Hello everyone,

i have an idea to begin making and selling tiki bars at the jersey shore. I will create them out of either bamboo or cedar or some other materials based on what the consumer likes. I was just wondering if anybody thinks this would be worth it or not. Any thoughts on whether or not i would be able to make a profit on my own ?

any thoughts or ideas are welcome.

Is there new construction in your area? If so, see if you can landscape a model/spec home that people see. Do you know anyone that does home renovations that could spread the word that you're in business? Do you know any interior designers that could help you along? I would suggest a range of price points (mild to wild) and I would suggest internet advertising and sales. Tiki can sometimes be a very large hidden secret. Do you know tiki people who have friends who want to get tiki? I encourage you in your venture.

MZOLTARP
http://TelstarLounge.blogspot.com

my father is a builder, so i get discounts on all building products, and i have lots of connections. I will also have multiple models depending on what customers want, so the prices will vary some.

any good ideas for broadcasting my tiki bars on websites? which websites? or make my own eventually?

I had "thought" about it as well(even bought some retro doityourself bar building books for style ideas), but the market in my opinion is pretty saturated...Aside from the fact, that there isn't a big enough resurgence in the home bar to make any leadway in profits...That is at least what I have found in my researching here in So. California. First thing I did was find out if there is a market for it, then figure out what your materials will cost per bar..Then add your time to the pricetag and hope people would be willing to pay what you ask. Good luck

When people see my lights they say those are great you should sell them.
Well when you add the materials, cost of tools pro rated, shipping if any,
ebay cost if any.
You end up with like 25 cents an hour. I live in columbus and tiki is kind
of a hard sell.
Now 25 cents goes a long way in some parts of the world but....
I make them because I like to make them.
There are people out there who "make a living off their art"
I have found that a good number of those people also have the good
fortune to have very rich family.
It's hard to do. Good luck!
How nice would it be to make money at what you love to do.
PS show us some of your work. I know I would like to see it.

it's gonna be tough considering target and a few other store sell pre fab tiki bars for cheap......for most folks, buying one of these and decorating it themselves is within their budget.....your timing couldn't be worse, what with gas prices and everything else going up in price....folks don't have alot of disposable income to spend on luxurys like tiki bars.....were were you 9 years ago??

.....i wish you well nonetheless.....post pics please.

I frequent the NJ Shore area every Summer & have NOT found it to be a hot bed of Tiki
culture. Having been here @ TC for awhile IMO with some geographic exceptions Tiki culture
is a West Coast scene. NJ would be a tough sell!!!

Thortiki

hakunamatata wrote:

i have an idea to begin making and selling tiki bars at the jersey shore...
...Any thoughts on whether or not i would be able to make a profit on my own?
...any good ideas for broadcasting my tiki bars on websites?
...which websites?
...or make my own eventually?

Hakunamatata,
Please do not take this the wrong way, but allow me to ask:
Are you simply doing this as a money-making venture to capitalize on tiki in an untapped geographic area?

If the answer is yes (you can be honest here ya know), then you will most likely just make a few bars, sell a few, give a few away for next-to-nothing (yes this does happen), and then go on to the next "hottest thing", with your total posts here on Tiki Central peaking at about 15 to 20 posts.

If the answer is no, and you are doing it because you truly love tiki, the origination and transition to modern day, the designs (both historic & modern) and have the ability to add your own unique flavor to the bar design (super important for longevity in the business aspect of tiki), then be sure to not quite your day job, enjoy making your bars, savour the oohs & aahs from your buyers responses to your designs, and just keep smiling throughout the ups & downs of the business side of tiki.

You see, I ask the direct, hard question of whether or not you want to do it just for money is because the world of tiki itself is quite unique and very different, with many considering it (and making it) an actual lifestyle. Those artists, designers, manufacturers here on TC that have been here through the long haul do it first because they love it, and second because they can make a few dollars along the way (mostly reinvesting the money right back for more materials for their next project). I'm not trying to discourage you, but any of the artists here can tell you their stories of many Cup-o-Noodles nights, so don't go shopping for that home with a prime location on Maui (unless you're Chongolio or Gecko, ha), just enjoy what you do, try to use your best business sense and make some friends (not clients) along the way.

I do hope that you will stick around, whether or not you start a tiki bar making business, contribute where you can, meet the friendly folks, and hopefully spread some tiki love in your area.

SCD

SCD Well said!
Hit the nail on the head.

My thoughts are the size of a tiki bar will be another limiting factor to selling any quantity of them....

The best selling tiki products are things that can be shipped to all points of the country at a reasonable price.

A fully built bar would be really only available to local clientelle...

You could probably count all your local clients on one hand...

There are just few enough of us where you need all the tiki fans in the country contemplating your product...

start with building a GOOD ,SOLID,well built base unit ,with the ability to "tweek it " any direction the client wishes to go. sports bar , So.Cal.Tiki,Key West Tiki,tropical/nauitcal.each one a custom job,one of a kind. just my opinion ,i could be wrong. TD

Do you have a shop? Make one, figure out how long it takes, post the lead time, use it as your sample and take orders.
Tiki Bars suck, anyway.

On 2007-06-06 14:44, hakunamatata wrote:
Hello everyone,

i have an idea to begin making and selling tiki bars at the jersey shore. I will create them out of either bamboo or cedar or some other materials based on what the consumer likes. I was just wondering if anybody thinks this would be worth it or not. Any thoughts on whether or not i would be able to make a profit on my own ?

any thoughts or ideas are welcome.

==================
Go to tikikev.com fellow Jorsey guy !!!

If you build them, they will buy.

i'm interested...i'm in toms river...i found some nice pre-fabbed kits for around a grand but if you've got pics of your work i would be interested in possibly a bigger one...

On 2007-06-11 08:08, ahansen77 wrote:
i'm interested...i'm in toms river...i found some nice pre-fabbed kits for around a grand but if you've got pics of your work i would be interested in possibly a bigger one...

""""""""""""""""""""""
[ I'm in toms river ] Somebody throw a line to this person !!!!
There is a guy who builds Tiki Huts on the da shore [tikikev.com] he used to post here but the 'koolkids' ran him off !!!!