The lengths we go to collect. Dedicated or just plain nuts?

I have been collecting classic vintage tiki for well over a decade now. The urge for the hunt is still as strong now as it was after I found my first tiki mug at a garage sale. Michigan has never been a hotbed for finding these treasures but I have been fortunate enough to make many rare finds over the years. With my local hunting grounds apparently running dry I decided to cast a wider net. My wife and I traveled two hundred miles north for the weekend to the largest antique and collectibles show in Michigan this weekend. Hopes were high as the show has over a thousand dealers and acres of stalls and buildings. After walking for over seven miles total and getting sunburned and spending twenty bucks on a corn dog and a four inch long cheese steak and a pop we left empty handed. Next we drove to one of the largest antique malls in Michigan and spent another couple of hours scouring the booths there. No luck. I consider myself a pretty good hunter but the hunting grounds seemed barren. The backup plan was good though. We had reservations at a beautiful casino for a room for the night and even toured a Cold War era U.S. Navy destroyer. Even though we didn't find any treasures and spent time, money and gas the trip was worth all the expense and effort just for the memories. Sometimes I forget that the thrill of the hunt is often worth as much as a good find and this is one of those times. So is this dedication or just plain nuts? Either way it's a great time. I know many other folks have gone to greater lengths for collecting and it's always great to here those stories. Sorry I ramble on.

Nuts probably. But in a good way. I've seen a lot of really cool parts of the country I likely never would have, to go get something out of a random basement, attic or barn. Tiki runs are the little treasure hunts that keep the pirate in us alive! That and all the rum drinks

Sounds like you had a good time, and there's nothing wrong with it! So long as you're enjoying what you're doing, that's the main criteria as far as I'm concerned. It's not like you have to report back to people who spend thousands of dollars and commute hundreds of miles to go to a concert or sportsball contest or some other socially approved hobby. I'm just jealous that you could make those trips and are able to describe your area as becoming tapped out! Some of us aren't lucky enough to be dedicated/nuts! :)

The lengths I have gone, not for nothing, but for nearly worthless things. When Barney, the huge Barney West carving in the Mai-Kai gardens fell over years ago, there was a large hunk of him in the dumpster. Just his belly with a bit of arm on it. I hauled out and put it in a shopping cart nearby. Tiki Hana was there and agreed to take it back home with him to Raleigh. That's about 5-6 hours from my house. I got home and arranged a weekend to go get it. Didn't think about it fitting in the car! Luckily we made it fit in the back seat. Drove it home and put it on a palette under a tarp. That's where it is now, years later. It's too big to do much with, and kind of boring. But I am glad I have it.

And my wife just came it telling me she was lying awake last night thinking maybe we could put it in a corner of the yard we opened up... 7 years later...

Dedicated...

Every trip we take involves hunting :)

Swank- awesome