tiki mug questions on trader vics

eh howzit peopo,

I know a guy who wants to sell a mug that looks like a bullet shell. the bottom says 1994 trader vics. made of ceramic. He's also selling me.....let me try fo explain. they are TV's and i think 1974 was stamped with TV on da bottom. they look like the mugs on page 45 of da BOT. the ribbed red and green mugs with the gold stipes going down them. Sapose to look like da lights from a ship I think.

His are made of ceramic though! arent those made of glass? he wants $40 ea but they have some hairline cracks starting from da top to da bottom.

I want da bullet shell one but being made it 1994 that not a rare mug. I think he wants $40 for that one to?

any info would be great!
Mahaloz

Bruddah Gecko,
$40 seems a little steep to me for them mugs. I seem to remeber someone saying that they are still being used at some Trader Vic's.
I dunno, that's just my opinion. I'm sure someone will have some more useful info...
Aloha,
:tiki:

thanks TR! even the red and green wuns that are dated 1974-76?

Don't do it, mate, what you wanna look for is the GLASS version of that mug. In his 1952 book "Kitchen Kibitzer (BOT p.49) the Trader writes:

"... a drink I've named Gun Club Punch because it is served in a glass that looks like a shotgun shell -GREEN GLASS with a gold base."

Now THAT would be worth 40.- bucks, not the ceramic one Trader Vic's started using in the 90s when they ran out of all their glasses. The glass is much finer, the ceramic is kind of plump and crude. I only ever saw ONE glass of that one, it was served to me with the excellent "Elephant Hunter" cocktail at the Rum Trader in Berlin.

The same goes for the Port and Starboard Light glasses on page 45 that you mentioned. Those cocktails used to come in these green and red glasses which are ment to resemble the lights of the same name on a ship's super structure. The ones in the Kahiki display on page 45 are the originals, I have a red one out of ribbed glass with the thin goldpainted cross ribs intact. Often that gold has been rubbed of by too many dishwasher runs.

T.V.'s also replaced those with crude ceramic ones, which does not make much sense since lamps are not meant to be opaque. Another lost tradition.

alllllriiighty then! tanks plenty BigB! you saved me some money. The thing now is, I still don't see those on ebay a whole lot so would they be worth to get just to sell? probubly not.

Naaaww, don't think so. The knowledge of these glasses/mugs as Polynesian Pop cocktail containers is probably too esoteric to get good prices for them, also since they don't depict Tikis....

There was a red Portlight GLASS for sale on e-bay a while back, didn't one of us (TC) get it?

The glass version of the Trader Vics Port and Starboard Light mugs have been coming up on eBay fairly regularly in the last year. One of our own just sold a couple...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3266667666&category=29460

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3266668629&category=29460

They do seem to fetch a pretty good price.

ModMana :drink:

Yeah, I think on a good night you can still buy them at some TV, the glass port and starboard light mugs.

BK found the glass Gun Club glasses a while back and sold at least one on Ebay. He should have a good image of it.

Anybody know what's on the bottom of the shotgun shell green glass ones ones? I came across a large set yesterday (including shot-sized mini ones) for $15 for the big ones, and less for the tiny. I don't know enough about 'em to grab 'em all up yet. None of these said Tarder Vic's anywhere, or OBviously I woulda scooped up at least a couple.

BK? You sold a set of those for some nice bucks. What are the distinguishing markings?

Note: these are all glass, no ceramic portion. The bottom part simply has the gold part painted directly onto the glass (I THINK). BK, I almost called you by cellphone from the store to ask your advice! ("Tiki Help Hotline - Can I help you?")

TIKI: Now, more than ever

[ Edited by: Formikahini on 2004-01-19 09:47 ]

Here's a photo of the bottom markings on both the glass version (left) and ceramic version (right):

ModMana :drink:

Modmana, does that ceramic one say 1971? it's hard to tell? the ones the guy was selling at the flea market must have been some that were swiped at TV's just recently.

Formikahini,
I can't find the post anywhere, but I think BK said that inscription on the botton of the Trader Vic ones was "SHURE SHOT" and "XXXXXXX". I've seen red ones with "BIGSHOT" and "LITTLESHOT" for the two different sizes, along with the XX's filling out the space. Were the ones you saw of the big shot & little shot variety?

-JTD

Gecko, it looks like either 1971 or 1977 to me. These are not my mugs, I just keep the auction photos for reference.

ModMana :drink:

On 2004-01-19 14:24, JTD wrote:
Formikahini,
I can't find the post anywhere, but I think BK said that inscription on the botton of the Trader Vic ones was "SHURE SHOT" and "XXXXXXX". I've seen red ones with "BIGSHOT" and "LITTLESHOT" for the two different sizes, along with the XX's filling out the space.
They look JUST like the green glass ones on the left. The bottom said SOMEthing like "Sureshot XXXX", but I think only 4 X's.

Anybody want me to go back and check and/or get 'em all for them? ARE they Trader Vic's when they're just glass and no ceramic? There were some 6-8 biggies, and 6-8 little guys. (I'm not dying to own a whole set myself, but I'll keep one or two if they really were used at TV's.)

Ah, found the earlier discussion (key: "shotgun")

https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic-new.php?topic=3372&forum=5

So these glass ones ARE the earlier? Dang, I wish the link of Basement Kahuna's fotos were still up to see the bottom. BK - where are you? Are you still whoopin' it up at the Clayton, GA MLK Day Parade? I need your fotos!!!

Formikahini,
I betcha that part about "Shure Shot" was in in BK's eBay write-up - I know I didn't dream it. # of XX's subject to my spotty memory. Anyway, since I've been searching high and low for one (or more) of these, if you'd be so kind to get all you can carry, I'd reward you handsomely for a few.

-JTD

Yeah JTD, I'm game to grab 'em all, but I do want to make sure these are the TV's ones, not some other shotgun shell shaped glasses. hmmmm. that's not sounding very likely, is it! But I'm waiting to hear back from Dave!

Hey Formika!
Naomi and I love the gun club mug, and would highly covet a couple of the glass ones if these turn out to be them. Let us know - I'd be happy to get you some dough in advance if there might be some extras we could get.

Thanks for posting this,
-Randy