Tiki Mug and Collectibles Pricing

A place to post the selling prices for mugs or any other Tiki collectible. Be it on Ebay or other locales. Not intended to solely illustrate "how expensive", but to give some insight into what things are fetching out there among the great unwashed. A guide to some market values, more or less.

First up, the rare Steve Crane "headhunter" mug:

How much?

I told this seller not to take an "end it now" offer. Told him to expect around $200-230 for it. I see I was a "bit" off, Jesus Roller Skating Christ!

midnite

I think it's very clear that danlovestiki, and ludwicke loves tiki too.

Or at the other end of the scale, the Italian Lira of the Tiki world - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2153853787&category=29460

Let's see if anyone bothers to buy it.

That Crane price is truly shocking, but I give no kudos at all to the winner. I'm always happier to check out the 3 Leilani & 1 random mug collection of a keen novice than the $10,000 collection of some schmuck who get's worried and squirmy if you even blink at their mugs in the wrong way.

Trader Woody

"That Crane price is truly shocking"Trader Woody

And i that same "truly shocking" vein is this:

$100+ Pineapple

Legitimate, who knows?

I have noticed of late that Islander mugs are attracting insane bids on Ebay, no idea why. Some things just are, while others are not just. Some ask why things are, others ask why can't they be...I ask,"Can I have the mint jelly on the side?"

midnite

I haven't been collecting for as long as others so I'm not sure about the Tiki Leilani. I really only buy something because it looks beautiful to me (vs. rarity, condition, age, original vs. repro, etc) , and I think the Leilani is darn cute. Do people not like it or something? Is it super-common? why wouldn't someone other than me (and who has the cash) not want to pick it up?

I paid $104 for two Don the Beachcomber rum barrels last week. That's the most I've ever paid for mugs.
Come to think of it, I better get help before you guys find me mumbling about ebay and pushing a shopping cart full of greasy tiki stuff down Market Street.

Holy Mackeral!!!
400 bucks! Geeze, good ol' Dan should change his name to "Danhasmoremoneythangod".
He's the feakin' George Steinbrenner of Tiki collecting.
Oh well, if I had gobs of $$ who's to say I wouldn't do the same... But sill, where is the fun in just dropping a huge wad just to nab every piece?

Aloha
:tiki:

if I had the dough, then I would drop mad cash on all sorts of things. The prices on Ebay never bug me because I find it so amazing that any of us has a chance to find all this great stuff. 400 bucks is alot of money, but people can blow that in a couple weekends just going out to clubs, or on a new tv. I'd rather have the mug.

that said, I am as cheap as they come, I scour for things until they almost have to pay me to take them off their hands.

On 2003-01-15 15:11, manic cat wrote:
I haven't been collecting for as long as others so I'm not sure about the Tiki Leilani. I really only buy something because it looks beautiful to me (vs. rarity, condition, age, original vs. repro, etc) , and I think the Leilani is darn cute. Do people not like it or something? Is it super-common? why wouldn't someone other than me (and who has the cash) not want to pick it up?

I believe the Leilani mugs are abundant but living in a tiki-free zone on the East Coast you take what you can get! I just bought a Leilani/Hawaiian Inn mug at the Goodwill and you would have thought I had found a $400 Steven Crane Headhunter mug! My hands were trembling as I snatched it off the shelf before anyone else could get their slimy mitts near it!! When I got it home I replaced the Leilani mug on the back bar shelf, that I paid $4.00 for off Ebay about 6 months ago, with my new pride and joy...the 50 cent Leilani mug found at the local Goodwill! I think I can honestly say that it is probably my favorite mug (at least until I get something new).

:drink:

I like some of the pottery class tiki's you find, I think I have one that says Uncle Harry or something on the bottom. Each one is painted different, and I like to think of the delighted eyes of the relative that got it as a gift. You can still pick them up really cheep too.

...with my new pride and joy...the 50 cent Leilani mug found at the local Goodwill! I think I can honestly say that it is probably my favorite mug (at least until I get something new).

I agree. Sure, I'm always excited when I pick up a new mug on ebay, but not even half as much as when the Tiki Gods smile upon me and guide me to a little nugget in the thrift. Hell, isn't what this is all about anyway? To me, tiki collecting is like pop culture archeology... Hunt, dig, search, behold!
Ahhh....

Aloha.

:tiki:

I have one too - looks like it was made in boy scout camp or something! Lovingly made by "Larry Whyte, May 11, 1972". Which makes it only a month and 8 days older than yours truly! Larry, where are you? I'd like to meet Larry now and show him his mug proudly displayed on my shelf!

I agree. There's nothing like that thrift store score, especially here on the east coast. I got a great big Buddha mug with his arms raised and straw hole in his belly for $2.00 in CT. I hear that they were used in Benehana restaurants. It's not rare or anything but it has a good aura in the room.

I was chuffed to bits to find my Leilani/Hawaiian Inn mug in a local thrift/charity store, I love it. Is the Leilani/Hawaiian Inn mug the most common mug inexistance?

Your "bits" being "chuffed" is a good thing, right?

"I got a great big Buddha mug with his arms raised and straw hole in his belly for $2.00 in CT. I hear that they were used in Benehana restaurants."

I got this one just the other day at a junk store for $1.50! I was excited about it too (although some would say it's not so tiki)! He just looks so happy with his belly hanging out!

Happy Tiki Hunting!

Through MULTIPLE visits to my local (San Francisco, uggh) Goodwill/Salvation Army shops I have found squat, absolutely nothin.....whuuuh! But once I did see a Benihana mug, maybe they will take off someday.

I mentioned earlier the Islander mugs getting some strange Mojo, with bids approaching milk-thru-nostril levels. Put down that glass:

How much? Ha ha ha, "spew", oops!

This one is missing the lid as well. Well, that explans why it is only going for two hundred or so. Bah....ha ha....HA!

midnite: getting ready for the next big sale/charity drive and Tiki mug fest. I'm rich I'm rich...I'm comfortably well-off.

Susan Powter says: "Stop the Insanity!"

[ Edited by: tikigreg on 2003-01-16 16:31 ]

On 2003-01-16 13:50, midnite_tiki wrote:
But once I did see a Benihana mug, maybe they will take off someday.

Oh, they will, they will....
Perhaps they could be the only current example of a cheap modern-day 'mug' that could be bought for mere cents right now and be hugely popular in the future. Not Tiki by a good few miles, these mugs are nevertheless ideal mugs to serve drinks to pals who can't comprehend 'the whole Tiki thing'.

Anyway, the "Wall Street Trader Vic" in me says - 'Don't spend $400+ on a Crane......buy 400 cheap Benihana's and you'll make your fortune'.

Trader Woody

As far as the Benihana mugs go, there's already different vintages...! Some of the older ones are from Orchids of Hawaii, another older production will have the logo or markings "underglazed" (where the logo appears to be in the glaze itself). Newer ones will have a screened logo or marking (it is applied on top of the glaze, very crisp, and you can usually feel it on the surface), or might be marked that it was made in China (either molded in or a sticker) or no mark at all.

Not that I've looked into the collectability of Benihana mugs.....!

:tiki:

[ Edited by: Traderpup on 2003-01-17 14:10 ]

I have never seen this piece before, looks like few others had as well. Makes me wonder what my Hoffman Kahiki condiment bowl would bring.

Kahiki Server Thingy

Anyone have an answer for what this thing was?

midnite

I thought I had a live on with this auction. Just a three-day auction, no one was gonna find it, it was MINE!

Didn't even get a chance to enter another losing bid:

Don Beachcomber

It is the cool green version too, c'est la vie.

midnite

That kahiki thing looks like a butter melter for your loibster. Though I dont remember them serving lobster when I was there, but I was on a budget so might have just blanked out that portion of the menu rom my memory. Definitely some sort of sauce pourer, anyway.

My guess is that its for making those tiki cappucinos.

I guess I'm the "New Guy". You can't believe how happy I am to have found other Tiki Mug collectors. I've been collecting for a couple years and have nearly 60 different mugs. like most of you I try never to spend more than $10 to $15.

My first question is: Has anyone seen these before and know anything about them. Does Chiki Tiki ring a bell? What are they worth?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=29460&item=2154329083&rd=1

Second, I was looking at past Tiki Mug discussions about "Leilani" and how she can be a favorite, but has no real value and is often past up on e-bay. I think there must be Valuable and rare Leilani mugs. I have three different Leilani mugs. One with Orchids of Hawaii on the bottom, another with nothing. One that has two faces one on each side and the others are only one sided. I know I've seen them with other sayings besides Leilani and no sayings at all. I'm still keeping my eye open for new versions of the Classic Leilani Mug, rare ones that I can get for next to nothing.

Maui,

The Chiki Tiki mugs are current mass-production mugs. You can buy them here:

http://www.islandmadness.com/tikimug2.html

I guess I'm the "New Guy". You can't believe how happy I am to have found other Tiki Mug collectors.

Second, I was looking at past Tiki Mug...I think there must be Valuable and rare Leilani mugs. I have three different Leilani mugs.

Hiya Maui, where ya at over there, much history with Maui.

On the Leilani types, yes, I know of a few. I have two. One, with "usa" on the bottom, suppposed to be McCoy? My other one is from Hawaiian Inn, made by Orchids. They are ok mugs, worthy of any collection, but just too common to get much of a bid on Ebay. Many were part of a rum set, so there are LOTS of them.

Welcome,
midnite

On 2003-01-17 13:53, Trader Woody wrote:

On 2003-01-16 13:50, midnite_tiki wrote:
But once I did see a Benihana mug, maybe they will take off someday.

Oh, they will, they will....

Does this mean I should stop using my Benihana mug for my kitchen scrubbers? He doesn't hold enough liquid for a good drink but he sure looks happy holding those scrubbers!

Happy Tiki Hunting!
Perhaps they could be the only current example of a cheap modern-day 'mug' that could be bought for mere cents right now and be hugely popular in the future. Not Tiki by a good few miles, these mugs are nevertheless ideal mugs to serve drinks to pals who can't comprehend 'the whole Tiki thing'.

Anyway, the "Wall Street Trader Vic" in me says - 'Don't spend $400+ on a Crane......buy 400 cheap Benihana's and you'll make your fortune'.

Trader Woody

Wow, sorry guys I really screwed that post up!

On 2003-01-20 23:27, midnite_tiki wrote:

Hiya Maui, where ya at over there, much history with Maui.

Started out in Honokowai (Lahaina) now live in Maui Meadows (Wailea) been here 13 years, verry few Tiki mugs left on Maui. All the Daga Maui Lu mugs were taken home by tourists.

MauiTiki

Mugs can be pricey, Tiki menus can be like pricey pricey!

Tahitian

I guess they are more perishable then mugs, paper against ceramics and all. Hey, doesn't paper beat rock, why shouldn't paper beat clay pottery!?!

Is it me, or is it getting entirely too difficult (ne expensive) to "win" anything n Ebay? C'est la vie, if you cannot beat them...you must sell to them. So I will, next week big sale coming, stay tuned.

midnite

^I knew that Space Tiki's tikis looked familar. The tiki on the menu and the tiki in Space Tiki's "Wrong Black Hole" are identical.

Take a look at this...this person has the mother-load of Leilanis!

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/swizzledd/tiki.html

[ Edited by: TikiManiac on 2003-01-22 14:15 ]

On 2003-01-22 14:14, TikiManiac wrote:
Take a look at this...this person has the mother-load of Leilanis!

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/swizzledd/tiki.html

[ Edited by: TikiManiac on 2003-01-22 14:15 ]

Doris often sells lots of tiki swizzle sticks on Ebay from her extensive collection and she is a great person to deal with!

On 2003-01-22 14:14, TikiManiac wrote:
Take a look at this...this person has the mother-load of Leilanis!

WOW! They look kinda cool all lined up together like that... in a Warhol kinda' way.

As for menu pricing... Damn, $182. I'm with Midnite Tiki, I hope danlovestikis, tigertlily, and those guys from Texas hit your auctions.

Aloha
:tiki:

Not sure what is the punchline, but this is a joke:

Barnum Tiki

This is in some ways worse than the $300 Mai-Kai mug auction. This black mug is old, granted, but is normally available for $10 on Ebay. The newer version of this mug, produced today for various events, is much less defined and lower quality.

I do not like seeing auctions like this, it contributes to a faulty idea of "worth".

C'est La Vie!
midnite

On 2003-01-23 11:00, midnite_tiki wrote:
Not sure what is the punchline, but this is a joke:

Barnum Tiki

This is in some ways worse than the $300 Mai-Kai mug auction. This black mug is old, granted, but is normally available for $10 on Ebay. The newer version of this mug, produced today for various events, is much less defined and lower quality.

I do not like seeing auctions like this, it contributes to a faulty idea of "worth".

C'est La Vie!
midnite

Holy toledo, the winner on that bid has the User ID of vigilante_carlstroem. That's the guitarist for The Hives. I wonder if it's really him and if he's really into Tiki. I notice he's also bidding on lots of music equipment and hawaiian shirts that are 2XL, which would be about right- he's a big boy.

Just a thought.

-martin

Regardless, they still ripped him a new one with that mug!

Regardless, they still "ripped him a new one" with that mug!

Blah bla blah Islander stuff is more pricey blah blah. Another blah blah blah:

Islander Moai Bowl

Only $202? I'll take four.

midnite

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2154605964&category=29460

Pah-leeze!

Hey Greg,
Yep, that is a real eye roller. In truth it is probably worse than the Islander bowl at $200. Over thirty for that headhunter Orchids mug is certainly way WAY over the usual rate of what, $8?

My luck, as I sell a bunch of stuff next week, all the deep pocket collectors will be empty pocketed.

midnite

On 2003-01-24 19:10, tikigreg wrote:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2154605964&category=29460

Pah-leeze!

mauicoconut is a new guy (0) feedback. If he were paying attention he could have had 5 of these plus 2 last week for $35.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=29460&item=2153911630&rd=1

Should we start a new topic for "stupid" bids?

I was about to post:
"You're right, the bidder is new, which I didn't notice. Must allow for youthful exuberance, I suppose. Let's hope the mug holds a place of honor in this ebayers tiki- bar-to-be"

But there is such a thing as a feeding frenzy among new collectors, it would appear.

maybe the problem isn't the prices things are fetching, especially since tiki gets more and more popular every day, but that we are all REALLY CHEAP!!! I've never heard people piss and moan so much over the prices of things, not that any of us would give back the money if some newbie ran up one of our auctions. I think the most important thing about ebay is that no one ever spends more than they want too, which after a couple days at antique stores, I am forever grateful for.

I do think that the crazy prices are going to be the Disco shirts of 2003. I used to be able to get 20-30 bucks a piece for them a couple years ago, and now I can't give them away. Save your pennies to the day all us tight-wads can feel safe on ebay again!

[ Edited by: Tiki-Troll on 2003-01-24 21:05 ]

I think the most important thing about ebay is that no one ever spends more than they want too

Ummm...actually, I have. I must admit there have been times in the past where I've spent more than I wanted to for something I really wanted to add to my collection. I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only one who has done this either. We are human, after all...

I guess WANT & WILLING are two different things. I sometimes just get sick of getting outbid, and another 10-20 bucks, or whatever I have to spend just to get the damn thing is worth it.

Just when one thinks the Ebay prices are insane, INSANE!...a nice little "bargain":

[http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3203668379&category=35713]Aku Aku Mug (the good one)](http://)

Sorry, no "buy now" bargains like that in the midnite tiki mug spectacivestorama, but some good crap nonetheless.

midnite