Puffer Fish

I was thinking of get one for my tiki bar.
Has any of you ever bought one?
I am a bit nervous about it getting damaged during shipping.
Seeing there very dry and brittle.
So if anyone has bought one, can you let me know were and the quality of there shipping?

Mahalo

[ Edited by: TIKI TROY on 2004-07-19 16:54 ]

Hi Tiki Troy, I bought a puffer on E-Bay and it was shipped just fine. They are quite strong, but a good packaging job is a must. An excellent addition to any tiki room, bar or collection. Unless you don't like dead fish hanging around :wink:

No worries,
It'll be okay.

I have had a few of mine shipped from Thailand, boxed simply with newspaper & a bit of bubble wrap and they arrived perfectly fine. They may be dry, but they are FAR from brittle!! In fact, great care must be taken in handling them: don't worry about breaking the spines - be worried about savagely impaling yourself on them!! I accidentally dropped one of mine on the head of a conga drum and the spines pierced cleanly through the skin like it was paper, and I routinely draw blood whenever I change the bulbs in them. Don't let their fragile appearance fool you - they're tough!!

And, well, dead...

"This just in... Dr. attacked numerous times by deadly dead fish... story at eleven".

And that's why Tikiwahine hasn't lit hers yet.

I used one of the small ones in a painting and had to cut it in half to make it fit correctly.

Trust me they are very tough. I couldn't believe how hard it was to cut.

By time I was done I looked like an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon.

Here's a small crappy pic of the painting, you can hardly see the blowfish but it's in the bottom right hand corner.

Original Art by Flounder

http://www.flounderart.com

[ Edited by: FLOUNDERart on 2004-07-19 17:55 ]

My mother babysat a hedgehog once, and she had to wear oven mitts. Certainly you couldn't swing the whole lightbulb-changing procedure with oven mitts on, but perhaps they would help for some of the more crude, grabby parts of the protocol.

On 2004-07-19 17:55, Humuhumu wrote:
My mother babysat a hedgehog once, and she had to wear oven mitts. Certainly you couldn't swing the whole lightbulb-changing procedure with oven mitts on, but perhaps they would help for some of the more crude, grabby parts of the protocol.

I have "hedghog lights" in my hedge hog bar, The Spiny Norman. Yes I hate changing those bulbs!

Thank you all for reinsuring my fear about how strong the puffer fish really are!

I yet to see one that's also a lamp.

Mahalo!

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 18:41 ]

On 2004-07-19 18:05, mrsmiley wrote:

On 2004-07-19 17:55, Humuhumu wrote:
My mother babysat a hedgehog once, and she had to wear oven mitts. Certainly you couldn't swing the whole lightbulb-changing procedure with oven mitts on, but perhaps they would help for some of the more crude, grabby parts of the protocol.

I have "hedghog lights" in my hedge hog bar, The Spiny Norman. Yes I hate changing those bulbs!

Dimsdale!

Hedgehogs? You mean like these dirty little guys??

http://www.rathergood.com/hedgehogs/

(careful - not for the easily offended... :wink: )

On 2004-07-19 19:50, Doctor Z wrote:
Hedgehogs? You mean like these dirty little guys??

http://www.rathergood.com/hedgehogs/

(careful - not for the easily offended... :wink: )

Funny thing is, after I heard that for the first time, I couldn't get it out of my head for a week. I almost caught myself singing it at work once. That would have been bad... Damn catchy British popsong...

-Z

I got my two in Puerto Vallarta in the marketplace next to the river. This woman had something like 500 of them all different sizes in this building with a high peaked roof. They were all hanging from ropes. And yes, they are tough. I was concerned about them being fragile on the place ride. She dropped one from about head high down to the concrete. Nothing happened to it.

Beware the spines... they will pierce everything.

Late breaking entertainment news.. With the puffer fish craze at it's height, Sean Combs has changed his name yet again. This time to "Puffer" Daddy.... Stay tuned for your local weather.

My fish came fully loaded...really..really loaded with what seemed to be a never ending load of stuffing. Destuffing him was very nerve racking. My steady hand and nerves of steel paid off! I don't know if they all come stuffed, I would ask before I bought the little fella, just so I would know what to expect once I got it home.

Hey Tiki Troy,

I have a large collection of all sizes if your interested, and I have made a lamp out of one.

If one is buying puffer fish on ebay, is there agood one as opposed to a bad one? How does one pick. I guess what I want to know is do I need to care how perfect a condition is it in?

On 2004-07-21 23:15, DawnTiki wrote:
My fish came fully loaded...really..really loaded with what seemed to be a never ending load of stuffing. Destuffing him was very nerve racking. My steady hand and nerves of steel paid off!

Mr Smiley- "hey, DawnTiki, what did you feed your pufferfish?"
Dawntiki- Nothing, Smiley, it was STUFFED already!" (insert rimshot sound effect here) :)

There is a non-tiki restaurant near me that has 2 HUGE puffers over the bar. Seeing as how this establishment seems to be on its last legs AND is not a tiki joint, I've thought of offering to buy one or both.

What is a reasonable price range? (ie: how much is too much?)

What is the going rate for a dead fish these days?

-Z

PS-We have a :tiki: :drink: :sheckymug:

but no :fish:
(hint)

Thank God The Tiki Bar Is Open
Thank God The Tiki Torch Still Shines...

[ Edited by: Feelin' Zombified on 2004-07-22 12:48 ]

i found some puffers online.. the biggest one 22"+ is $35 ~
shell horizons

i havent ordered (yet) ~ i was looking for Air Plants, and happened upon that site.

I have bought from shell horizon and the puffer showed up in good condition. Its huge and I got the 19"-21", but if you want a real big dead fish go for the 22" and up. I think what you get is worth the money.

Aloha and Mahalo for all your help!!! :drink:

On 2004-08-02 10:25, dogbytes wrote:
i found some puffers online.. the biggest one 22"+ is $35 ~
shell horizons

i havent ordered (yet) ~ i was looking for Air Plants, and happened upon that site.

Plenty to look at on their web site. I especially like the shell novelties.

And check out this swingin' cat!

got mine at the gift shop at hala kahiki.....had a friend whos roommate pierced his finger on the one he bought, and his roomates finger swelled up huge, had to go to the doctor, believe they had to lance his finger to get the puss/infection out, so watch out , mine hangs high enough in my lounge that the cat cant get to it, and no one can bump their head on it........

[ Edited by: hala bullhiki on 2004-08-03 10:29 ]

Killer cheap source is "ocean gifts and shells" in ocean beach, cal. 619-224-6702. They got'em big for low bucks!!. Good luck

Nice heads up hala bullhiki.

Mahlo!