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Tiki Finds

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

Holy crap on a stick! You found 4 port light glasses???
A

Thanks, Leevigraham. Ham, Is that Hugely Aggravating Message?

Lol

Trying to pick up the lingo.
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I've never seen that one before. Amazing find.
A

Here are a few recent finds in the wild (Portland area Goodwills).

Vintage Hawaiian Holiday aloha shirt 20250123_07081220250123_070837advertising Waldron's Seafood Vintage Ui-Maikai in a pattern I've never seen before. More French Impressionist than their typical patterns.

20250123_07111620250123_071124 And a couple mugs. Interesting to find a Maikai mug in Portland, at the opposite corner of the country (/uploads/87135/67925f31c4841.jpg)20250123_07133420250123_071350

A few years ago I started doing this thing where I keep the price tag on the mug and write when and where I found it. And since Goodwills around here print the date they hit the shelf right on the tag, i can see how long stuff sits on the shelf before it's taken. Typically, I don't find anything more than 2 days after it hits the shelf.

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[ Edited by andrews_tiki_reviews on 2025-01-23 07:58:40 ]

[ Edited by andrews_tiki_reviews on 2025-01-23 07:59:56 ]
TP

Nice finds, Andrews Tiki! I can't help but notice some awesome collectibles in the background of those photos too...

And, yes, the 4 glasses were just sitting there, waiting to be found, and all were in mint condition (zero paint loss) and cheap. It was a good day.

[ Edited by The Professor on 2025-01-23 10:14:46 ]

[ Edited by The Professor on 2025-01-23 13:13:27 ]
A

This is a good point validated by an estate sale I went to in November. Someone posted some pics about her dad's big collection of Hawaiian stuff with some photos of some very uninteresting things, including around 100 Buffet albums - but I went anyway. I ended up checking things out, then went back the next day on half price day and spent $275 on 11 vintage aloha shirts, 1 aloha dress, a real ships wheel, 2 Coco Joes lighters, old Hawaii souvenir trays, 2 non Buffet albums (lol) and a bunch of other random stuff.
PP

I scored a set of 7 vintage Pearl Diver glasses at an estate sale late last year and forgot to share here. No other tiki in the house, but these folks had an affinity to all manner of glassware. The Pearl Diver set included two with a gold tint, two with a purple tint, one pink, one blueish and one clear--so I'm guessing three out of the set of 10 got broken over the years. They are quite cool--I've never seen any in the wild before. I have a pair of modern reproductions (they come in clear only) and the new glasses are thicker, heavier and are half an inch taller than the vintage glasses. The clear vintage glass also has an iridescence to it that the modern glasses lack.

PD1

PD2

PD3

PD4
A

Nice glasses! It does seem like all vintage glassware is much lighter (thin walled) than modern.

I've only ever found 2 pearl diver glasses while thrifting and it's been a few years.

I did pick up a couple shirts last weekend while thrifting.20250205_22264220250205_22265020250205_22271020250205_222726

I just love the orange one from Hawaiiana, a brand I've never seen before. It's got metal buttons and is heavy barkcloth fabric. The brown Tropicana isn't too bad either. But it's a distant 2nd.
PP

Nice shirt finds! The Goodwill in San Marcos, near the university, almost always has some Aloha shirts but I have never found any with tapa/pseudo-tapa print like these. And honestly, that's what I've been on the lookout the most in recent years. You're definitely skilled at sniffing them out!
A

You know how thrifting goes... ya gotta go ALL THE TIME to find good stuff with any consistency. Especially now that tiki has experienced a big rebirth. Everyone and their grandma is looking for "tiki". In fact, I ran into some ridiculous prices at a local Goodwill for stuff I wouldn't even pay $2 for. Clearly the guy who prices has heard tiki is hot, but has no clue what actual worth is.IMG_20250209_224358IMG_20250209_224410

I took pics to send to my wife so we could get a good laugh. $15 for a crappy Accoutraments mug. Lol $30 for a small reproduction float. At a thrift store! Omg.
TP

First time back on the hunt in a while. This less common version of the Trader Dick's S&P shakers is a bit of an oddball.

IMG_4988

[ Edited by The Professor on 2025-03-03 13:41:38 ]
H
Hamo posted on Mon, Mar 3, 2025 11:05 PM

Some of these were found by others and gifted to me--hope that counts.

My parents went to Hawaii in December. I lent my father an aloha shirt to wear on the way out, and he went to a Goodwill and brought back these shirts for me.

IMG_1299 IMG_1300 IMG_1301 IMG_1302 IMG_1303 IMG_1304

Then went antiquing in the middle of January and found this Trader Vic's pick in among some swizzles.

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T

After a long drought, the Tiki gods finally smiled on me in late February and over 2 weekends I found two OG Colorado items (Denver area's defunct "The Islands" S&P Shakers, and 2 classic buckets from Manitous Springs' defunct "Castaway's" restaurant)... then 3 Daga made Maui-Lui mugs, and 3 Orchids R-12 coffee mugs. All at different Denver area thrift stores, none of them for more than $1.99 a pop.

All praise the eternal (but fickle) Tiki gods!

Tiki Finds Feb

[ Edited by Tiki_Thor on 2025-03-04 18:10:30 ]
T

In fact, I ran into some ridiculous prices at a local Goodwill for stuff I wouldn't even pay $2 for. Clearly the guy who prices has heard tiki is hot, but has no clue what actual worth is.

Maybe we should start a "Tikis Of Shame" thread for overpriced or grotesque/junk items? Could be fun.

I also see stupid prices on stupid things here and there and have to laugh... such as $24.99 coconut monkeys, $25+ GeekyTikis, Accoutrements items over $15, etc., and lately a lot of Tiki-Lin & Barconic stuff is appearing, priced up at "real Tiki" prices.

[ Edited by Tiki_Thor on 2025-03-07 10:42:27 ]
S

Nice little haul today.

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H

Great finds. Haven't been that lucky in any thrift stores, Denver or otherwise.
H
Hamo posted on Sat, Apr 12, 2025 10:09 PM

Guess I forgot to post this tourist tiki I found in an Aurora Goodwill back at the beginning of January

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D

Best thread on TC. I'll be posting soon with finds from Newport Beach, Oregon.
T

I was very chuffed to find my first "Crying Tiki" wax candle today, and he's a girthy fellow at 15" tall and 3.5" wide.

Someone previously burned him down enough to get some tears flowing, but he'll be flame free with me.

1 2

[ Edited by Tiki_Thor on 2025-05-31 17:17:11 ]
H

Wendy, looking forward to seeing your recent tiki finds (hint hint).
H
Hamo posted on Thu, Jun 12, 2025 5:57 PM

Went thrifting in Fort Collins yesterday and snagged this aloha shirt. The store tag said it's an XL, but I don't see any size indicated on the shirt itself, and I doubt it's that big. It does fit, but it would fit even better if I did a little more exercise (and maybe a little less drinking....)

IMG_1863

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T

Trio

Found these 3 on vinyl and near mint at a garage sale near Denver... for $3 each. By Grabthar's Hammer, what a savings!
TP

Interesting road trip find in western Illinois:

IMG_5441

Curiously unmarked, but I suspect Mauna Loa Mexico.
D

Couple of recent finds in the wild. Port and starboard lanterns from Tung Woo out of Hong Kong and a nice double Tiki bowl.

Starboard and Port Lanterns

Double Tiki Bowl
D

Also a big fork and spoon set

For Spoon

[ Edited by Dustycajun on 2025-06-24 10:13:19 ]
D

Tiki Thor, Would you consider selling one of the buckets?

[ Edited by Dustycajun on 2025-06-24 10:18:50 ]
T

@ Dustycajun, sorry but I've already sold off the second Castaways bucket locally.
UT

Nice finds DC!
T

DC, those big forks and spoons always tickle me when I see them at thrift stores. Such an odd collision of 60's-70's kitsch and culture. Now you just have to look for a knife in the same mammoth size (they are rare, but i have seen them).

I've been documenting examples of the forbidden cutlery here

I'd rank these in the "cheese zone" with the driftwood natives and coconut monkeys.

[ Edited by Tiki_Thor on 2025-07-03 06:03:35 ]
H

Spousal unit gift

IMG_0068 IMG_0066

She’s a keeper

[ Edited by hang10tiki on 2025-07-21 20:29:47 ]
TP

Yesterday's find:

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T

I was surprised to pull a Tepco Hula Dancer from the vases section of my local Goodwill yesterday. My wife declared it "butt ugly".

tepco

[ Edited by Tiki_Thor on 2025-08-24 21:42:39 ]
T

... and a BC116 Bamboo of China "Hula Girl" bowl the very next day from the "pots" section of a different Goodwill. My first "scorpion bowl" found in the wild, and only $2.99!

BoC Hula Bowl

[ Edited by Tiki_Thor on 2025-08-24 21:41:37 ]
C

Found this little guy on another recent trip to Colorado.

Kon Tiki Front Kon Tiki Rear
T

Been on a bit of a roll lately - three SHAG books showed up at Goodwill today!

SHAG
T

20250920_141457

Not a bad haul from several local Goodwills today... A dark green Westwood W4, an unknown brown mug in the Westwood style, a white "paper destiny" Happy Tiki mug, and an unmarked Maori statue (I already had the light green W-2 Westwood from a previous hunt).

[ Edited by Tiki_Thor on 2025-09-21 08:57:22 ]
T

20250925_175004

Behold this mighty Tiki weapon in all its glory!

Much like the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti, and perhaps even Mothman... the "Forbidden Cutlery" Knife DOES EXIST!

[ Edited by Tiki_Thor on 2025-09-26 04:49:23 ]
TP

Found a 38" PNG kundu drum yesterday.

IMG_5913
T

Whoa!!!! A very appropriate for a gift from a very loving spouse indeed. Fantastic and what an amazing mug. Congrats.
T

I recently moved from Vancouver, Canada to Dublin, Ireland and there is very little tiki stuff over here, so I was happy to find this vintage unopened mini rum bottle and unopened cherry brandy decanter. Love the look of the Hawaiian girl. I found them in a local farm market's little antique section. Exciting finds in a tiki dry zone.

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