Book of Tiki Reprint?

I know Sven Kirsten reads the forums, and I'm just curious--considering the apparent popularity if the Book of Tiki, why isn't it being reprinted? Is it just the dew hardcore tiki nuts that are driving used prices so high?

Personally, I think that there are enough new fans of Tiki,
that Taschen would be wise, and would profit to reprint the Book.

unless they are the ones selling their last stash
for the insane prices on the ebay etc....

Jeff(btd)

The used market price (around $50) is probably in the same neighborhood as the original cover price - or still cheaper - for some reason I have $80 in my head - likely because I'm remembering the half price books store cost. Taschen books tend to be more expensive - but they are worth it.

In additional to the used books listings on Amazon or Barnes&Noble - abebooks.com (recently purchased by amazon) is an astounding marketplace of used bookstore offerings.

Just keep an eye out for local stores that may have these books. I found the BOT at a place last summer for less than $30. Apparently, I should have bought quite a few of them.

On 2010-12-06 10:47, TikiTacky wrote:
I know Sven Kirsten reads the forums, and I'm just curious--considering the apparent popularity if the Book of Tiki, why isn't it being reprinted? Is it just the dew hardcore tiki nuts that are driving used prices so high?

Yes he does, and he appreciates all the kudos and interest, Mahalo!
Thing is, Taschen is so busy, and has so many projects projects lined up and people begging to do their books, they don't really care about what they consider a minority market. First they said they were not gonna reprint the BOT with Tiki Modern being out because they as a publisher did not want to have TWO Tiki books on the market. Last I met with Benedikt Taschen for beer and sausages at the Wurstkueche, he told me that in today's economy, even Tiki Modern would have never been published. I was just damn lucky.

I could try to get the BOT reprinted myself, but then there would be the question of distribution. Taschen is not only great because of their high quality books for affordable prices (it used to retail for 29.- bucks) but because they have worldwide distribution. Yes several hundreds of people might run out and get a reprint, maybe a thousand, but then what about the other 4000 copies?

As long as you can still get the BOT for the price of a dinner for two, and people in general are tight with their money for extraneous things such as art books, I don't see it happening.

I am damn glad I got both of your books when I did.

These are my reference guides to what Tiki is. If I ever wonder, I just open either one of my books and there it is. Perfectly archived and codified!

Hey Bigbro! could you please tell us what the history behind "Tiki Style" is? Was is Taschens Idea? yours? What is the difference from the BOT other than it is smaller and in paper back?

There are 6 new for sale on amazon right now for $24.00 and 16 used from $7.20. I know its not as good as the big hard cover BOT but the content seams to be the same. A used one of these would seam to be a great deal for those on a tight budget.

Oh, I had that posted here somewhere, but before I find it:

Taschen did that with many of their titles, it was called their ICONS series: They make cheaper, pocket-sized versions of their bigger books, for a fraction of the price (it retailed for 9.95 or so 7.95 or so) to serve a different market, the folks that don't wanna spent 30.- bucks on a subject but don't mind picking one up for under 10.- in passing, for kicks and giggles. SORT of a reprint. But I did not get as many pages, so instead of shortening each chapter, I completely edited out the HUNTERS AND COLLECTORS and the SURFIN' TIKI chapters, that's why I am calling it the Reader's Digest version or pocket bible version of the BOT.

I was not quit comfortable with the different title, and when they even wanted to give it a different cover, I fought against that, it would have been too misleading for the buyer who would have thought it to be an entirely new book, especially in the age of internet ordering, where the size difference of the book is not immediately noticeable.

I did however enjoy giving the book a new lay out, with assigning images to different contexts than in the BOT, and blowing up images that had been too small in the BOT, so I am quite happy with the result, for what it is. But it ain't the original.

Ive got a handful of titles from the Icon series, as Sven said they're cheap and cool. They're great for someone with a light/passing interest in a subject. Ive got them on hula girls, pin ups, tiki style and a custom car one too.

Personally I love the Taschen books because they cover stuff other people just dont, and they've got good distribution in Australia :D

And while we're (vaguely) on the subject, are there any plans on updated the Book of Tiki website? It has become a bit of a period piece and I don't think its been touched since 2003. And is there a story behind the "Bad Luck Tiki" in the Tiki Portraits section?

On 2010-12-06 18:20, hewey wrote:
Personally I love the Taschen books because they cover stuff other people just dont, and they've got good distribution in Australia :D

And that is KEY to being able to sell them at such a low price: Their international distribution. That is what they are trilingual. Folks have found the BOT in Argentina, Norway and Romania! That is just amazing to me.

On 2010-12-06 18:28, naugatiki wrote:
And while we're (vaguely) on the subject, are there any plans on updated the Book of Tiki website? It has become a bit of a period piece and I don't think its been touched since 2003. And is there a story behind the "Bad Luck Tiki" in the Tiki Portraits section?

OUCH! ...yes, you can say that again! Really quite inexcusable. My excuse to myself has been that any personal website/blog time or content spent would detract from TC time. That's also why I am not on Oooga Mooga/Crytiki/FOM/ etc. Tiki Central is the original, and I am loyalty oriented.

But that state of things is no longer sustainable. I have a sponsor who keeps bugging me to get going with a new site, and dammit yes I will!

The bad Luck Tiki is a Barney West Tiki that was found in a ditch in Northern California left by a failed venture and re-used by Helen Yue for her Lahani Haloa restaurant at the Redondo Beach pier:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=18159&forum=2&20

Well that restaurant failed too, and the pier burned, so it's the Tiki's fault, of course. :D One might hold the end of the Polynesian trend and other factors responsible, but that's less romantic. This is at least how I remember the story having been related to me by the elders at Oceanic Arts.

This Tiki has been located in storage somewhere since, lying in a snow white's slumber in a secret location, to be resurrected one day by anyone willing to deal with its bad reputation. I personally have no doubt that true Tiki love and positive intentions are superior to any supposed bad spells. :)

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2010-12-06 19:43 ]

Hey Sven...it is hard to keep up a website so no worries. I would love to see a reprint too and sure that with your world-wide following, you could do well in sales. But like you say, it is hard to get publishers on board for projects like yours. All I can do is berate myself for not buying more copies (like everyone else), but I did give my extras away as gifts, so that makes my heart sing.

edit...cause I can't type...LOL

[ Edited by: VampiressRN 2010-12-07 17:54 ]