United Airlines Tikis

I just saw one of the promotional tikis that United made (in the 70s?) in an antique store. They are about 3 feet tall, dark brown, ku style, with white and blue stripes painted on their heads. Seems to made of a lightweight wood or foam, the square base seems to be a dense foam that has been painted.

I've seen these on ebay once in a while- my question is: how much would be a reasonable amount to pay for one? She is entertaining offers, and rejected my first, but I might go back. It's got some paint flaking, but it looks pretty good.

What do you experts think?

-martin

I saw one of these about a year ago at an antique mall for $45 when I first got into collecting vintage tiki stuff. At the time I thought it was too much to pay and now I could kick myself!

I've seen these sell on Ebay for $100+, so I think the price is somewhere in between depending on condition.

Aloha,

Uncle Arty

There are two styles of this statue. I saw a few at Da Show 2002. They were going for about $150-$175 each based on condition. However, I saw a smaller one (about 24 inches high) mint condition, still in the original box for $265.00.

I got mine 7-8 years ago in an antique store here in Denver. I don't think I paid over $20 for it. When I took it up to the counter to pay for it the lady mentioned that it would make an interesting piece to add to my United Airlines collection. I told her that I was not buying it because it was from UAL, but because it was a tiki. She told me that she had meet all kinds of collectors, but I was the first tiki collector she had meet. Her response was pretty funny, she said "Well, I guess there's somebody out there who will collect just about anything". I'm sure that if that piece was back in that same store today she would have it marked up much higher.

I was selling my carved palm tikis at a local flea market and I started talking with this lady who told me that she bought her airline tiki for $200 about 4 years ago and just saw another for sale for $345. Did you get it yet?
:tiki: TiKi tOny

It's about 200 miles from my house, so I've left it for now. If it's still there the next time I'm in the area, I might pick it up, but I've been going ape-shit crazy on ebay lately, so the funny money supply is running low. Thanks everyong for the input.

-martin

but I've been going ape-shit crazy on ebay lately, so the funny money supply is running low. Thanks everyong for the input.
-martin

Uh oh, better get some funny money (but legal tender) for the October Midnite Tiki Mug Blow-Out! I mean crazy Crazy CRAZY stuff coming, unbelievable things to satisfy a Tiki jones. The October sale is gonna be BIG!!! Like, Be There! SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!! Open the gates of Hell and shake hands with the Devil.

I think Truckasaurus is going to be there. Not sure.

On the United Airlines Tiki: I have seen two types, and they sure do bring a good ebay price. Not sure why, but maybe it's that "cross-category" popularity: airline & Tiki. Heaven knows I gotta deal with Frankoma freaks in my lame attempts to score a War God mug.

midnite

Now that United has filed for the largest bankruptcy in airline history. What's going to happen to the price of the "United Tiki"?

Will people who collect airline memorabilia drive up the price of these even higher?

I have the smaller 15" version- scored @ Goodwill for $3.99.
I actually listed it on ebay a few years back (in a moment of financial weakness)& it was only about $8 short of the reserve, so I didnt sell it. Now I'm so glad it didnt sell. It is truly one of my fave tiki items.
The big 30" version is so fantastic that I have no problem understanding why people will pay so much for them.
I've tried to talk many a travel agency into selling their large version, along with the big menehune with the hawaiian shirt with no luck at all. They seem to drag them out for seasonal travel promotion.
I'd be inclined to get one if it was $100 or under, but I'm a cheap bastard.

I think I saw the big menehune at a local thrift shop a few days ago. I didn't check the price; the prices in the shop were a little steep in general. If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to swing by again and get a price on it.

Please check on the menehune's price, condition, and if he still has his clothes (shorts?)--thanks---mr.smiley

and if he still has his clothes (shorts?)--thanks---mr.smiley

No shorts? Then he's got a lot of 'splaining to do! :lol:

midnite

On 2002-12-09 16:57, mrsmiley wrote:
Please check on the menehune's price, condition, and if he still has his clothes (shorts?)--thanks---mr.smiley

You got it -- I'll check it out tomorrow at lunch, and I'll try to maybe get some pics of it. If it's something you're interested in, and it's not gonna totally break my bank, I'd be willing to pick it up for you.

p.s. -- I saw this at Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, WA, and I thought of you.

thanks "H"--bruce

One of those guys that is always selling the big united tiki is repro-ing them somehow, although I don't think he mentions that- he always uses the same pic, so beware

he does mention its made recently

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=740264109

Amazing what still turns up. I mean how did someone in Indiana find the original molds!?
I know of four or five different UA Tikis. One was the inspiration for the big Tiki on Mark Ryden's Martin Denny CD/Taboo: Art Of Tiki cover (the other single Tiki on that cover is rendered from a photo I took at the Tropics Palm Springs) and was also made as aTiki liqour bottle for the 1974 Hawaiian Open.

The best one is a solid ceramic 3 footer made as a fountain:
A Ku type Tiki holding a Ti leaf from which water pours onto two more seperate Ti leaves. I used to own one sans leaves and had it in my front yard, from where it was STOLEN about 6 years ago! (You can see the upper part of it in PAD, page 41, to the right of the TV , hidden by the books. Dale Sizer has the complete piece, plus three mor e UA Tikis)
This was the only Tiki ever stolen from me, and I hope it brought much bad luck. Tought me to only keep concrete lawn Tikis outside, which are to heavy to run with.

Wow, this guy got a great buy at $88. I bought one of these a while ago from the same guy for twice that price and he never said or implied that they were originals. I'm not sure but I think he made the molds off an original UA tiki himself. He has made quite a few of them and there's no way original old molds would hold up.
I love my repro UA Ku. It's the centerpiece of my office tiki grotto.

They're asking $325 for the menehune. I don't know if that's a lot, but it sounds awfully high to me. But maybe it'll float someone's boat. I can't imagine they've had much interest in him around here, maybe they would negotiate. This is at the Fremont Antique Mall, phone is 206-548-9140. If one of you actually wants this guy, I'd be happy to handle shipping this to you if the store won't do it.
Here's the pics I got:

Screw the Menehune! How much for that Talkng Po?

midnite

On 2002-12-11 01:33, midnite_tiki wrote:
Screw the Menehune! How much for that Talkng Po?

What do they want for that Donny and Marie record case?

Thanks, 3 bills is too high for me---bruce

Donny
What a dude!!!!

Is that a skipper Kent mug in front?

-martin

For all you United Airlines tiki fans in Southern California, I just saw the biggest damn UA tiki ever in Pasadena yesterday. It's about 5'10" on the usual United square base, with a tall headdress. Condition is pretty good, though the bottom of the jaw is discolored. Asking price is $700, which was too rich for my blood, but I really considered it, though the costs of the new car being repo'd and the divorce proceedings would have come to more.
It's at:

Pasadena Antiques Center
480 S. Fair Oaks Ave

martiki sez check it out.
-martin

while in pasadena, check out the thrift store "Out of the closet" also on Fair Oaks, they have two racks of aloha shirts and dresses for $4-5 each.

Speaking of United Airlines stuff, We have a beautiful picture map of the Hawaiian islands my wife picked up in 1970 when she lived on the north shore. It's been framed since new & hangs in our dinning room right above the "Hawaii shrine". The caption at the bottom reads "Our Little Corner of the World". I guess United was the airline of choice to the islands back then (pre-Hawaiian Airlines).

i just scored on a 30" united tiki for $86.00 and i am a damn happy camper!. repo or not, it will look good sitting on the tiki shrine i am building.i saw a pair of those other united statues on ebay a couple of days ago. i would have alerted you guys sooner , but i didn't want too much competition for my tiki!(selfish bastard!)

On 2002-12-10 14:51, bigbrotiki wrote:
Amazing what still turns up. I mean how did someone in Indiana find the original molds!?
I know of four or five different UA Tikis. One was the inspiration for the big Tiki on Mark Ryden's Martin Denny CD/Taboo: Art Of Tiki cover (the other single Tiki on that cover is rendered from a photo I took at the Tropics Palm Springs) and was also made as aTiki liqour bottle for the 1974 Hawaiian Open.

The best one is a solid ceramic 3 footer made as a fountain:
A Ku type Tiki holding a Ti leaf from which water pours onto two more seperate Ti leaves. I used to own one sans leaves and had it in my front yard, from where it was STOLEN about 6 years ago! (You can see the upper part of it in PAD, page 41, to the right of the TV , hidden by the books. Dale Sizer has the complete piece, plus three mor e UA Tikis)
This was the only Tiki ever stolen from me, and I hope it brought much bad luck. Tought me to only keep concrete lawn Tikis outside, which are to heavy to run with.

Today was a great tiki day! I found this UA tiki, with the catch basin for $65!


Perfect condition with the tube still there to make the fountain. Now, who can tell me how to turn this guy back into a fountain?

Wow, that's a steal! And while I'm not usually crazy about the UA tikis, that one is unusually cool. Congrats!

I picked up the tall 5' tiki with headress about 9 yrs ago for about$134....been with me since and now stands guard in the bamboo bunker bar.

GOOD find, Tim! Complete, and for that price! The benefits of living in a small town...

That's the one that was stolen from my front yard, sniff. It was frustrating also because I had first taken a picture of it at Dale Sizer's pad with my 2 year old son next to it, which gave me the idea of using it as a "growth chart" from then on. I took two more shots of Diego getting taller next to it over the next year, then the thieves spoiled that fun.

Doesn't it say United Airlines at the base in the back somewhere? Later in the 70s, UA made only low budge cardboard cutouts, this one is definitely the deluxe display, the only ceramic one of the bunch.

BUT there also is a great PANAM cardboard cutout Tiki that looks like early 60s, with a cartoony woman and a guy alternately popping out behind it. Very cool, saw it only once in my life in New York in the window of a closed down travel agency. Could only take a snapshot of it, not sufficient for reproduction in the BOT. One of my top ten items I know must exist somewhere but never surfaces...

Anybody here ever seen one of those PANAM displays?

On 2006-01-03 11:26, bigbrotiki wrote:
Doesn't it say United Airlines at the base in the back somewhere? Later in the 70s, UA made only low budge cardboard cutouts, this one is definitely the deluxe display, the only ceramic one of the bunch.

Yes, it has "Property of United Airlines" discretely on the lower back side.

With a few trips to Home Depot, the tiki fountain pours again!

Windows video of the fountian Sorry it's out of focus, but I seem to have maybe permanently lost my video camera and had to make do with the webcam.

I received a tiki cocktail stir recently on my flight from Kauai -
obviously not in the same category as those above, but I was happily surprised.

Wow! I didn't know the Menehune were worth that much. I just saw this on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/United-Airlines-Menehune-Hawaii-Hawaiian-Tiki-Hula_W0QQitemZ6594515670QQcategoryZ1312QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

A couple years ago, a friend of mine that works in travel at a local AAA gave me their Menehunes with their corporate office deemed it necessary to get rid of "tacky" decor in the office. They've been greeting me ever since:

[ Edited by: aloha.taboo 2007-02-16 08:04 ]

Oh, love that fountain. Gotta find one for the tiki bar on the lanai. Is it made of resin, ceramic or what? My only fear is that if he tips, he will shatter all over the place. I had one of those Design Toscano resin tikis (the Disney Tiki Room-esque one) and when it fell over and hit the tile floor, it smashed into about 15 pieces. Ouch!

On 2006-01-10 11:35, GatorRob wrote:
Oh, love that fountain. Gotta find one for the tiki bar on the lanai. Is it made of resin, ceramic or what? My only fear is that if he tips, he will shatter all over the place. I had one of those Design Toscano resin tikis (the Disney Tiki Room-esque one) and when it fell over and hit the tile floor, it smashed into about 15 pieces. Ouch!

Mine merely broke in half.

Well, one thing's for sure. I won't be buying another one unless it's located in a carpeted room.