Tiki Finds

Have been avoiding this certain thrift store because its one of those that looks up stuff on Ebay than prints out the auction and attaches it to the "vintage items" they have for sale to justify the price. They really annoys the piss outta me :wink:

Anyways....still manage to slide some stuff past them like these 3 items for ..ahem..$2.00. OMC hula girl mug with label on bottom. And I Don't own and have never found any of the Al Harrington glasses in the wild before so that made my day. When the store "manager" (a.k.a. Ebay nazi) asked me about them I said that I was having a luau and needed some tacky Hawaiian mugs for it. He said "yup, they sure are tacky". haha!

Tiki style metal pressed tray free :o yes I said FREE :lol: to a good home? I bought a set of 3 off Ebay for £2, 2 of them are the same so if anyone in Uk on here wants it and doesnt mind paying the postage? just post me a private message

Size of tray = 12.5" x 16.5" :drink:

Welllll....you certainly have ONE book there that nobody else here has, and MANY are eagerly awaiting...! :)

And if anybody has doubted my recent ruminations on the diluting of the term "Tiki style", here is as fine an example as any:
The distinctive "Tiki style metal pressed tray".

On 2009-01-25 15:17, bigbrotiki wrote:

"... as the term "Tiki" is becoming more widely used, and carelessly applied by the media for anything resembling generic tropical party fun (NOT an art form, or architectural and design style), the truly unique mid-century Tiki style (AND the Oceanic originals that inspired it!), are in danger of being forgotten. Calling all kind of things "Tiki" that stylistically are something else means a watering down of the style, eventually resulting in the loss of what made it so special in the first place."

...and:

"I do realize that I will not change what the general public will group together under their GENERIC term of "Tiki" nowadays, which includes everything from Hawaii, the tropics, and every grinning teeth image of whatever style. But I hold high hopes that here, on this board, there will survive a greater, more in-depth understanding of what Tiki Style is, and an ability to differentiate what it is not."

Do carry on now, folks. :D

PS.: I do not want to dampen your youthful Alice in Wonderland-enthusiasm, Miss Freek, merely to caution you, to hopefully make you stop and think here and there, and maybe even read some of the books you have there, ...especially those by that guy with that Scandinavian-sounding name. :)

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-01-30 15:30 ]

Alright Mr Bigbrotiki! do you want me to help you with your undies? You seem to have them in a bit of a twist there... :o I'm sorry for being so naive...I thought that it was just a bit of harmless fun? I have posted a few threads on this fine website and I must say this is the 1st time I have had some negative feedback... :blush: I don't know who died and made you the ruler of all that is Tiki, I am new to this way of life and isn't it better to encourage and nurture new interest than to ridicule and demeanor? quite frankly I think you are being totally out of order, I like the art, the history, the music and the way of life that is Tiki style and if for some reason you do not want to allow anyone to enjoy themselves immersing themselves in that culture then you are a very very sad individual indeed... :roll: By the way I have read Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki, it was quite interesting, I did actually buy it to read believe it or not... :o I have read all the others apart from the Cook Islands book which only arrived in the post today...so stick that in your Tiki pipe and smoke it... :D

I also quite enjoy carving Tiki Heads myself too, I'm not saying I am any good at it but they please me and look good in my garden... :P

...especially those by that guy with that Scandinavian-sounding name. :)
[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-01-30 15:30 ]

Heyerdahl?

Um yeah...so maybe we could have one foum where all is kosher with the positive Ohana energy . Would be nice .

And yeah in case you weren't sure what Jason was referring to above

BigBroTiki = Sven Kirsten btw :)

(you know the guy who wrote a few of those books you have)

[ Edited by: leleliz 2009-01-30 16:22 ]

[ Edited by: leleliz 2009-01-30 16:23 ]

.....And the book a few people are waiting for? Jay Strongman's guide to Tiki Mugs......The States is lagging!

.....And the book a few people are waiting for? Jay Strongman's guide to Tiki Mugs......The States is lagging!

On 2009-01-30 16:19, leleliz wrote:
Um yeah...so maybe we could have one foum where all is kosher with the positive Ohana energy . Would be nice .

And yeah in case you weren't sure what Jason was referring to above

BigBroTiki = Sven Kirsten btw :)

(you know the guy who wrote a few of those books you have)

[ Edited by: leleliz 2009-01-30 16:22 ]

[ Edited by: leleliz 2009-01-30 16:23 ]

I have read them too... :P
It's so sad that you are all so bloomin serious on here, loosen up a bit and enjoy yourselves... :drink:

And Jay Strongman's book "Tiki Mugs - cult artifacts of polynesian pop" is a good read and great for referance... :D

Gooberfreek (Freek by name Tiki Freak by nature)

[ Edited by: Gooberfreek 2009-01-30 16:40 ]

On 2009-01-30 16:37, Gooberfreek wrote:
It's so sad that you are all so bloomin serious on here, loosen up a bit and enjoy yourselves...

The good news is that nowhere near ALL here are that serious... just ME! :)

Hey, what do you expect, "House" is my favorite TV show ! (actually, it's my son's)

Sorry, but I could not refrain, the example was just too perfect, especially since the subject had been discussed here so recently (and so fervently!).

Bigbrotiki (Big Bro by nature -Tiki by obsession)

OK I am now standing in the Tiki corner of shame, yes I am naive and yes I am enthusiastic and I obviously do not have the same sense of humour as you all do as I am a UK imposter... :blush:

Yes this is an apology, I just thougt you were taking the piss out of me for being thick and buying books and not reading them... :roll:

OK then lets re-brand these Metal tray's then as tropical Kitsch??? anyone disagree???

So yes again I am sorry Sven, I didn't know and I bow before you, all young and naive like and wait for your approval to keep on mis-labelling stuff just behind your back and not to your face so to speak... :wink:

To know Sven (Bigbro) is to love him.

And actually I think it was he who described one time in some thread long forgotten, how most of us come to tiki with one idea of what we are collecting and what we are interested in, and oh so quickly we advance our knowledge and and become so much more discriminate in what we purchase and so much more informed in the statements we make in our posts and that the process is natural and welcomed. (Run on sentences, however, never go away.)

:lol: That is perfectly alright, sweetie, I am sorry I shocked you with my misanthropic old man mean-ness.

It is the great injustice (and justice) of the internet (the great equalizer) that all are judged equal, the young and the old, the naive and the learned, the male and the female -oh wait, those two ARE equal, of course! :D

Thankyou Sven for accepting my appology... :)

Just wanting some advice on a future purchase from Ebay, its a kinda strange erotic looking design...just wanting to know if it is in any way a Tiki mug? Its not in any of my "Tiki" books I have...

Well? wotcha think guy's??? :-? is it worth buying? (£10) or is this just some wierd kitsch crap???

Though it is not a Tiki mug, as it does not depict a Tiki, and is not Polynesian, really, it certainly has that 50s rumpus room humor that would make it at home in any Tiki bar or collection.

Thanx dude :drink:

OK, toots! Ship a couple cases of those freakin' mug books to the states, will ya!?

P.S.: Check out my post in Beyond Tiki Finds & you'll see a similar kool set of mugs I scored last summer. Definitely carry the same Mid-century, swanky, lounge vibe. I'd buy it if the price is right. And, by the way, welcome aboard. Sven is usually very patient & always very informative & knowledgeable, so give him a hug & carry on.

[ Edited by: Big Kahuna 2009-01-30 18:28 ]

Recent finds...

Found this pair today in Columbus Nebraska, made by Universal Statuary gave $30...

A small but detailed pineapple decanter...

A Don the Beachcomber lo-ball glass...

Found this really cool ceramic skull in the Venice Antique mall for $6...

Also nabbed a Harvey's Sneaky Tiki mug and OMC Three Face Bucket mug today, not a bad day.

I was at Office Max today and ran across these pre-printed CD-Rs from Memorex. Apparently there are 5 designs in the series, but these were the only two that were stock. At $7 a 10pk, they are not very economical, but a nice touch for compilation CDs or other tiki related data storage.

On 2009-01-30 18:22, Big Kahuna wrote:
OK, toots! Ship a couple cases of those freakin' mug books to the states, will ya!?

P.S.: Check out my post in Beyond Tiki Finds & you'll see a similar kool set of mugs I scored last summer. Definitely carry the same Mid-century, swanky, lounge vibe. I'd buy it if the price is right. And, by the way, welcome aboard. Sven is usually very patient & always very informative & knowledgeable, so give him a hug & carry on.

[ Edited by: Big Kahuna 2009-01-30 18:28 ]

Thanx bud, I must admit I was really excited when I found the Tiki Mug book, I purchased it from http://www.Play.com for £18.99 with free delivery, worth every penny, OK then you have both (Bigbrotiki & Big Kahuna)talked me into purchasing that mug I posted, its on Ebay for £9.95 with free delivery...

Cheers Buds... :drink: P.S. thanx for the welcome... (still a bit embarassed about shouting at Bigbrotiki) :blush:

On 2009-01-31 22:25, Gooberfreek wrote:

(still a bit embarassed about shouting at Bigbrotiki) :blush:

Don't worry about it.

He lives for it!

It's the "Fool on the Hill" syndrome. :D

Working on a 10'x14' bamboo framing system for my living room ceiling to display one of my tapa pieces, so I didn't get out much this weekend. I did find this stuff, all for a $1.00 each today though...

Martin Denny's "Forbidden Island", (I think this is my fourth copy)?

Burl Ives "On The Beach At Waikiki".

Trader Vic's ashtray. This one is slightly larger in diameter than the other Trader Vic's ashtrays I have.

Dark brown glaze Tiki Farm mug.

Wahaika club.

G.I. artwork from December 1945. Note the "Oahu T.H." (Tiki Hut)? on the other side of the bay.

Later,

PTD

Hehe. Sorry PTD. T.H. stood for "Territory of Hawaii", back before full Statehood.

Some garage-sale finds from yesterday. A boxed-set of Yma Sumac 45's and a weeping(?) moai candle:

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2009-02-01 22:50 ]

On 2009-02-01 22:41, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
Hehe. Sorry PTD. T.H. stood for "Territory of Hawaii", back before full Statehood.

A guy can dream, can't he? Thanks for the post, always learning something new here!

PTD

Today find.
February 1960 Reader´s Digest with a Hawaiian themed cover and several Hawaii related ads inside.

Dole Pineapple juice.

Spam. Including a Spam Hawaiian recipe for the discriminating gourmet.

And finally what seems to be a Bigbrotiki ad.

My personal best mug find in the wild today!

Got 2 of these great condition Pontchartrain Beach-Comber Tiki Bob's for just 99 cents each at a thrift store in Omaha!

On 2009-02-02 11:35, Mister Naufrago wrote:
Today find.
February 1960 Reader´s Digest with a Hawaiian themed cover and several Hawaii related ads inside.

Ha! I knew that somewhere there had to be an original to this wonderful mural at Damon's, and that it eventually would pop up.

And Reader's Digest is not that rare... does the illustration wrap all around to the back cover? Does it mention the artist's name?

And finally what seems to be a Bigbrotiki ad.

Funny. "American Style"!? Not quite. Maybe that's why I ended up driving a 1960 Buick Le Sabre for 20 years. :)

Ha! I knew that somewhere there had to be an original to this wonderful mural at Damon's, and that it eventually would pop up.

And Reader's Digest is not that rare... does the illustration wrap all around to the back cover? Does it mention the artist's name?

Just a couple of centimeters.
"Mountain pool, Hawaii" by Frank McCarthy

Maybe that's why I ended up driving a 1960 Buick Le Sabre for 20 years. :)

Sorry to hear this. Don´t you know about those affordable Korean cars? :)

"Das Boat" has been sitting in the garage.

Here's some info on the artist:

"Frank McCarthy was born in New York City in 1924. He studied at the Art Students League in New York City during the summers starting at the age of 14. He was a graduate of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York.

Frank McCarthy began his art career as a commercial illustrator. He painted illustrations for most of the paperback book publishers, magazines, movie companies, and advertisements. He created works that became posters for such movies as the James Bond series. Frank McCarthy's talents were highly sought after by art directors enabling him to work as a free lance illustrator for many years. His art career spanned over 50 years, beginning with a request for a western cover for a magazine by an art director. He left the world of commercial art in 1968, and began his fine art career after moving to Sedona, Arizona."

...and some more of his work:

http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2006/09/whole-lotta-mccarthy.html

...and still more, apparently a very prolific artist whose work we all have seen:

While produding for magazines, such as Collier's, Outdoor Life, Redbook, True, and publishers, including Avon, Dell, and Fawcett, McCarthy developed his trademark skills. He possessed an adept control of color values and contrasts which reproduced extremely well.

He also had an ability to conceive and execute scenes at the climax of action and drama, whether it be two cowboys with their guns drawn, or Native American warriors charging into battle. And he was not solely concerned with the action. McCarthy enhanced it by placing his figures within the grandeur of stunning American landscapes — red-rocked canyons, sage bush deserts, snow covered mountain ranges. During his busiest periods, McCarthy painted up to four book covers a month.

In the 1960s film studios took advantage of the fact that illustrators, rather than photographers, could often better dramatize a story's plot, themes, and characters in one coherent, compelling image. "There was no one better than Frank McCarthy for the action movies," remarks illustration historian Walt Reed. "Anything they couldn't photograph, they'd have me paint," recalls McCarthy. He flourished as an illustrator of advertising imagery (including posters, record cover art and the like) for major movie studios like Paramount, United Artists, Universal, and Warner Brothers. He painted many movie stars — almost always from film stills — including John Wayne in "The Green Berets," Sean Connery in "Thunderball," Charlton Heston in "The Ten Commandments," and James Garner in "The Great Escape."

McCarthy remembers a particularly challenging job during this busy time: creating the recognizable likenesses of Tony Curtis and Yul Brynner as they battled each other with swords while on horseback. "It's hard to do because when two guys are fighting, their faces don't look the same as they do in everyday life. And they were in profile, not head on." Numerous versions later, the image for "Taras Bulba" was completed for United Artists.

In 1968 McCarthy began to move away from commercial illustration when Charlie Dorsa, a good friend from his first studio job, proprelled him into the world of Western fine art. Dorsa introduced him to a sales person at a gallery who, upon seeing McCarthy's paperback covers, remarked, "If you can do that for me, I can sell them."

On 2009-02-03 07:20, bigbrotiki wrote:

Here's some info on the artist:

"Frank McCarthy was born in New York City in 1924. He studied at the Art Students League in New York City during the summers starting at the age of 14. He was a graduate of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York.

Frank McCarthy began...

Gracias maestro!

Found a little Orchids hula gal yesterday.

I found these last week but was only able to pick them up last night. "Oh BOY!", you say. "Firewood!"

But the flip side is much more interesting.

I was pretty sure these were Oceanic Arts, so I emailed Bob and Leroy. Sure enough, Bob emailed back and said this was their old #153 Tahitian Tiki Post which somebody thought to cut in half. These posts were originally 4.5 feet tall and if I remember right, the guy on the right went on the bottom. In addition to that blasphemy, the previous owner also sliced them lengthwise, I guess to mount on a wall or something. Abused? YES! But I was THRILLED to get them! Even more thrilled that I got them for $20!

HUGE THANKS to Bob and Leroy for not only producing such wonderful pieces over the years, but for being so free and open with their knowledge of ALL their creations! What a resource!

Nice aloha shirt with a spiffy representation of the Waikikian Hotel, Tahitian Lanai and a few other choice spots back in the day.

One of my favorite pieces:

Toltec Atlantean warrior decanter and mini shots. Mexican Pop, I looked for this one for years, finally found it in perfect condition complete with bottle cap and the 4 shots I didn't even knew that existed. 50 pesos = 3.5 U.S. dollars. Now I can drink tequila in my tiki bar with style, without being worried about disrespect purist exotic style.

When all else fails, look through the LP's. Didn't know whether to post these here or in Tiki Music, so here we go! Today's finds...

"Eddie Lund Presents...Bora Bora".

Another copy of "Hawaii Calls" with the "Hilo Hawaiians-Honeymoon in Hawaii". Nice booklet inside.

"Your Musical Trip Around The Islands Of Hawaii with the Hilo Kalimas".

"Eddie Lund Presents...Salut A Aitutaki-Ovec Saloman et le Groupe Tiare Tahiti avec Loma".

"To The South Seas with Eddie Lund and his Tahitians Featuring Mila Spitz".

"Tahiti Dream Island".

"Auntie Alice Ku'uleialohapoina' ole Namakelua".

"Hula Blues". Various artists.

"Tahiti Fete".

"The Beat of Tahiti". Various artists.

"Jesee Kalima Sons & Sonny Waiau".

"Just Like Old Times-The Ho'oipo Trio".

"The Best of Tavana's Polynesian Spectacular".

"30 Hawaiian Favorites".

"The Romance of Hawaii-Webley Edwards and Hal Aloma".

"Hawaiian Wedding Song-The Polynesians".

"Hilo Hattie-My Hawaii".

"Alania-Tina Kaapana with Hui Ohana".

"This Is Eddie Kamae and the Sons of Hawaii".

"Eddie Lund Presents...Aparima et Otea".

"The Immortal Hawaiian-Alfred Apaka".

"In Hawaii-The Story Starts".

"Hawaii Calls: Favorite Instrumentals of the Islands-Presented by Webley Edwards".

"Lahaina's Fabulous Emma Sharpe and her Entertainers".

"Hawaii...Receipe For Romance". A Hawaiian receipe album with music!

"Hoi Hoi-Na Keonimana"

"No Kristo-Makaha Sons of Ni'Ihau".

"Na Mele Hawai'i No Na Keiki-Hawaiian Songs for Children"

Later,

PTD

[ Edited by: surfalaia 2009-08-05 07:21 ]

Aloha Tiki friends...

Ok the following items may not be strictly Tiki (before Bigbrotiki gets on my case!!! :lol: ) but they are going in or around my Tiki Bar...

Firstly here is an amazingly erotic mug :o I purchased on Ebay (uk) for £10...I know its not a Tiki Mug as such but I think it kinda has some of the styling in it???

This is one side of the mug as it has a different image on each side which is cool...

This is the other side...

and this is the handle...

This is also another item I purchased on Ebay, a huge (4M x 3M) piece of fabric, I just loved the retro leaf print, I am thinking of using it to cover the counter top of my Tiki Bar??? any thoughts? I thought I would put it under some plexi glass??? 8)

And finally, this is an awsome little bird house I found at my local garden centre, I just thought it was ace...wildlife need some tiki style too....lol

The writing on the signs say "Robins Beach Bar" you know as if it is owned by a little red robin....aw :P

Happy Tiki hunting guy's :drink:

And although not tiki by itself, I did find the most bitchin' mug display last week!

This is beautiful. I love mid century furniture and own something similiar.

It looks great as a display.

On 2009-02-07 12:40, leleliz wrote:

And although not tiki by itself, I did find the most bitchin' mug display last week!

This is beautiful. I love mid century furniture and own something similiar.

It looks great as a display.

It is a very nice piece....I saw one exactly like it at an estate sale in Torrance. They wanted $1,100.00 for it when I inquired. Mid century tiki display at its best!

surfalaia,
Your teak credenza/ buffet was designed by Arne Vodder. Nice piece.

Check the back of the two sliding doors. Sometimes they are covered in a black mica so you can reverse them to add a nice contrast to the teak wood.

-Duke

[ Edited by: boutiki 2009-02-07 15:37 ]

[ Edited by: surfalaia 2009-08-05 07:22 ]

[ Edited by: surfalaia 2009-08-05 07:23 ]

I'm sure you were pleased to discover that you got a good price too, huh? Good eye and good buy.
Maybe it's time to revive this thread?
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7096&forum=6
-Duke

On 2009-02-07 12:05, Gooberfreek wrote:

This is also another item I purchased on Ebay, a huge (4M x 3M) piece of fabric, I just loved the retro leaf print, I am thinking of using it to cover the counter top of my Tiki Bar??? any thoughts? I thought I would put it under some plexi glass??? 8)

Oddly enough, that's the design on the bedsheets we purchased here, in Israel, at a local chain last Passover.

Spent most of last weekend and this weekend working on this...

Framing and hanging a 12'x14' piece of tapa on the living room ceiling! More pics over in Tiki Crafts!

In addition to the albums, I did find this stuff this morning...

Johnny Nichols' Trader Nick's Pismo Beach.

My third Stockton Islander Mr. Peanut mug, a little harder to find than most.

String of glass fish floats, made in Japan.

Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide 1947.

Drink menu from "The Outrigger" Seattle Washington.

Nice finds by everyone else, too!

Later,

PTD

WOW! D. How'd you talk the boss into letting you do that! Great finds as always. It's been a rough winter for me. I'll post my measly finds later!
Mahalo,
Rick

Love how that tapa looks on the ceiling. Nice bamboo framing PTD.

Now I know you may have all the luck when it comes to finds...and of course your recent tapa scores. But wait.....something to wow your senses ....
I found this in my local thrift for $1.00. Now I know you all are super jealous of this amazing find but to answer your questions no I will not sell it :)

Behold the twin size sheet of tapa inspired printed fabric. To utilize this amazing find I plan on converting it into a shower curtain just so I can behold its beauty on a daily basis.

I can only assume someplace like Target or Bed Bath and Beyond sold this set:

I know...it blows your mind, doesn't it???

hehe