Tiki Finds

The snow finally melted and we had a heatwave of about 60 degrees this weekend, so off I went to the flea market, where I got a wooden Ku tiki that looks a bit like a cigar store Indian. It was only 50 cents and he is about 10 inches tall. It says Hawaii on the front below his feet and a little paper tag says he will bring me strength. Underneath there's a made in the Phillipines sticker. Regardless, this is a major score being that we have snow here, not tikis. I also got the soundtrack to South Pacific on vinyl. Also today at the thrift I had to fork out $2 for something called "Aloha Moods" on vinyl. Thats highway robbery, but I had to have it. At $2 a record I had to forgo a stack of insane vintage Polka records. Drat.

I scored Arthur Lyman's Ploynesia on vinyl today for $3. Looks to be in quite good condition. The cover is in excellent shape.

Had a nice, sunny little Saturday of tiki hunting...went central Georgia way today...Here's the results: Minty Skipper Kent's Moai, Trader Vic's tiki design plate, Bali Hai Moai plate (note resemblance to the Kahiki trademark), oddball Otigari stamped handle mug, a somewhat fair copy of Les Baxter's "Tamboo", and an R-15 Orchids pineapple mug. 50.00 total outlay :)

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-03-22 20:46 ]

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-03-23 10:14 ]

Oh BK!
Again you paid way too much for that stuff, so let me help you out by giving you your $50 back for what you paid for and just let me know how much it will be to ship that way cool deal....er..um...not so good stuff you got.

(can you tell I'm filled with envy and as green as that Otigari mug?!)

You put a new twist to the phrase "Location, location, location".

Good job Kahuna!

JealousCaddyDaddy

Naaaaaw...it's all about technique! :)

Jeez BK. Who'd a thunk Jawja would be a place to find such fine collectibles? Not me.

There IS a trick, and I would imagine this would apply to any region of the country..I kind of look for and frequent the communities where the most retirees/elderly seem to be, I.E. the very resort/tourist and retiree-magnet areas that you'd think would be the most picked over. Oddly enough, they in fact seem to be the most productive places of all (at least for the kitsch/souvenir/tiki thing). and there again oddly enough ESPECIALLY in the antique malls and flea markets. The Tiki Bob's I found a few weeks ago was sitting in a mall for 15.00. I found two Chin Tiki mugs for 6.00 each in a similar mall last year. Where the 65-80 year-old-folks are, there their "stuff" will be also. Could be a coincidence, but so far by that doctrine (knock on wood) I'm fortunate enough to maintain a pretty high batting average.

My brother-in-law does a lot of hunting/collecting/trading as a hobby & to supplement his income. I called him up yesterday to invite him & his wife over for mai tais & pupus and he shows up and says "I got something for you" and hands me vintage 60's Mr. Bali Hai salt & pepper shakers. Too cool!

[ Edited by: Shipwreckjoey on 2003-03-23 20:42 ]

You refused to accept them, of course... :)

On 2003-03-23 14:30, Basement Kahuna wrote:
There IS a trick, and I would imagine this would apply to any region of the country..I kind of look for and frequent the communities where the most retirees/elderly seem to be, (

This is what I have been doing! This method hasnt yielded too much in the way of tiki here in the frozen north, but Ive gotten lots of 50's stuff for my retro kitchen, plus good (bad) vinyl lounge music albums. Next month theres a flea at the veterans club, so I'll be there.

here are my tiki finds for the week nothing special but I feel lucky to find this much. Witco style candle holder on the left older trader vics coconut mug United airlines Hawaiian open 1974 tiki decanter and carved pele by pete from Hawaii I was totaly excited about the decanter I dont know if it is rare but I love it. Tell me if you know anything about it. I got it all for $8.00

I've seen the decanter but never in that style...That's a keeper!

Here's the Saturday garage-sale haul for Doctor Z and myself this past weekend.

Orchids of Hawaii surfer girl mug, Hawaiian coconut mug, vintage Benihana's drink mug (Doctor Z and a few of you collect these, I believe), Two old Tony's On The Pier glasses, Hawaiian music cd, and the usual Styx album. (I find one of these almost every week it seems, but I keep forgetting about those vintage moai earrings in the photo - true American Rock-Tiki cover-art).

Sabu

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy on 2003-04-01 18:39 ]

I got TRETCHIKOFF's "Chinese Girl" for a tenner and a little maori letter opener for 75p.
but i did turn down yet another set of tiki spoon and forks.

Pickings were slim this weekend. This is all that Doctor Z and I could come up with. I found a clean Exotica lp for a quarter, which I believe is what the Doctor paid for his coconut hut.

Like Snoop says, "Game recognizes game". :)

Today I picked up a pair of Miguel Covarrubias prints. I didn't hesitate about price because I wanted them, they were in good shape, and they were worth it to me. But..What is a good deal on an "Art Forms of the Pacific Area" (endpaper of BOT) and an "Economy of the Pacific"? BK--any art dealer input?

I'd be feeding you a bad guess because my main areas of collectibles are ephemera, Americana, toys, militaria, and advertising. As far as art goes, I could look it up in my Davenport's for you if you'd like. If he is listed it would give you a loose range.

Heer's an interesting Ebay auction for those collectors interested in "Tiki" Lp's:

Hal Aloma "At The Luau 400"

Pretty cool. Never heard of Hal, but I like these type of recordings.

Speaking of cool Ebay Tiki auctions:

Midnite's Tiki Flea Market

BK- If you could look it up, that would be great. Just PM me. Thanks, Dawna

At an "antique" store I came across a weird Tiki item from the highly productive carvers of the Phillipines: A large pair of wood scissors with one of the big-fork-and-spoon style Tikis carved into each "blade" (Maybe these Tiki scissors have been mentioned here before?). I didn't buy as the carving wasn't so hot (from the imitation of an imitation of an imitation period of big-fork-and-spoon carving, where the Tiki are more implied than actual) and you really only need a large pair of Tiki scissors for the opening of a new Tiki joint.

On 2003-04-10 07:22, woofmutt wrote:
... and you really only need a large pair of Tiki scissors for the opening of a new Tiki joint.

It's just too bad the world isn't in need of more large pairs of Tiki scissors, then! :)

Today's FInds:

Best of Martin Denny LP - $1
Orchids of Hawaii Mug - $1.50 (found by mom but quickly handed over!)
Daga Mug from New Otani Hotel - $1
Hawaiian wraparound skirt - $2.50

Not too bad!

Here's my wednesday flea market finds...big Witco Kane and Wahine (the cloth on the backing boards has some staining but what do I care for 10.00 for both!), wierd Joan Collins 1955 tropical themed movie poster, 4 Dobbs House Luau menus with gorgeous tropical drink layouts(been awaiting those from one of my pickers) and ugly Dayak mask. The 4-inch Moso bamboo pole is one of about 14 pieces that an elderly lady across from my wife's workplace let me cut the other day! The stuff is huge...will soon become rafters for my bar as soon as it dries. May split it to make it go further. ....yaaawn... :)

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-04-16 10:40 ]

I meant to ask Bigbro if the two Witco's ever came without backing boards?

4 Dobbs House Luau menus with gorgeous tropical drink layouts(been awaiting those from one of my pickers)

Get things handed to you by your PICKERS!?! That's sporting! :lol:

Here's our thrift store scores from a couple of weekends ago in Birmingham, AL:

Nothing very rare, but everything was fairly cheap! It was a pretty good Saturday.

waikiki

you guys are lucky! I went to 4 thrift stores yesterday and didn't find anything! :(

Hey Waikiki Tiki,
I too bought that Aloha Moods album at a flea market! About 2 weeks ago. Small world!

Hi all -

a quick unplanned side trip to a thrift shop yielded this lonely Tiki who needed a home. He comes with a couple questions: where, and by who? I have seen these guys before in people's homes, from this size up to two-footers. They are very common in thrift shops I think. This little guy is about 6" tall and fairly heavy for the size. Is he a Philippines knockoff, or a real Kanaka?

mahalo,
emspace.

Sorry, lemme try those links again:

em.

I just went to the Petaluma Antique fair and found a signed 1946 (1st) Edition Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink, no jacket, signed by Trader Vic.

Was wondering if anyone knows if this book has much in the way of worth?

I found a Aku Aku Print by Bamboo Ben Today

Mattio,
That's actually a re-print of a photo from my Grandfather Eli Hedley's (the one who carved the Aku Aku, etc.) personal portfolio of which I own now. Did you get it at MONDO TIKI? Did I meet you? It was a blur! A lot of work actually went into the event and it was over so fast. I hope you enjoy the print for many moons.

No I didn't meet you.:P I saw it at an antique mall for $6.

Had two deaths in the family lately so a lot going on but for what it's worth here's about two weeks worth of tiki finds: L to R- Otigari Sumo Flip, cool copper tiki oil lamp, two Polynesian Village matchbooks, Westwood handle mug, Otigari mama tiki mug, Castaways postcard, Orchids r-86 hula bowl, Luau postcard, Trader Vic's Fijian Sali Club swizzle, Maori Hai Tiki bottle opener, Otigari Samurai Grog, Trader Vic's Hawaii postcard, Hawaiian Inn Leilani, two standard Leilanis, and a cool little Marquesan carved tiki.

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-05-17 13:53 ]

Nice stuff.

eh, sorry to here dat about da ohana BK, God bless brah!!

Thanks, Brah....It's been an interesting month. Her grandmother one week, mine two weeks later.

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna on 2003-05-17 23:25 ]

Sorry to hear about your losses BK - very similar situation when my granddad and my wife's grandfather died. Very tough.

On a happier note, lamps like the one you found still seem to be in use at the Kona Kai in Athens (Greece).

I had a couple of good find at the weekend - a good hardback edition of 'The Kon-Tiki Man', which really makes me want to dig up tapes of the BBC series of the same name that aired in 1990. (In the UK at least).

I also found an amazing Tiki mask which, for a change, really looks Tiki. It's nice, heavy wood, with a great design. I'll post pics when I get the chance. I picked it up at a most unlikely place too - a shop at Henley-on-Thames, a town renowned for it's snobby Brit inhabitants. They had marked it as being an African mask, so no doubt undervalued it at £15 ($22).

Trader Woody

Cool beans....Yeah, one funeral a year is bad enough. Two is just depressing.

Have seen this ashtray a thousand times and NEVER thought of it like this seller has described:

Not that there's anything wrong with it!

Then again, I always thought Poly Pop was sorta cute. And SugarCaddyDaddy? Hunk.

Faaaahbulous!
midnite

"From non-smoking home."

Can you believe they used that line for an ASHTRAY?!? I guarantee if someone bought it, someone used it.

My local Goodwill was having a 50% off sale on housewares and I found these 3 plates and 2 bowls for $2.69!

The bottom says Noritake, Hawaiian Holidays, Younger Image, Japan, Kontiki, 2231

the cashier asked me if I was going to smash them with a hammer to make a mosaic.

Three Mugs, Three bucks. Woo Hoo!!!

My wife and I were on vacation at Virginia Beach for four days during the week before Memorial Day. The best weather we had was the day we arrived, which was fairly crappy, but at least not raining. During the next three days, it rained more or less constantly until the day we left. Since the prospect of hanging out on a wet beach all day wasn't looking too appealing, I was able to talk her into hitting the local thrift shops in search of tikis. As it turned out, we hit pay-dirt pretty quickly---found the following mugs....

There were three Orchids R-5's in green,tan,and brown, with "Luau Hut" in relief around the bases. Then there were four turquoise mugs that at first glance look like Tiki Leilanis, but aren't. On closer inspection, the design is different, and they're marked "Blue Hawaii" on the bottom. (I almost missed these guys because I was distracted by a lamp shaped like a monkey sitting on a stack of books pondering a human skull). Then there was a tan mug similar to one of the Hawaiian Inn mugs, but this one is only marked "Japan". The most expensive one was $4.25. I wasn't expecting to find much, so I was pretty happy......

Here's an Ebay auction for you if you like bookends and Paul Marshall Tiki mugs:

PMP style bookends

Never seen these before.
midnite

Dan the man (Mystika)is the best damned importer and customer service guy on earth. He's also the trombone player for Buck 'O Nine. I've bought a lot of stuff from him and would highly recommend him to anybody.

How's this for a crazy day at the flea market? Two perfect Hawaiian Inn "Paddle Guys", 3.00 for both, a perfect ORIGINAL Trader Vic's Suffering Bastard, 2.00 (I shit you not), The Surfmen's "Exotic Island", 1.00, two cool sets of 50's tiki S&P's, 4.00 a set, an oddball painted mug that actually came that way, 1.00, a Kona Kai swizzlestick, 1.00, and a tiki toothpick holder, (get this)5.00. I love it when I pay more for the well booze than for top shelf! Anyway, it was quite a good day.