randotti skulls and Tiki items, but I really want to find some of the shrunken heads as well. When I build my tiki bar I want to use all these items in the decor. Growing up during that era in So Cal they're all kind of inextricably linked with Tiki in my mind. But without knowing anything about them I figure they're going to be deucedly difficult to track down…

[ Edited by: Teadoir 2015-08-06 17:39 ]

How much would you pay for one of the heads that trader Sam was holding in the Disneyland jungle cruise? Comes in custom made glass display box with base attached.

This one was listed at 5000.00 I think.

http://www.icollector.com/Disney-Disneyland-JUNGLE-CRUISE-Attraction-Trader-Sam-Shrunken-Zombie-Head-Actual-Ride-Prop_i22031005

I have a decent size randotti collection. Bamboo Ben's mom used to be friends with the Randy and Dotti Smith family.

[ Edited by: nomeus 2015-08-06 18:46 ]

Here's another one...I think it was the same price

http://www.icollector.com/Disney-Disneyland-JUNGLE-CRUISE-Attraction-Trader-Sam-Shrunken-Zombie-Head-Actual-Ride-Prop_i22031006

Yeah, I was more thinking the black hard rubber things they used to sell. Those are pretty cool, but I'm looking more in the low end collector range... :)

@Teadoir.....The shrunken heads can be found in several sizes from a few dealers online. I can post or send you the links if you would like.

@Nomeus.....Not only were they friends, but Randotti produced a Tiki figurine with a sort of familiar name, #827 "Hedleba".

Please post links! This is an aspect of my décor that I had not considered before.

I make these Heads into mug shelves. I'll have a few at Tiki Oasis and the International Tiki Marketplace at Don the Beachcomber Sept. 12.

@Lost are these for the vintage ones? I've seen that people are making similar ones nowadays and selling them on eBay but I'd really like some of the vintage ones. If you have any links to those that would be incredibly awesome!

@Ben is that what you're using? The new ones and painting them up? I kind of feel like an idiot because as an artist that never occurred to me for some reason. I've been passing over the new ones but paint them up and they could be a decent inexpensive addition…I blame trying to get the new house ready and having a seven-month-old at home to deal with…

Yes, those are cast from the same molds, but not by the Randotti company. There is a lady on Ebay that sells vintage originals her name is "bunnie2222"

They are pricey but there is a guy on eBay that will make one in your likeness or any other person's likeness. They look pretty good.

Try this guy too; his shrunken heads are awesome, and he has many different styles. He is on vacation until the 8th, I believe.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/shrunkenheaddotcom?ref=shopsection_shophome_leftnav

On 2015-08-07 02:03, LostIsland wrote:

@Nomeus.....Not only were they friends, but Randotti produced a Tiki figurine with a sort of familiar name, #827 "Hedleba".

ive been looking for 827 ever since sven made me aware of its existence. he as one and might be the only one around, who knows. im sure ill never find one though.

On 2015-08-07 00:31, Teadoir wrote:
Yeah, I was more thinking the black hard rubber things they used to sell. Those are pretty cool, but I'm looking more in the low end collector range... :)

a simple ebay search for randotti turns them up....it isnt hard to find them. ive had a lot of communication with bunnie (randotti seller on ebay). she is part of the smith family. i believe randy and dotti were her husbands parents. the story goes that her husbands brother took over the company after randy and dotti passed away and basically threw it all away. then he sold off some molds to that other seller on ebay that states in his listing "from mold".

real

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ORIGINAL-RANDOTTI-13-PIECE-SET-OF-1969-BOOTHILL-TOMBSTONES-/321567499923

reproduction

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Retro-Glow-in-the-Dark-Mini-War-God-Tiki-Pendant-Necklace-Randotti-mold-707-Blu-/231639159957?hash=item35eec51495

And that's why asked here. I didn't know that the shrunken heads were Randotti as well. I have managed to find one of the vintage shrunken heads but I havent been able to find any on eBay. Now that I know that they were made by them as well, I know how to tailor my search terms.

@nomeus... A reproduction Hedleba may be possible, but I don't think it was a huge seller, so finding an original will likely be difficult to say the least.

Re: The Randotti company's final years. There are two versions of the events that occurred in the end days. One version told by Bunnie, and one version told by Jeff. I am somewhat friends with them both and wasn't present so I generally don't take a side. I do know that the company's biggest hurdle was that Disney cancelled their contract and started producing their own items in China for the sake of maximizing their profit. Since they were the main buyer of Randotti's products it was a crushing blow.

Also, I AM that seller on Ebay and I actually don't own the molds, the items are cast for me by the current owner. I do all the finish work that transforms a rough plaster shape (the molds are old and don't do that well) into glow skulls and Tikis.

@Teadoir... To my knowledge Randotti did not produce shrunken heads. They also are not in the catalog. I can check with Jeff, but I'm pretty sure those were produced by someone else. Unless of course you are talking about the small hanging glow skulls known as "Ivans".
(bit of side info, Bunnie who sells Randotti on Ebay was actually the person who made the long white and black hair wigs that attached to the heads of the original "Ivan" glow skulls.)

Ah see, I didn't I think they were, as nothing I was finding on the Internet indicated such. It's nice to confirm that. I thought the original shrunkinheads were hard rubber. That's not in line with the Randotti production methods.

So does anyone know where the current shrunken heads have their origin? Are they a copy of those original heads? Or did somebody get ahold of molds? Or are they only similar, being as they are shrunken heads? And I'm really curious about who the original manufacturer was

well the ones in the glass boxes are real monkey skulls. but they are older so i doubt they are using real monkey skulls now on the ride. just some stuff that WDI put together im sure.

On 2015-08-09 00:53, LostIsland wrote:
@nomeus... A reproduction Hedleba may be possible, but I don't think it was a huge seller, so finding an original will likely be difficult to say the least.

if youre in socal, maybe sven would help you get a mold of his? i havent met anyone else yet that has one

Sorry, to clarify: the shrunken heads that are currently being sold on eBay and elsewhere. Are they from the same holds as the shrunken heads they used to sell as souvenirs? Or are they an entirely different sculpt?

we never had shrunken heads for sale in WDW.... got any pics? you sure youre not thinking of the hairy ivan randotti?

I found a picture of the Randotti 827 on a Danish auction website. I don't speak or read Danish so I don't know if it's still available.
It reminds me of a Northwestern totem.

http://www.dba.dk/randotti-figur-nr-827-fl/id-1007023854/

Swear to God, I remember shrunken heads like this: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=361174407377&globalID=EBAY-US Being sold in Adventureland at Disneyland. This would be back in the 70s, maybe early 80s. It's possible that I'm not remembering correctly like the whole Bernstein/Bernstain Bear thing but…

Psycho Tiki D posted this picture back in 2009 as a tiki find. He said it was a shunken head from Disneyland.

Yeah see, I could swear I remember bunches of those hanging up from the grass eaves of those little bamboo merchandise stands that they used to have...

Yes, that's exactly the image I had in my head, too! Not in a long time, but my first couple of visits when I was little in the late 70s/early 80s.

I don't remember whether they had shrunken heads or not, but it wouldn't surprise me. It would absolutely be in line with most of the stuff they carried there. I have a few pictures of that stand in my archives. I'll check and see if there's any sign of them.

I think I remember rubber-tipped spears being sold as well.

Do you mean these?

I remember the Randotti Ivan skull. They were sold in Adventureland on the left side as you walk by Jungle Cruise. I have one with black hair. They were also sold with white hair. I also have several original Randotti skulls which I purchased myself in the mid seventies at Disneyland. When Disney started buying them from China later on, the quality took a nose dive!

@Aceexplorer..Yes, they did sell rubber tipped spears. They also had multiple barrels filled with rubber snakes. It was easily the coolest "shop" in Disneyland. Although it was just an elaborate kiosk.

Nice, a picture with the shrunken heads and skulls!

On 2015-08-13 08:10, tikilongbeach wrote:
Nice, a picture with the shrunken heads and skulls!

those are hairy ivan randotti skulls

On 2015-08-11 08:07, tikilongbeach wrote:
I found a picture of the Randotti 827 on a Danish auction website.

this ad is inactive......

[ Edited by: nomeus 2015-08-19 00:42 ]

Hey all,

I don't post all that often (if ever). For the most part, I just lurk.
However, after digging through old posts I discovered this Randotti thread.

I happen to have a Hedleyba 827. No, it's is not for sale.

I am a Southern Californian, born and raised. A part of my youth was spent going to Disneyland (every couple of years, or so).
One of my favorite places in the park was the stretch from The Tiki Room to the Haunted Mansion; it appealed to the 'boy adventurer' trapped in a mundane 70's & 80's childhood.

So, sometime in the mid 80s (I would guess 86ish), I purchased a Hedleyba 827 as a memento of one of my visits.
It went home with me and spent the years as a doorstop, first in my room at my parents' house, then through a couple of apartments and then into my marriage and home purchases of my own.
In 2017 I really had a rebirth of interest in the trappings of the 'boy adventurer' and that manifested in a renewed interest in tiki... visits to Tiki Bars, enjoying exotica music, collecting mugs, etc.
As my mug collection grew I put together a display nook in the family room and thought that my old doorstop tiki would fit right in with the decor.
Out of the office it came and into the display.
And, I though I would take the time to see if the stamps on the bottom of 'hedleyba' or 'randotti' would generate any hits in Tiki Central's search bar... and here we are.

Picture time!