eBay: Set of four original Suffering Bastard Mugs.

uction starts February 7th. Ends February 14th. Happy Valentines Day. Mike.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3272603489

Lookout for spam!

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-10 13:51 ]

Patience Socialite. This is a scheduled auction that hasn't started yet. It's there, really. Mike.

Starts at 9:30PM PST.

Not one to jump on the spam wagon...but,it looks like this person knows what he has and is finding any avenue to promote it..."Good Luck"

is this the REAL set, in the box, labeled "mai tai joe"

or just 4 mugs?

Looks like they're up to $150 with 4 days left. Anyone want to take a guess at what they'll sell for?

I'm thinking it'll level off at around $300, but What do I know.

I remember seeing a Suffering Bastard decanter go for eight hundred something once. I would think that four mint glasses would fetch more than that. Maybe the big spenders already got theirs though.

These 4 look pretty minty... There does seem to be a new crop of folks with some deep pockets picking up pieces on ebay lately. These should be fun to watch.
I'm thinkin'... $400-$700.
aloha,
:tiki:

Looks like some people will be using their tax refund on this one!

Individually I'd expect $150, but a set of 4? Who knows? It may go for a bargain at the per mug price.

I love Tiki Farms stuff and am not inferring anything by mentioning this, but do you think that the repros lower the value of something like this? I mean if you can get the same thing for way cheeper but not vintage, then why not get the new ones?

What I'm saying is there may not be such a market for vintage mugs as there was before the days of the repro.

Luckydesigns,
That was what I thought when TikiFarm first came out with the repros, but any vintage SB I've seen come up on ebay after they did has gone for over $100. So in this case, the new mugs haven't caused a price change for the vintage.

In the record world, I tend to think that vinyl represses reduce the value slightly of originals. Case in point: in the exotica/Polynesia realm, there were re-releases of some seriously rare records: Michael Magne's "Tropical Fantasy", Dick Hyman's "Moon Gas" and a few other notables. The auction prices seen for originals after these re-releases were definitely lower than before. (The whole exotica market depressed a few years ago also, so you have to be careful in evaluating such a thing).

I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing was true with tiki mugs.

See above

from a collecting perspective, reproductions nearly always drive up the value of all vintage articles - it's a matter of increased awareness.
h

Since it's so easy to get a repro, I would think people would be willing to pay more for an original. You know status, egos and all that stuff.

I just thought that it was an interesting topic. Please don't think I was trying to bring down the Farm, Holden.
I'll buy that, 'increased awareness'.

I just thought that it was an interesting topic. Please don't think I was trying to bring down the Farm, Holden.
I'll buy that, 'increased awareness'.

On 2004-02-14 02:40, smogbreather wrote:
from a collecting perspective, reproductions nearly always drive up the value of all vintage articles - it's a matter of increased awareness.
h

I think that is true in the short term, but it seems that over time if something is reproduced it significantly devalues the original vintage item. One of our other passions is vintage mid-century modern furniture and design. In the mid to late 90s prices on Eames' and others' designs were sky high. Then came the flood of reproductions. All the folks who wanted the "look" but were not concerned if the piece was made by the original manufacturer, or if it was old at all, bought reproduction. That significantly deflated prices for the original. Simple supply and demand dictates that if there is little of a desirable item that will put pressure on the price. So if everyone who likes the design of, say, an Eames rocker can buy one at Modernica for under $500 why would they want to pay $1500 for one (even if it is vintage)? What you have left is a much smaller market of "purists" (read: kooks like us) who care if their chair is original production (or early, middle, or late original production). Same with a Suffering Bastard mug. If someone doesn't have one, and a vintage example is bringing over $100 but they can get a repro for $15 which do you think they are going to buy? Now, if the vintage and the repro were the same price I guess most people would choose the vintage. But when you think about it, except for the name on the bottom, it's essentially the same mug. Just as the vintage and the repro Eames rocker is materially the same.

Before iconic furniture and mugs were being reproduced, you would see something in someone's collection and say, "Wow! You have a Suffering Bastard, or a Van Kepple and Green chaise?!?!" Now, thanks to quality reproductions, it is hard to tell if they have the real McCoy or a current production piece. Not that it matters to many people. You'd have to even know what a Suffering Bastard was to even care, let alone be impressed.

Of course, I am one of those kooks who concerns themselves with the patina of oxidation on the metal or the mellow tone of old wood, or the subtle differences in detail and glaze and markings on old Tiki mugs, but I'm kinda' weird that way. I'm also a real spendthrift and don't want to fight other collectors on ebay and pay the big money. I'd rather be the nut who is at a flea market at the crack of dawn or first in line at an estate sale and find primo vintage Tiki and modern at bargain basement prices (it's also more satisfying that way to me also). I also don't think that these objects we worship are really worth the kind of money that some people pay. Hundreds of dollars for Tiki mugs? Thousands, or tens of thousands for vintage modern furniture? When you think about what good that money could do for someone who has nothing, it's kinda' sick. Much of modern design was intended to be mass produced, and while well designed, affordable for the masses. Tiki mugs were basically restaurantware with flair, intended to add a little more "exotic" to your experience– and if they were the "take home" variety, to function as an advertising premium. None of this was created as artwork or collectables; those are values we have assigned to them. But least I sound preachy, I say do what you want with your money, buy what you want, but buy what you love and try to keep it in perspective. I mean, we are all hoarding what others have at one time discarded.

Just thought I'd share my perspective since I've thought a great deal about this as it is relevant to two of the things we actively collect.

-Duke

On 2004-02-14 14:21, boutiki wrote:

Before iconic furniture and mugs were being reproduced, you would see something in someone's collection and say, "Wow! You have a Suffering Bastard, or a Van Kepple and Green chaise?!?!" Now, thanks to quality reproductions, it is hard to tell if they have the real McCoy or a current production piece. Not that it matters to many people. You'd have to even know what a Suffering Bastard was to even care, let alone be impressed.
-Duke

This reminds me of those color contact lens people wear. Before those existed people always commented on my eye color (they are golden yellow) and since the contacts came out nobody says anything and just assumes that the color is fake. Then after they know me for awhile they will tell me that they thought I was wearing the contacts. Hah...

Very nice perspective Duke.
Aloha,
:tiki:

Well said Duke! I couldn't agree more. Congrates to you and Amy's new being.
Gotta go now the flea market is opening.

well, back to the original subject...

They ended up selling for $537.90 which leads me to believe in the "increased awareness" theory.

My collection is full of vintage and new mugs, I never thought much about it until now, but I've never bought a reproduction of a vintage mug because it was cheaper.

I would think overall it drops the price a bit. TikiFarm's repros- look great- I could barely tell the difference. And its for that reason that if I wanted to have some SB's to use in the bar- to serve drinks in, etc, I would buy the repros for sure.. in fact I have.

For the collection shelf, a vintage piece is probably better, but i doubt anybody would really tell the difference. Besides, they need to be a complete set in the original box to be truly, completely vintage HAHAHA

Duke- shouldn't you be CHANGING DIAPERS?
jk

For the record, is there any detectable difference between the Farm mugs and the real ones? I have yet to do a side-by-side compare.

[ Edited by: fatuhiva on 2004-02-16 01:30 ]

On 2004-02-16 01:28, fatuhiva wrote:
Besides, they need to be a complete set in the original box to be truly, completely vintage HAHAHA
For the record, is there any detectable difference between the Farm mugs and the real ones? I have yet to do a side-by-side compare.

[ Edited by: fatuhiva on 2004-02-16 01:30 ]

Yes, first the inside of the vintage mugs is white glaze and the TF is black. Also (going off my decanter which is MIB BTW) the vintage pieces seem to have a "sandy" like texture while the TF are kind of a "splatter" I don't have the vintage mugs but am guessing the mugs match the decanter. I do have the TF repros and the super cute mini shot SB. I love and use these.

Also the Suffering Bastard mugs from Tiki Farm have a little more of a solid, thicker feel. The originals feel a little lighter and the legs are thinner.
I love to use my Tiki Farm SB mug... He holds a double!!
Aloha,
:tiki:

nice! whats your box look like laney?

edit: I mean your, uh, decanter's box..

[ Edited by: fatuhiva on 2004-02-17 21:18 ]

On 2004-02-17 21:17, fatuhiva wrote:
nice! whats your box look like laney?

edit: I mean your, uh, decanter's box..

[ Edited by: fatuhiva on 2004-02-17 21:18 ]

Like three tarantulas fighting...oh, that box.

here's it is amongst other crap for size reference (I don't normally keep it there)

here's a comparison between the textures of the new TF repro mug and the old decanter. I think those "in the know" could tell the difference from up on a shelf.

Sorry for all the pics but I hope this will answer any questions and provide a comparison. Geez look at that dust. I found the bottle in my parents garage along with the Mr. Bali Hai. There's still liquid in there (brown goo) and a plastic pour spout in the box.

[ Edited by: laney on 2004-02-18 11:45 ]

Thanks for the great pics Laney...
I'm sure that the Mai Tai recipe on the side will open up another debate...
Aloha,
:tiki:

great pics. You have some nice witco carvings as well.

that shelf in the back- are those masks part of it, or just hung next to it? Is that a keigs piece?

On 2004-02-18 20:35, fatuhiva wrote:
great pics. You have some nice witco carvings as well.

that shelf in the back- are those masks part of it, or just hung next to it? Is that a keigs piece?

Thanks! I love Witco.
The shelf came with one of my Witco bars. It hangs above a bar I took the front pannels off and turned into a TV cabinet. It has 3 shelves (including the top) and 4 tiki heads (2 on each side)