Tiki Statistics

I've been into Tiki for over 4 years now. I've never had much time to scrounge through thrift stores and flea markets, but every time I have done so, I've been skunked... until today! Ended up getting two mugs (a Tiki Leilani and an OMC-type). Woo hoo!

Anyway, my success rate of finding mugs at thrift stores/flea markets is a pitiful 2% (one find per fifty visits). All of you good folks seem to grab them before I get there. Or maybe my Tiki hunting techniques need some work.

My question is what would you estimate is percentage that you successfully find tiki mugs at second hand shops and flea markets?

Tikipedia

I try to go out almost every weekend and to more than one estate/garage sale, sometimes as many as 10, usually around 3-5 on average. So every year it is real safe to say I hit at least 100-150 unique garage/estate sales, no shit. This isn't even talking about my visits to thrift stores, flea markets or antique malls. If I find 3-4 high quality, unique mugs a year, that is a good year.

I collect everything remotely Polynesian Pop related, albums, coco joes, Hawaiianna, tikis, lamps, paper, matches, menus, swizzles, treasure craft, hula stuff, ashtrays, whatever!!! But, what I really want are old mugs and they are harder and harder to find.

So Z, Sabu, is that about right? Look all the time, find 3-4 a year, "in the Field"?
Mahalo,
Al

I would estimate I find a mug for every 10-15 stops. That includes antique stores mostly. I hit thrift stores rarely. I actually have people who look there for me daily.

That does not mean I find a "Tiki Bob" that often, but I do find something. I add to my mug collection monthly from the wild. If I went searching more, I might do better. I usually just stop on the way here or there, and hit my "honey holes" every couple of months.

For instance, I know there are a couple of Surfer Girl mugs in a store here now. I have 2 already. $20 each means they stay put there. I know where there is a small bowl, but it was $35-40 when I last looked. No thanks.

Ha! Me having to figure out a percentage is like having a root canal so I won't even attempt. I go to thrift stores 5 days a week - every week - and I come across actual tiki items at the about the rate of 1-2 a month. Tiki related items such as hanging lamps, monkeypod bowls and other jetsam - 3-4 a month. The problem with setting an accurate percentage is because of the months when I hit a real dry spell and can only unearth items at an inflated price at the antique mall.

Last week I had a real breakthrough in my collecting/hording sickness when I was actually able to bring myself to leave a Leilani mug on the shelf at the Goodwill... hopefully an appreciative person snatched it up!

I rarely hit thrift stores or garage sales anymore because, like you, I never find anything. There are some exceptions: a couple of thrift stores around here seem to get the occasional tiki item or at least cool records so I hit them once in a while; and I will usually visit a new thrift store that I've never been to before because most of the time when I've found a tiki item at a thrift it was on my first visit.

I prefer just to go to antique malls and flea markets (antique flea markets). You pay a bit more but at least you let them do all the leg work.

I seem to find tiki 'stuff' about once a week, or maybe once every two weeks. Treasure craft, coco joes, I could bring home 3-5 shirts a week if I wanted, and sometimes I do.

Mugs, however, are much more elusive. I check the thrift shop 4-5 times a week, every week, but only find a mug maybe once every couple of months. Once a month at most. So I'd say 10-12 mugs in the wild a year is about right for me.

When my husband is home during garage sale season, we go once a week, but I have not found a single tiki item yet. I would go twice a weekend, every weekend if I got off my arse and got my driver's license.

In an odd way, this is reassuring to hear. I was afraid my Tiki hunting skills were just plain bad.

On the other hand, it is distressing to hear that Tiki is becoming increasingly difficult to come across in the wild.

The idea of building a great Tiki mug collection solely by scouring second hand shops seems as much pie-in-the-sky as those $50 surplus jeeps in crates, that they used to talk about.

tikipedia: probably not what you want to hear, but ~ we vacation in san diego 3 times a year, and i'm guessing my rate for finding vintage mugs is 90% (there are 2 shops that we always find something at). we bring a spare suitcase and bubble wrap when we visit.

my luck in seattle is much less, i've found an Outrigger and a few others. but i dont scour the thrift stores, although i pass by 2 every day. i just dont get that "tiki vibe" so i drive on. (although im finding nice shirts lately).

portland has been good hunting for us, always find something when we're visiting.

i pretty much take a pass on mugs that are more than 15 bucks. and im learning to look at the other hawaiiana collectibles as items to trade..

sometimes its frustrating ~ but its the hunt that makes it fun.. and the hope that one day, i'll be the one to find a holy grail mug. till then, i'm happy to sift through owls and mushrooms...

elicia

On 2005-05-21 22:13, dogbytes wrote:
tikipedia: probably not what you want to hear, but ~ we vacation in san diego 3 times a year, and i'm guessing my rate for finding vintage mugs is 90% (there are 2 shops that we always find something at). we bring a spare suitcase and bubble wrap when we visit.

Wow! That is amazing!! Although I am more than tempted to ask you where these places are, I wouldn't think of asking you to reveal your secret stash.

But are these specialty shops, or second-hand stores? I know of a bunch of Tiki specialty places that I know sells mugs... there is a place behind the Sports Arena, and a couple of places in North County.

Cheers!
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