eBay: Here's a little something to foam over...

One of my last two offerings from my Spanish Tiki mug samples:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3912147555

...now before everyone begins despairing about the price or starts jumping onto flights to Spain, here's the good news, and the bad:

The success of my previous auctions has convinced me that these foreign "El Tiki mugs" will be appreciated among the brethren, so I will proceed with my plan to import them. This will be my first step to get financially involved in the Tiki business, I hope that eventually it will give me a stronger leg to stand on in the U.S.

I dug up the manufacturer, and they require a minimum order of 12 per piece. These puppies are not cheap to begin with, plus the shipping is expensive, so I will have to offer these wares for around 50.- dollars a piece (a bowl like the above for more) to make a profit, I'm afraid. That will put them into a "serious collectors only" category, but since I have an exclusive deal with the maker I hope to be successful in that bracket. The ones I sold so far were singular samples.

I will not be taking any pre-orders, because it will take a while for these to be available. I will go to Spain to visit the kiln the beginning of June, then they have to be shipped, and I have to set up shop in LA., but will be working in Germany for several months still. So these "precioussss" will not be available to the public until the end of the year, maybe some earlier on e-bay so I can finance the operation. Off course I will give ample notice to the TC community.

I do not want to discourage anybody to take a trip to Barcelona and visit the Tiki Bars there, because it is a great vacation, but warn them that not all mugs I offered so far are available at these places like at a retail store (for example the above bowl is not). Even when on the menu, the proprietors do not always sell their mugs (like Formikahini found out at the Mauna Loa in Madrid). So heed THIS cautionairy tale I was inspired to put at the end of the "Michael Rockefeller" thread in "Beyond Tiki" :) :

"Indeed a very educational story, cautioning us not to go too far in our collecting obsessions!

I can see it now, some Tiki Central member, inspired by the successes of Spanish Tiki mug auctions on e-bay, decides to go on an expedition to distant and mysterious Spain, in search of the Kahala tribe and their elusive "Feather Face" mug.

He joins them in the ritual imbibing of the "Bastardo Safferin" potion, and gets to hold the precious relic in his hands...only to find that the chief of the tribe is unwilling to part with it (because their stock is low).

Alas, no pleading and bribing helps, and feverish in his desire to own the godhead, the TC member decides to nab the mug and flee. But on his hasty way out he bumps into a group of giggling young Spanish yuppy virgins and the mug slips out of his hands (in slow motion) and smashes on the ground!
The village members apprehend the thief and...

OFF goes the head, to be used as decoration for the Men's room door!

Yup, I heard it before, these things happen, matey, you shouldn't have let your collecting obsession get the better of you. Tiz tiz...."

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2004-05-11 22:22 ]

Sven - that is without a doubt the coolest tiki mug I've ever seen! Put me on the list for one of those when you get your venture off the ground!

yes, now this is wen ceramic turns to art! I know it give's out a lot of inspiration to designers! It does me. I can not beleive these were not made back wen da kine was at it's peak? Sven, these are not made in da good ol U.S of A. YET!!!!

thats the bowl i was eyeing up all night in the "Mai Tai" Benidorm, i've been hoping to find it hidden on ebay described as a planter.

That is one sweet mug. I'm definately going to try to stop by a tiki bar next time I'm in Spain on business. Even if I can't buy a mug I'm sure it would be neat to see them in their native environment. It looks like my next trip will take me to the Canary Islands, do you know of any tiki bars out there?

Bigbro,
I wish you all the best in your new venture with the mugs! I will definately a customer!! Good Luck

Mark

Excellent Sven!
Put me on the list please.

Unga

On 2004-05-11 22:12, bigbrotiki wrote:
I can see it now, some Tiki Central member, inspired by the successes of Spanish Tiki mug auctions on e-bay, decides to go on an expedition to distant and mysterious Spain, in search of the Kahala tribe and their elusive "Feather Face" mug.

Ha ha!
Hey, I was there last year and know the score. You try and pay your money and see what comes up! Some bars might sell, others won't sell, and others will sell just the half-broken crap that's been through too many dishwashers.

I was joking before about going to Barcelona just to buy mugs. The reality is that I'd just end up keeping any that I bought. Even doubles, just in case I broke the other one! It's still an amazing city with some amazing bars, both Tiki and Spanish, so any excuse to go back there and I'm in.

Good luck with the mug venture!

Trader Woody

I am a very lucky girl, indeed.

My first trip to Spain was as a grad student in 2000. Our last night there was in the South, in a town full of Germans and Brits, and included several drinks at The Tahiti. Here's the tale, told earlier:
https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic-new.php?topic=2180&forum=1&vpost=18231

Sven's blue 4-faced mug for sale here, in addition to his Bamboo Head (sold earlier) and a giant brown real-volcano-shaped-volcano were the three mugs that the undergrads stole and presented to me the next morning.

I'm eagerly watching all your Spanish mug eBay sales, amigo, seeing just what i could hope for, should I ever decide to sell off some (for a bigger house payment, should I ever get off my ass and start looking for a place! My kitchen is ridiculous, it's so tiki crowded)!

Just to point out that I would definitely encourage a trip to Barcelona, not only to gawk at the fantastic Tiki Bars, but to try and get your hands on some mugs. Stealing is very uncool and you could well get a knife in the rectum for just thinking about it, but these mugs can be had if you go through the right channels.

The bars are the QUEST, though. Store the images in your synapses as that's where the spirit of Tiki lies. The mugs are just gravy...

Trader Woody

On 2004-05-12 15:20, Trader Woody wrote:...a trip to Barcelona, not only to gawk at the fantastic Tiki Bars, but to try and get your hands on some mugs. Stealing is very uncool and you could well get a knife in the rectum for just thinking about it, but these mugs can be had if you go through the right channels.
AMEN, Brother Woody!

The bars ARE the real delight, the real quest, and I would NEVER steal from them, especially not the gorgeous and super-cool Barcelona bars (or the Maona Loa in Madrid, or the TV's in Marbella (i think), or...). These bars would NOT take kindly to some idiot American (or Brit, or German, etc.) making off with their mugs! Only one bar that I got to this past summer was happy to sell to me (the others I got to were unwilling or did so grudgingly), so even when you find ones that will sell, it still takes effort to make them sell to YOU - and at a decent price!

To sorta quote PT Barnum: "Ya can't get all of the mugs from all of the bars, but you can get some of the mugs from some of the bars!" Finding out which from whom was part of the fun (ok, HELL) for me, but it made me treasure each one I procured even more!

I was hoping you were up to just that. At the current ebay prices I can't justify buying one of those mugs, but at 50 a piece I'll take every one you have put up on ebay so far, those are some amazing mugs, can't wait for you to bring them back.

oh......my......gawd!!
GO SVEN!!!! A final price of $380!!!!

Now I am a happy camper! I've got something (almost) worth a Severed Head!!!

Add me to your buyers list.