What to get...what to get...

Hey all,
My sister got married last week and will be going to Hawaii for her honeymoon at the end of April (they are saving up). She told me she would pick up some souviers for me if I gave her some cash (I got a secret stash around here). My question to you all, what should I tell her to look for? She is starting to know what tiki is (though it doesn't interest her like it does me). Any of you guys and gals who have been to the islands have some things I should have her look for? I'm staying away from hula dolls (I have too many), but besides a few statues, weapons are the only thing I can think of.

Any suggestions?

-one man aspiring to be everyone’s favorite unkle.
http://www.unklejohn.com

My Tiki Lounge http://unklejohn.suddenlaunch.com/index.cgi

[ Edited by: Unkle John on 2005-02-28 15:08 ]

I dont know enough to suggest exactly what to get. However, i would concentrate on stuff that is rare in the states cause obviously it is going to be harder for you to get (unlike hula dolls). If you want 'genuine' hawaiian stuff, make sure your sister has a look at the labels - I got a ukelele from Taihiti that was made in China!

Uncle J,

If she's going to Oahu, have her hook up with Gecko or filslash. Both are very knowledgable on what's good and where to get it (not that!).

i'd want anything from Gecko ~ something that fits in a carry on bag!

your new brother in law, and sister are each allowed 2 pieces of checked luggage, but the weight limit is 50 pounds ~ so a big tiki would be over... but you're her favorite, right?

e

One of those cool Tiki lighters that have the eyes light up RED when you light the flame!

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2005-02-28 21:07 ]

Here's a suggestion, tell her what NOT to get... I had a good friend go to hawaii, they had torn a picture out of a magazine with a bunch of Hilo Hattie mugs with handles. The aweful 4 color ones. Anyway, I told them whatever they did, do NOT get those mugs. I ended up with 3 POS HH mugs, and one of those really shitty touristy tiki's that's not a tiki at all. The ugly things holding a shield and sword. Give them pictures of what NOT to get. That's my 2.

Agreed, she should definitely check out Gecko's art. If you don't have one of his works, you're missing out.

I agree, a piece by Gecko will be something unique and personal. Most of the tourist crap is from china and is a dime a dozen. CoCo Joe's items are always good though.
Aloha,
:tiki:

On 2005-02-28 16:45, bigbrotiki wrote:
One of those cool Tiki lighters that have the eyes light up RED when you light the flame!

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 12:07 ]

Here's the weird thing I've found in all the Hawaiian islands. If you want to find anything vintage...good luck. You won't find deals or treasure in thrift stores. They are picked clean every morning. The theory goes that all the trinkets and stuff was bought by tourists as well as GIs and brought back to the mainland. Not much is 'naturally' in the islands.

However, if you have the money and want to spend it I recommend Bailey's on Kapahulu Ave on Oahu. It's a cramped little stores with vintage shirts and all sorts of stuff. There are also reproduction shirts on the racks so make sure you know what you're buying.

If you're in Kona on the big island make a trip to Mauna Kea Galleries. This is Mark Blackburn's gallery. He's the one who wrote the Hawaiiana book and man, does he ever have HUGE prices on his stuff. I treated it like a museum and came out feeling much better about myself!

For treasures on the cheap and the new, check out Hilo Hatties. Last year, when we were there, they were starting to get a section dedicated to tiki. Lotsa stuff.. mugs, lamps, shirts, etc. There's also the ABC Stores that carry the regular tourist stuff.

I was in Hawaii a couple years ago for my honeymoon. On the day that we were flying home I discovered that in Honolulu, at the Aloha Bowl (where the NFL plays the pro bowl) they have a flea market on the weekends. I bought some koa items and monkeypod bolws there, some inexpensive 100% kona coffee (beware of cheap ones that are just "blends") and other Hawaiian items. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time to spend at the flea market because we went on our way to the airport, but there was a lot to see there.

Also, every Walmart in Hawaii (and there seems to be one on every island) has an entire section of the store devoted to hawaiian/tiki items. You can get a lot of the same types of things you would find at Hilo Hatties, but a LOT cheaper there.

Also, there might be some craft or art shows while they are there, so they could keep an eye out for that. When we were in Maui, there was an outdoor craft show where there were carved tiki totems and other items for sale. It might be a good idea to check to see if there are any of these events going on while they are there.

I really didn't stop at any antique or thirft stores when i was there, so I don't know about where one would go to find rare / unique items.

On 2005-03-01 10:15, joefla70 wrote:
I really didn't stop at any antique or thirft stores when i was there, so I don't know about where one would go to find rare / unique items.

i did some thrift on oahu and antiquing on maui. i had no luck.

[ Edited by: Johnny Dollar on 2005-03-01 10:55 ]

On 2005-03-01 08:22, Dancin' Lizard wrote:
You won't find deals or treasure in thrift stores. They are picked clean every morning.

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 12:08 ]

I was on Oahu in 2003, just prior to joining TC. These pics are from one of my very first posts here. Out of 10 days there, we spent about a day and a half thrifting and antiquing while seeing the island.

King Kamehameha Coco Joe I didn't get in Hawaii. The little Coco Joe tiki and the stone tiki came from The Hunter antique store in Kailua. They were $4 or $5 each. The skinny Moai is a new item, it was $8 from Peggy's Picks on Kapahulu. The Singing Ali'is mug was $2 from Trash From the Past in Wahiawa. The Danish Modern ice bucket came from The Hunter and was about $30. The drink mug from the Hyatt Regency Waikiki came from the Goodwill in Kailua for a couple bucks.

Two ceramic blue tikis came from Goodwill, five for the pair. Behind them is an old tiki lamp from The Hunter for $75. Next to that is a $5 tiki (of the style favored by Sven and Paul Theroux) from the Aloha Swap Meet. Then some Aztec type decanter and glasses from Salvation Army.

Tiki purchased from the carver at the Aloha Festival. It was $15. I also saw his tikis in several tourist stores around Waikiki.

My lamp again. There were also plenty shops that had new stuff, like Peggy's Picks where I got the skinny moai.

You can score some goods at the thrifts, maybe filslash was out of town when I was there? But your sister will likely not want to be hitting the thrifts. She could probably find something like the tiki in the third pic around Waikiki (what island is she going to?) and she can find some things at the Aloha Swap Meet. Don't send her to Bailey's unless you're giving her ten grand to spend. That place is ungodly over-priced and actually kind of pizzed me off. They had new KC of Hawaii mugs that you could get all over the place for $7, marked $30! The wahine that worked there was very, very nice (and a real looker) and I enjoyed talking to her but she had to keep telling us how Nick Cage came in and spent $30K on shirts and nic nacs for some movie. It was like ol' Nick was John Frum and someday he'd return and shower them with treasures (ie buy their over-priced goods). Across the street is the place where I think Bong bought his furniture. If your sister goes there tell her to make sure and wait until the wahine (boss-lady) leaves and then hubby will sell you stuff at about a third of what she marked the price as. Cash only. :wink:

Every couple days I like to make a long, rambling, semi-coherent post so there ya go.

On 2005-03-01 13:58, filslash wrote:
aloha,

On 2005-03-01 08:22, Dancin' Lizard wrote:
You won't find deals or treasure in thrift stores. They are picked clean every morning.

Usually by me, but things do slip through the cracks!

HEY..who you callin' a crack? Oh wait..never mind... smirk

Yeah, I forgot to mention the stadium swap meet. Just off the Kam Hwy. And it's huge! If you want trinkets,do-dads and gee-gaws wait until Wed, Sat or Sun and go to the swap meet.

A friend of ours bought a Rolex watch there and had it looked at by the Rolex store and they were pretty impressed that he got it for several thousand less than what they were selling it for.

I bought a very nice Hawaiian Heirloom bracelet at a booth at the swap meet. Ordered it on Wednesday and had it by Sunday. It's great quailty too. I've had it for nearly 10 years and the enamel hasn't chipped out. I wear it 24/7.

I've seen a few people just throw stuff out on a blanket, swap meet junk type stuff. Those people are usually in the inner rings towards the stadium. If you're looking for good junk start on the small rings and work out. It's HUGE!

On 2005-03-01 10:54, Johnny Dollar wrote:

On 2005-03-01 10:15, joefla70 wrote:
I really didn't stop at any antique or thirft stores when i was there, so I don't know about where one would go to find rare / unique items.

i did some thrift on oahu and antiquing on maui. i had no luck.

---

[ Edited by: Johnny Dollar on 2005-03-01 10:55 ]

Same here. There were tons of tikis, but none of what I saw was all that great and it was all really expensive. The funny thing is most of it is imported over hear and is sold cheaper than what you would pay for it there.

If your sister goes to a luau, she'll probably see artisans weaving hats, bowls, and other objects out of palm fronds. These are usually inexpensive, and make nice decorative items.

If she can find a store that caters to hula dancers, they sell really nice silk flower leis. Those stores also sell the headdresses and gourds that the dancers use.

Tell her to buy some Plumeria scented cologne. That scent always reminds me of Hawaii.

Many stores (including ABC stores) sell sarongs for about $10. I have lots of them in different colors, and have used them for table cloths, bedspreads, car seat covers, curtains, etc.

When she is returning, tell her to buy you a fresh flower lei at the airport. It will probably survive the trip home, and you can a little taste of the Hawaiian experience.

Thanks to everyone who has responded! I'll be talking to my sister this weekend and see if they have anything planned yet while on the island(s). I don't know if they are going to stay on the main island or go to the other ones. Does anyone know if they sell any type of souveniers at the old leppar colony?

At the old leper colony, you can probably pick up odds and ends that are laying around...

[ Edited by: ooga booga on 2005-03-04 13:41 ]