New to Tiki- where do I find tiki mugs?

Hi folks, forgive me but I'm new to tiki, sort of. I have always liked tiki stuff since I was a kid (I'm in my 30s) I just bought The Book of Tiki by Sven Kirsten. After pouring over it all evening, I started scouring the basement, gargage, and called my siblings and came up with an unexpected small collection of family items that quality for Tiki. An old Don the Beachcomber menu from Chicago that I swiped when my family ate there in the early 70's and I was a kid (I remember stuffing it under my shirt), a tiki mug from a Benihana restaurant in Detroit, Lex Baxter and Martin Denny CD's of their exotic music, tiki masks from Disneyworld's tiki village that the family visited back in the 70's (I remember the singing tiki polls), and Ella Fitzgerald singing The Hawaiian War Chant in pretty bad Hawaiian.

So, I took a chance and searched the internet for tiki. Wow, I found all of you guys.

Since I don't have too much room for big carved tiki poles, statues, etc. I've decided to try start collecting tiki mugs. I'm not a purist yet so I wouldn't mind buying reproduced mugs to get a start. I think they are all neat. But, I need help to find out where I can find new ones to buy, old ones to collect and info about mugs.

I live in the midwest, Michigan, so access to these at flea markets is probably not going to be fruitful.

Are there any catologs or companies that I could contact?

Any of you folks sell mugs?

In other words, HELP!

Indoctrinate, educate, inspire me. Thanks folks!

My name is Pat and I welcome your thoughts and suggestions.

Try

MunkTiki
http://www.munktiki.com/index.html

Tiki Farm
http://www.tikifarm.com/

Archie Macphee
http://www.mcphee.com/bigindex/current/10795.html

Louie B. Ceramics
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/louieb/ceramics/

Tiki Mania
http://tikimania.com/

IslandMadness
http://www.islandmadness.com/island_1st.html

That should keep you busy for awhile.
If you live in the Los Angeles area, try Wacko on Hollywood. They just got in the new Tiki Farm stuff.
These sites are a good primer on repro and new mugs, so pay attention to what you see. Just in case yu also do the ebay thing. You'll be able to protect yourself from being suckered by dealers who present new mugs as either originals, or count on people not knowing. Seen too many $5.00 mugs going for ridiculous amounts because of that.
TG
http://www.exotic-tiki-gardens.com

As for finding vinatge Tiki: Keep hunting. You're off to a good start using all your family leads. Let them all know you're looking for Tiki. This'll spare you the heartbreak of hearing an aunt tell you "Oh- I didn't know you liked that sort of thing. We had a whole table of those weird mugs at the church rummage sale." If your family is like my family let them know over and over and over.
Find all the junk and thrift and "antique" stores in your area and hit them regularly. Keep an eye out for rummage sales and flea markets. Hone your Tiki Senses, it'll save you time as you'll be able to spot a mug or bowl or tiki in a flash. When you're at a sale or store look for what you want most first. For mugs hit the dishware area, then check the vases (a lot of people think Tiki mugs are vases). When I'm at a large junk store that has shelves and shelves of dishes and bric-a-brac I do a super fast walk through and then go back over the territory more slowly.

Don't discount the flea markets. You'd be suprised. Most of what we have was found in thrift stores and flea markets and a few antique stores.

And if people know you are interested in it, it will start to float your way. Get all those eyes looking for you.

And how could I forget Bosko?!?
http://www.tikibosko.com

Anywhere they sell secondhand stuff you may be lucky and pick up a Tiki mug, from the foulest of flea markets to the finest antique shops. Tiki mugs have a way of travelling far & wide, well beyond their original 'birthplace'. Just in my local secondhand shops in Oxfordshire UK, I've picked up a couple of mugs and some Maori figures from New Zealand. I even found a Tiki statue in a Paris flea market.

You'll do even better in the States!!!
Just develop Tiki-radar.

Trader Woody

Hey, glad to see another tiki lover in our mists. (That means one less tiki mug for me!)

A great place to look for newer mugs is at the Wings stores along the Florida and east coast. A lot of those places have some new mugs for about $5.00.

Wings, Eagles, Beach Zone, etc...those big stores that sell tourist crap, towels and hermit crabs. Give 'em a try.

Good luck and welcome aboard!

:sheckymug:

yes you should not count out flea markets and junk stores. Living in Michigan you are in the heart of it. with a little driving to the country and small towns you will be suprised at what you will find. I live in Ohio and try to go out every weekend to places. Sometimes I come home with an armfull and sometimes it's a bust. just today was a score at two flea markets I found a medium sized fishing ball for $15, an Al Harrington Daga mug for $1, and a half empty Hawaiian Tiki whiskey decanter for 25 cents, and thats not a bad price for some whiskey.

The life of a TIKI MUG is a harrowing one in deed, One that should have a book written about just that .."A Day in the Life
of a Tiki Mug"(-by Mombo) of course.
Starts out as a "birth" from the box by it's first owner; a tourist..

Pat, have you signed up for Ebay? You can ALWAYS find tiki mugs there...