Mai Kai drum mug....what are the odds?

All of the stars must have aligned and the gods must have been smiling down yesterday as I found this rare mug. I am in between jobs and doing some small home improvement projects when my dad called to see if I would ride to the grocery store with him. I headed out to his house and we went to the store. On the way back he said he needed some canned beans so we stopped at another grocery store next to a thrift store. Dad went to the grocery and I went to the thrift store telling him I was going to look for some treasure. I did my usual search pattern and didn't find anything so I looked through the books and headed for the door. I almost forgot my own rule of taking one more look around before leaving. BINGO!! I saw the mug, closed my eyes and opened them again and picked up the mug. As I turned it over to look at the bottom goosebumps shot up both arms and my heart rate went through the roof. I knew exactly what I had found but still can't believe my luck. Price, $ 3.99. Nothing can raise your spirits or make your day like a good find and this is one of my best. Thanks for listening to me ramble on. It was a good day and a special find.

"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2010-09-04 14:14 ]

SCORE!!

Thanks Amy. The story goes that around thirty of these rare mugs were made for a promotion held by the Mai Kai. The grand prize was a trip to Tahiti. Anyone know about what year this was held?

BEEEAAAUUUTTTTIFUL!!! I think you owe your dad a mai tai in dat mug!!
Congrats! ~ i love these stories... I still waiting to post one of my own..:)

Excellent!!

I could listen to you ramble on about this all day.

SWEET GINGER BROWN !

What a great find - congratulations!

Good for you Trav!!!!!

WOW!

Lucky day for you, indeed!!! :D

Thanks guys. I didn't even let the lady behind the counter wrap it up. I just carefully carried it out to dad's truck with two hands. Goosebumps for fifteen minutes straight.

What an awesome story :D Congrats!

Wow-o-wow-o-wow-o-wow! Nice find.

Sweet find Trav, I am jealous of that one for sure! Thanks for sharing.

PTD

Only in Kalamazoo! So did your dad think his son had finally flipped? :) This event should inspire a song called "I found a mug ...in Kalamazoo!"

Thanks everyone.

Sven, dad has seen allot in his day, a true navy man who has been around the world and spent fifteen years working in every state in the country. He knows I flipped out years ago. I told my dad that I owed him for the good luck but maybe I should thank Elvis also. I actually found the mug in of all places in the tiny town of Paw Paw. Really! As we waited to turn into the store dad waved to a guy who is always on the little main drag of the town waving to passing traffic. He always has a costume or theme for the day. The gentleman is in a wheelchair and enjoys waving to the folks. Fridays theme was Elvis from Blue Hawaii complete with aloha shirt, Hawaiian guitar, lei, gold glasses and pompadour wig. Maybe a true sign from above. There is allot to be said for small town America and thanks to Elvis too.

"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2010-09-06 06:14 ]

Wow Trav, that's awesome. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, congrats.

Now, we need a photo of the rare Mai Kai Drum Mug displayed in its new home in the Hukilau Lounge.

DC

Good things happen to good people, Trav! Nice score!

awesome find!

Thanks DC, BK and Liz.

Dusty here it is behind the bar on the end where I mix my cocktails. A bit of a Mai Kai theme going on. I have been to the Mai Kai in the past and can't wait to get back but the home bar will have to do for now.

Wow. And nice to see there's finds to be had outside of CA!

On 2010-09-06 20:42, Pittsburgh pauly wrote:
Wow. And nice to see there's finds to be had outside of CA!

??? I would say much more so than in CA, which has been grazed bare by hardcore Tiki collectors for over a decade now.

Obviously it's been too long since my last visit to Kalamazoo, your bottles have RUM in them...OMG.

Great find and congrats on saving yet another piece of history.

Now, mix up a perfectly balanced, exhaustively researched icy cold cocktail and document the whole process, I want to see action shots!