Floats and nets

I was wondering what places like Oceanic Arts charge for their floats. We spotted a bunch of new ones in an antique mall in Indiana last weekend. The smaller ones (6-8") were $24 and the larger ones (10-14") were $45. These were not vintage or used. Seemed to just be new and decorative. But they looked good. Not the thin netting you see on some. Loked like they were meant to be used, but were pulled to sell as decor.

As an idea of a fair retail price: I picked up a 6 inch float tied up in a heavy hemp twine (not netted) at Seattle's Hawaii General Store for $4. They had a large one (over 12" as I recall) for something in the mid thirties. These are the lowest prices I've seen.

On a slightly related yet rambling note...My mom grew up in Neah Bay along the Washington coast. She and my grandmother told me about big winter storms and beachcombers finding Japanese fishing floats on the beach afterwards. As a kid I was so fixated with the idea of doing some post storm beachcombing that I used to have dreams about finding floats on the beach.

Rambling on...In Oregon there's a group of glass artists who make "floats" and hide them along Lincoln City's beach during the winter months for people to find.

Coz I was born and raised in the Orkneys (far north coast of Scotland) we had green glass floats hanging in our house when I was a child, my mum had got them from her granny's house and my mum remembers as a child they used to wash up on the beach regularly coz they were still being used by fishermen and she used to smash them coz it was great fun. But she did add that if granny'O'eldego caught her smashing floats she'd get a good hiding.
I think the floats are some where in my dads shed still, hmm next time I'm home I'll have to go searching.

For those still looking for floats 'n' such in the bay area:

Wayne's World on First street in Benicia has small floats in assorted colors for $5. Simple ropework, but thicker than usual, so they look pretty good. Full size floats (14" - 16") are only $32, in many colors with great ropework. These are the best prices I've seen in ages.

They also have some great skippers wheels in an assortment of sizes- made with solid wood and brass. $25 for the small ones, up to $125 for the full size one.

There is also a Wayne's world in Vallejo, but I haven't been.

Martiki sez check it out.

-martin

What has anyone found recently? Willing to share your secret sources? Has ebay driven the average cost up? or down?

For those of you in South Florida.... Alex's Seashells in Dania Beach has the small ones for $8 to $20 dollars depending on color. They sometimes have the large ones but they usually go for $75 or more.

There's an antique dealer not too far from here (Charleston, SC) who collects/sells a lot of antique nauticalia. I've bought a couple of glass fishing floats from him. Somewhere around basketball size for the largest and I purchased another that's maybe the size of a cantaloupe and a half that has a hole in the top that has been rigged as a swag light and served me well outdoors as a central light on my gable piece on top of my Lanai for a couple of years now. A friend told me it is an antique Japanese saki jug. 60-80$ for these things and he always has a good supply--the ones with the hole in top show up only on occasion.

Another place down the street has hundreds of the 'not-so-old-but authentic' ones (not blown glass but 2 halves seamed together) but they don't have the netting. They go for 25$, I believe. A few places around here like souvenir shops have the repros with the hemp netting for around 15-20$.

Here's a pic of the saki jug and a pic of it rigged with light fixture and hanging from my gable:

That's a very cool sake jug!

On 2008-08-14 21:37, Howland wrote:
Another place down the street has hundreds of the 'not-so-old-but authentic' ones (not blown glass but 2 halves seamed together)

Actually those are blown glass as well. The seam is because they are blown into a two-piece wooden form and the form seam transfers to the glass. There are also some 3 part forms that were used.

Mrs. Fury & I loved this place in Florida we stumbled into on our way to visit Benzart before Hukilau. Their smaller floats were pretty reasonable, mostly vintage and .......

My fine steady hand....

The 2 large floats here are about 22-24" and I think were $120.00. I reeeaaallly wanted them as we never see many over 12-14" here locally. As we walked thru I was contemplating renting a truck and haulin a bunch of stuff home to the West Coast.

One of several shipping containers on the property.....the motherlode...

Outside one of the containers...

Nice Jugs!

Bunches of stuff.....

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/bestof/2004/award/best-rusty-anchors-14482

Feel free to ship me one of those big floats for trackin this down (ha ha)

CULPEPPERS! I LOVE THAT PLACE!! i stop there every year and load up the rest of my truck.the teak cabin doors are the best,great price on them too.
if it was ever on a ship ,CULPEPPERS has a room full of them.

ALSO ,just down the side street from CULPEPPERS is an home architecual junk/salvage yard. some great shit in there too.

On 2008-08-15 16:51, bongofury wrote:

One of several shipping containers on the property.....the motherlode...

MOTHER TRUCKER! Those ALL seem to have the top opening like my sake jug I posted. Those folks could get a few orders from TCer's looking to make fish float lamps, I'm thinkin'.

Now where is this place, exactly? Culpepper's in FL?

dear lord, have i been drinkin too much rum, or is that pic total sensory overload.no wonder we have a hard time finding them, theyre all at culpeppers....lol!

Holy Glass Floats!!! That place is like heaven.... If I lived near that place I'd probably have a float light in every room... wow.. do they ship??

What a spectacular find! I can't tell you how many times I've been through West Palm Beach and I did not know about this wonderful place. I think it's time for a Mai-Kai weekend and a visit to Culpeppers!

Business info for the Culpepper Co. Says they have a website but I can't access it. http://localdirectory.wflx.com/Culpepper+Company.9.2892112p.home.html

Whoa!!!! I am SO making a road trip!

when you guys go there be sure to tell him you saw it on TC.
every time i go there i tell him about TC and that he should advertse here.
his main customer base is the gift shops .