Detroit Archeology, Lost Tikis (?)

I was in an antique shop today looking for the odd mug or 2, when the owner asked if there was anything I was looking for in particular. I hesitated at first because I didn't want to feed the "tiki is hot=raise prices" thing, but then I just asked if they had any Polynesian stuff...

After a bit of talking, one of the guys (there were 4) said:

"I think I had exactly what you're looking for. I had a whole bunch of Tiki Idols, but I sold them. I had 'em forever too, ** I couldn't GIVE them away.**"

"Really?" I said in disbelief. I started to scan my memory banks because I can't remember anyone ever talking about a Detroit Kon Tiki. Am I forgetting something here? My memory does suck.

So I ask, "Were they from the Mauna Loa? or Trader Vics?"

one guy in the back perked up when I said Mauna Loa, and started to respond, but was interupted by the main owner who said, "No, the Kon Tiki... "

then he told me how he got them from some guy who had them in his garage just sitting there. A full garage of Tikis. He lived in Grosse Pointe Park, just near the Detroit border.

I asked the owner when he re-sold them, he said about 3 or 4 years ago but was corrected by yet another guy there who said more like 8 or 9 years.

ACK! Well, to make matters even more confusing, I asked once again if he was sure of their origin... He said again, the Kon Tiki but then added something about "where the Eminem movie was filmed" To which I responded, "that's Chin Tiki, they still have their decor" and he said, "Not like what we had they don't"

Hmmmm...

So I asked what they looked like, and they all agreed that there were various sizes, but mostly ALOT of carved rail posts, the type that would have rope running thru them.
Which makes me think Mauna Loa because I had heard that they had many rope/posts.

So I'm more confused than when I went in the place. Can anyone add to this? If there was a Kon Tiki in Detroit, where was it?

-Z

You might not want to assume that they got everything from the guy they bought the tikis from....might be worth seeing if he can be tracked down.