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Tiki Finds

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mytiki.life – The best place to build and manage your tiki collections.
H

Spousal unit out hunting while I was at work today
She spent 5.00

2 albums
And
The Treasure Craft Pirate Ship
H

E

On 2016-04-02 20:36, hang10tiki wrote:

OMG! I am in love with this!
H

EnchantedTikiHoth-

Glad she knows the treasure Craft catalog well
The Pirate Ship is unmarked
Unfortunately she did find any shrimp boats at the sale

Here's a pic from TikiBosko posted in 2008

Worst sound ever, slurp of an empty tiki mug through my straw!!!

[ Edited by: hang10tiki 2016-04-05 06:27 ]
H

Here's the photo from the catalog
(Sorry, print is small)
E

So cute! That is now on my list of must-gets!
8T

Not a bad weekend of finds for the beginning of the yard sale/flea market season here in ol' Missouri.

A few swizzles.

A couple of coco joes and a HIP wall plaque/coaster. (It was at the bottom of a stack of boring kitchen trivets) It pays to check thoroughly.

A nice little rattan table, a carved shrunken head coconut and a nice little palm carving.

I hope this is a good omen for lots of lucky finds in 2016
Get out there and search!
E

The end of last year, this tiki showed up for sale. It was kinda pricey and I didn't wanna spend the money. As soon as I decided to buy it, it was gone. I kicked myself everyday for not buying it. Then I stumbled in research that its Exactly the one shown in the Jungle & Sea Imports catalog. I kicked myself even harder.

Yesterday it was relisted, so I pounced. When I went to pick it up, he said he had bought it from a guy who had it in his house for years, and that guy bought it from a closed down Tiki themed Liquor store in LA area in the 60's.

So From Jungle & Sea Imports, to a Liquor Store, to the high desert and finally to my Hut... Almost 7 ft tall, abalone shell eyes, base 3 ft across..

Then the guy shows me the other one. I made him an offer, and brought home the cannibal too. Where he's from, I don't know. Closest I could find style wise this big was the Morro Bay Harbor Hut ones.

Today, I'm a happy man..
H

Fantastic finds Erich.
S

Very nice Erich. That big guy is awesome.
E

Well my latest find isn't as cool as those statuesque and historical Tikis, but she's a nice little addition in keeping with our penchant for fantasy Tiki...
HB

Erich- beautiful tikis. Two amazing pieces like that in one find is unreal. Congrats
H

Erich- we bow down before you

Congrats Bruddah
awesome
D

Acquired these fish from the remaining pieces of Roy Ells basement tiki bar. They look very similar to some scans of pages from a Sea & Jungle Imports catalog page on the topic here, but not sure!
E

Thanks all. I'm pretty happy they are now in my hut.

ETG, I have that same mermaid, just painted completely different. good score
B

Nice fishies, Dixon!

Erich, just saw your post: YowzaH!

That is the real deal, man! A TIKI FIND if there ever was!

I remember Dale Sizer telling me about a liquor store like that, "Tropical Liquor" or sumthin', I will ask him.
E

Thanks

What I've gathered so far...

The maori tiki is exactly like the one in the old Jungle & Sea Imports catalog that was in there showroom. Hang10 found another one in a hotel lobby in hawaii somewhere that was stained darker. The Tonga Lei restaurant had one too, except it had 4 fingers instead of 3. Who carved them originally, I don't know. The bottom is carved "hencho in mexico". So it seems Jungle & Sea Imports claims of importing items from all over the South Pacific might have been stretched slightly lol.

The cannibal is really close to the one at the Kon Tiki Cleveland. Not the same one, but no doubt carved by the same person. Happy Buddah made mention of a hispanic carver who did cannibals. I searched around and came up with the name Demetrio Chavez. Maybe he carved it, maybe not. I think this is going to require a trip to oceanic Arts to ask Bob and Leroy.

Supposedly both tikis were in a liquor store in LA area in the 60's. From there 2 dr's had them in their house. I bought them the guy who bought them from the dr's.
The only LA liquor store I can come up with so far is in this link
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=47899&forum=1&hilite=liquor%20store%20park

So thats what I know so far.
B

That's what I was gonna say, too, Demetrio Chavez, the only Mexican carver I know of who did that kind of quality.

I asked Dale about the liquor store he knew, he says it was Surf Liquor in VENTURA near the beach...that's not exactly L.A., I guess.

I remember seeing a version of the Maori in a photo in the shop in this thread (which is now image-less, unfortunately):

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=8264&forum=5&start=0

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2016-04-14 14:02 ]
BPB

I have one picture of a Maori tiki like that which I could find

Buzzy Out!
RR

That photo is not Surf Liquor in Ventura.

On 2016-04-14 14:01, bigbrotiki wrote:
That's what I was gonna say, too, Demetrio Chavez, the only Mexican carver I know of who did that kind of quality.

I asked Dale about the liquor store he knew, he says it was Surf Liquor in VENTURA near the beach...that's not exactly L.A., I guess.

I remember seeing a version of the Maori in a photo in the shop in this thread (which is now image-less, unfortunately):

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=8264&forum=5&start=0

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2016-04-14 14:02 ]
E

Thanks Buzzy, that was the starting point of my research. I was looking thru the Jungle & Sea Imports brochure I have and noticed it in that pic of their showroom.

Thanks Rob Roy. It appears that's the surf liquor in santa Monica not Ventura.

I'm looking up several different surf liquors in surrounding LA areas on google right now. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a lead.

[ Edited by: ErichTroudt 2016-04-14 16:42 ]
HB

Chavez is exactly right. He signed many of them with his last name. I have seen a very small decor-type tiki in that exact style by him.
PR

On 2016-04-14 10:37, ErichTroudt wrote:
Hang10 found another one in a hotel lobby in hawaii somewhere that was stained darker.

As seen in the Waikiki Beachcomber upstairs hotel... There were 2 there. Pictured in a certain book...
H

Yep
They were on the Phillip Waikiki Tiki tour :)
H

Came home from work

The spousal unit went hunting
And brought a few items home
:)

Tiny Pineapple mug
2 1/4 in. tall
2 1/4 in. wide

Old salt n pepper shakers
What year would it have been to mail this box for .03
AP

Stopped at an Antique Mall in Harrisburg PA on the way back from the Porsche swapmeet in Hershey. The wife sensed Tiki in the place- I walked right past this Hawaii Kai mug twice but she spotted it instantly! Beautiful Fierce Tiki - marked 8 buks but the wife got it for 20% off at a cool 6.00.

[ Edited by: Aloha pinball 2016-04-16 16:27 ]
AP

Good day today - found a rattan bar that matches the patina on the chairs in our sunroom, plus a red velvet nude, a second edition trader Vics bartender guide, a souvenir program from the Hawiaii pavilion at the 1964/65 worlds fair, and a nude hula girl on an incongrous ad from a local meat processor circa 1960. That one has the bartender guide on it- Ill post a close up on the grand mamber site in the appropriate forum. Also a carved wood head- it doesnt look African or Tiki to me- I suspect it to be polynesian of some sort but could be wrong- that one is going onto "is it Tiki".
BPB

Last few weeks stuff:



Rain, Gulls hockey, and easter really killed the recent shopping season here.

Pair of dynasty mugs

Hawaiian KU tiki

Coco Joes Zodiac and Kona Kai club match book

Best find in a while: 3' PNG Mask in almost perfect shape

Maori resin bowl by Parua Studios with the sticker

A trio of Trader Vics Aloha Coconut mugs

Rrio of Matson menus from july 69

International tiki market place scores

Bought some Selector and Specials two tone singles from Tikig's pal too. Stoked!

Buzzy out
H

CN

The following find, made in Marton, New Zealand, offers testimony to some sad tiki mug devolution in the country that paved the way. 20 years or so after Harry Hargreaves of Crown Lynn designed the first known tiki mug in 1949 (called "Ruru and Weku"), New Zealand had sunk to THIS:

This Hawaiian NZ impostor looks like a craft DIY mug, but I am sure someone here will be able to tell me more...
H

Looks like this 1
CN

Thanks Hang10Tiki - that's the one. It's a shame there is no date or other details but that is certainly him.
K

On 2016-04-20 19:06, Club Nouméa wrote:

New Zealand... the country that paved the way. 20 years or so after Harry Hargreaves of Crown Lynn designed the first known tiki mug in 1949...

WOW!! Do you mean to say that Tiki mugs were actually invented in New Zealand?? That's AMAZING!!

hmmm... hope that doesn't mean that anyone with kiwi artefacts in their Tiki bar will have to register
and pay an exorbitant annual fee to the Waitangi Tribunal anytime soon???

[ Edited by: komohana 2016-04-22 23:45 ]
CN

Yes, Komohana, the first known tiki mug came from New Zealand - see the following thread:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=44394&forum=5&start=15&hilite=Crown%20Lynn

If you look further down that thread, you will also see that the earliest known tiki teacup and saucer also came from New Zealand (via Germany circa 1939).

These discoveries ruffled a few Californian feathers at the time, but so far no one has uncovered an American tiki mug (or teacup) that predates these.

And it does beg the question: where did Americans get the idea of tiki mugs from?


Toto, j'ai l'impression que nous ne sommes plus au Kansas !

[ Edited by: Club Nouméa 2016-04-23 18:09 ]

[ Edited by: Club Nouméa 2016-04-23 18:11 ]
K

On 2016-04-23 18:07, Club Nouméa wrote:
Yes, Komohana, the first known tiki mug came from New Zealand - see the following thread:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=44394&forum=5&start=15&hilite=Crown%20Lynn

If you look further down that thread, you will also see that the earliest known tiki teacup and saucer also came from New Zealand (via Germany circa 1939).

These discoveries ruffled a few Californian feathers at the time, but so far no one has uncovered an American tiki mug (or teacup) that predates these.

And it does beg the question: where did Americans get the idea of tiki mugs from?

I read that thread at the time, and clearly remember the responses bigbrotiki proffered.

What EXACTLY do you hope to gain? Even if you do somehow convince everyone that Tiki mugs were invented in New Zealand - so what?

Your posts are usually pert cool, the travel threads in particular, but there is a common whiff of "agenda" rising from many of them - what is that?
CN

Hello Komohana,

That's an oddly loaded series of questions. If you look back at the thread in question, you will see that I was not the one who discovered the Crown Lynn mug, so it is not really a case of me setting any "agenda". Regarding your straw-man assumptions about my frame of reference, I would never be so presumptuous as to assume that I could "convince everyone" of anything....

If there is a thread running through some of my posts, it is only to the extent of indicating that tikis were a part of popular culture in New Zealand decades before they were in the United States; this is an aspect of tiki culture which has in the past been overlooked. If there is anything to "gain" from this, it is merely sharing knowledge which had previously been ignored.

It is also interesting to note that in spite of the fact they seem to originate from New Zealand, tiki mugs died a death here (as shown by this odd Ku mug I found), while they took off in the United States in the 50s and 60s. There's a lot that is unknown about the history of tiki mugs, and some surprisingly fundamental questions which still remain unanswered.


Toto, j'ai l'impression que nous ne sommes plus au Kansas !

[ Edited by: Club Nouméa 2016-04-24 20:59 ]

[ Edited by: Club Nouméa 2016-04-24 21:02 ]
K

It's probably true that an oddly loaded imagination will almost always frame oddly loaded questions.

You are correct, there are many fundamental questions left unanswered.

Am fascinated by this proverbial storm in a Crown Lynn tea cup.
Where is nzbungalow? He seems to have fallen off the edge of the map as promptly as he fell from the sky.
K

On 2016-04-24 18:26, Club Nouméa wrote:

...your straw-man assumptions...

...Toto, j'ai l'impression que nous ne sommes plus au Kansas !

Am curious, Do you see yourself as the Lion, the Tin Man... or Dorothy?
CN

My reading of events is that nzbungalow left this site in disgust because he was treated offhandedly by various people who tut-tutted and pooh-poohed his discovery.

As for your last question, and regardless of that ironic quote, I have never been a fan of the Wizard of Oz....


Toto, j'ai l'impression que nous ne sommes plus au Kansas !

[ Edited by: Club Nouméa 2016-04-24 23:00 ]
K

On 2016-04-24 22:43, Club Nouméa wrote:

I have never been a fan of the Wizard of Oz....

Have to admit, I always thought it was one of the more likable American icons.
U

Good week. Found these five Magic Sands Blue Moai Glasses plus a clear one. Every once in a while I get lucky.

[ Edited by: ukutiki 2016-04-30 17:30 ]
G

Those Moai are great! Haven't seen them before. I ain't found $&@/$ since moving back to Denver so I'm happy with this surfer girl from Trader Dicks - nice thin, detailed mold.

gabbahey
H

A few tiki finds from last Saturday Tiki Makeke at Don's.

A couple of door knobs from Crazy Al

A cute little tiki Bob shot glass that I love from OUTL1N3

A Deadhead Rum mug, I never saw before, apparently been around for a while, what do I know,
I like it its metallic in color. I ordered a drink and got the mug cheaper at the bar at Don's.

it was fun finding tiki stuff at Tiki Makeke.
BPB

New stuff

Matson Lurline Eugene Savage Italian made "Aloha" tray

Maori salt and pepper shakers

Trader Vics coconut mug

4 of the same mug

Boxed Treasure Craft palm tree s+p

A few matchbooks

Buzzy Out!

[ Edited by: Bay Park Buzzy 2016-05-03 11:13 ]
8T

These sorta followed me home. Ugly as ..........But at least we now know who to blame.

IT'S QUON-QUON!!!!!!!!!!!!
H

K
kiara posted on Fri, May 6, 2016 12:22 PM

I haven't been on TC in a little while, but I wanted to share a recent score I had a few months ago. I just saw Erich's Killer find. This is one of the (many) big reasons why we're here...To see and share scores like this. If I found these two Tikis I think that all of my problems would be solved. :)

Anyway....I bought the smaller version of this cannibal carving By Chavez from the daughter of the (once) maitre'D of Kon Tiki Cleveland.

It's signed on the lower right side of the carving...

And if you look at the Kon Tiki swizzle stick, you'll see what inspired their logo Tiki.

On 2016-04-06 16:33, ErichTroudt wrote:

Then the guy shows me the other one. I made him an offer, and brought home the cannibal too. Where he's from, I don't know. Closest I could find style wise this big was the Morro Bay Harbor Hut ones.

Today, I'm a happy man..
E

Very cool Kiara, thanks for posting it.

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