Beware of imitations

Not sure if I should post this here, but here goes...

It looks like there are some darn good Orchids Hawaii knock-offs in circulation at $7 a copy.

http://www.myriahs.com/publishtikipage/tikimug1.html

Anyone know who is producing these and if they are marked "Orchids Hawaii" on the bottom with the original numbering system?

I'd hate to see anyone pay more than they are worth in an e-bay auction.
KG

They ripped off the Trader Vics scorpion bowl, big time.

Orchids of Hawaii molds are being used by some company in Taiwan. They still have O of H on the bottom, but also have 'Made in Taiwan' also.

What is it they say, imitation if the most sincere form of flattery (and an easy way to rip off!)

You can buy almost all these mug for a 1/3 - 1/4 the price if you buy them by the dozen at http://www.dynastywholesale.com/index.html

Hey Ratiki,
You don't happen to drive a conch train do you?

Bong,
Is the made in Taiwan stamped into the mugs, or is it a sticker?
KG

KG,

The 'Made In Taiwan' is part of the mold. I guess they modified the original mold.

Should we boycott these? Will it make it cheaper for restaraunts/bars to afford tiki ware?

Been noticing a glut of these lately on ebay. The quality of things seem off. Buyer beware... education is the key. Would be great if we could get some closeups of the copies side by side with the originals to show what to look out for.

The definition is way off on the Taiwan mugs compared to the O of H from Japan.

I could tell as I have about all the O of H from Japan models/mugs, otherwise it would be tough if you had no reference.

Someone posted awhile ago that the early Orchids Hawaii mugs didn't have their name etched into the design, but came with a sticker noting their manufacturer. If this is true, I have a small skull mug like that.

I have a few of the O of H mugs in my collection. I don't really care if they are desireable or not. But hell when hunting, a tiki is a tiki. The plain white does turn me off to the concept of it being a tiki mug, but some of them are pretty interesting.

IE: bear with big balls and small pepino.

Aren't these just the "Trader Dutch" mugs they sell at Urban Outfitters? They look kind of like those, only more detailed. Actually, The "Easter Island Moai Tiki" at the top and the "Jewel-Eye Tiki" a little further down are the EXACT mugs you get at Trader Dick's in Reno. But for the same price you get them full of booze and they say "Trader Dick's" on them. If they're the Trader Dick's mugs, then they're pretty high quality.

Yes, I believe those are the Trader Dutch mugs. I'm pretty sure the molds have been sold and there is mass production of the old O.H. mugs out there.

As Bong mentioned earlier, the most sought after O.H. mugs are labeled Japan. I'm no expert on this but my understanding is when labor was very cheap in Japan, O.H. mugs were produced there. As the economy in Japan grew stronger, the cheaper labor moved to Taiwan and China. The latest mugs bear no markings and look very mass produced with sort of a creamy glaze rather than the sharp etched details you find in the earlier Japan mugs.

Anyhoo, I imagine that with most collectibles you will want some sort of makers or establishment mark except for some of the older stuff that some of our experienced collectors might know about.

And that's about all I have to say about that...

Happy head hunting!

I posted some info on Dynasty Wholesale and the old Orchids of Hawaii molds sometime last year. Click on this link -- 4th post down.

https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1162&forum=5

Poly-Pop,
Did you ever get around to scanning that?
Would be a great resource to people.
Thanks for posting the old post link!
:D

Is there a definitive list of the O of H inventory numbers, as in R-1 = X, R-2 = Y...?

There were posts a long time ago about a list of all of the Orchids Hawaii mugs that someone was sending around via e-mail. I never asked for it, however. Also, I think Otto was working on a book on tiki mugs. Haven't had an update on that project in a long time. Maybe "Tiki Quest" covered the market for it.

Do the new pieces that use the old OoH molds read "Taiwan" or "made in Taiwan"? I just bought my first antique mall tiki mugs (must... resist...addiction), an R-71 marked "Japan" and an R-74 marked "Taiwan" and I wonder if the latter is a modern repro. I paid $4.75 for both and I like them so I'm a happy camper, but a curious one.

I would say the one marked "Taiwan" is more recent, but by how much? As posted previously, it's just a matter of economics.

After WWII and probably into the early '70s, Japanese labor was less expensive than the home-grown variety. As their economy moved into high-tech, so did there labor force.

Subsequently, Taiwan, China and other emerging economies picked up the slack.

But you're right - if you enjoy it, it's a moot point.

I should have phrased my question a bit better. I meant to ask how the brand new mugs that use the old O of H molds are marked - the ones being sold right now by the companies linked to earlier in this thread. I have read that they they still read "Orchids of Hawaii"; but do they also read "Made in Taiwan" or just "Taiwan"?

If they are marked Taiwan too we might see more than a few on ebay with a major chip on the bottom where the Taiwan used to be.
:D

On 2003-11-04 15:04, Kailuageoff wrote:
Hey Ratiki,
You don't happen to drive a conch train do you?

HAHAHA!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: That's funny! Not on your life! :lol: :lol: :lol: A long time local businessman (I own everything cuzzie!) Ed Swift(y) owns the Conch tour trains and he is not too appreciated by us cabbies. But I must admit I took a ride on one once recently as to steal a bit of local info to dazzel my passengers with! :wink:

On 2003-11-05 13:12, Tiki_Bong wrote:
The definition is way off on the Taiwan mugs compared to the O of H from Japan.

I could tell as I have about all the O of H from Japan models/mugs, otherwise it would be tough if you had no reference.

Well isn't that true of many things? Quality down, price up, shaving nickles to maximize profitability and all that yuppie, bean counter crap! :roll: Hey hardly anything is made in Japan anymore, just like little is actually made here in the USA anymore. Sad but true, most manufactured consumer house hold goods are now made in China. I wouldn't call these collectable, but if you want mugs for your bar, at an affordable price, that you won't shed a tear when broken, there they are! I know I will be stocking up on some in the future for my future Tiki bar in the P.I. :D

[ Edited by: Rattiki on 2003-11-17 22:00 ]

Rattiki,
Actually, I was kinda serious about the conch train thing. After going to Key West for years, Marian and I finally rode on one last April and the driver was a tiki collector! I was wearing a tiki T-shirt and he was all envious about it. I told him about the Hukilua at the Mai-Kai and Tiki Central and said he should check them out. So, there is a least one other tiki freak sharing your island.
Hey, what's the status of Key West's Hukilau?
The place was closed for good when we were there, but the tiki was still out front and the bamboo bar was still intact. Anyone gonna reopen it?
KG

On 2003-11-18 09:05, Kailuageoff wrote:
Hey, what's the status of Key West's Hukilau?
The place was closed for good when we were there, but the tiki was still out front and the bamboo bar was still intact. Anyone gonna reopen it?

Nothings changed, there was a rumor it would be a car lot, but that has never happaned. It is owned my a guy named Mark Rossi that owns the Ricks/Dirty Harrys/Red Garter bar/nightclub/strip club conglomerate on Duval St. So who knows, I've kept asking around, but have gotten no answers, I'll ask my Stepfather, that knows him from way back, to probe him for me. It used to be a fairly cool place way back when I was a kid, but now there are "Tiki bars" everywhere here. The problem is they think a Tiki Bar mean you have a thatched nip hut style roof, but they never get around to having any Tikis! :(

I was looking through the latest DW catalog and noticed they added something to the layout (besides the Karate Punch and Mai-Tai half barrels) that caught my eye:

http://www.dynastywholesale.com/page-5.html

Scroll down and look at the right side box informing the customer about custom imprinting. Is that a bad knock-off of the Shurnken head, OA inspired mask mug, and a slim, but ghost-white scalpless R-18?

Did Dynasty ever sell these?