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kona kai philadelphia originals!! |
ekman spiral
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 22, 2004
Posts: 31
From: mystic island NJ
|  Posted: 2004-03-23 9:42 pm Permalink
i have recently stumbled across the original tiki statues from the kona kai philadelphia!! well it was actually a couple months ago and the woman running the counter didn't seem too happy about me inquiring about them!? but she assured me they were from 'the old tiki bar out on the mainline' the location of the original marriott kona kai! she mumbled the price range which i thought at the time was a little high for my wallet.. but perhaps i should go look again.. they were really obscured so i doubt anyone is going to 'impulse' buy them, let alone find them!!
any big time spenders/collectors out there want the location?
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2004-03-23 10:37 pm Permalink
I am very interested. I had heard about the existence of these years ago. That dealer must have been sitting on them a long time, probably because they want outrageous money for them.
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SugarCaddyDaddy
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 03, 2002
Posts: 1500
From: Huntington Beach, California
| Posted: 2004-03-23 10:42 pm Permalink
Aloha Ekman!
What is the price range for them?
Can you get pictures?
Do let us know.
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8FT Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 30, 2003
Posts: 1175
From: Kansas City, MO
| Posted: 2004-03-24 01:03 am Permalink
YES, photos and more detailed descriptions please. We wouldn't be interested in buying them but we do want to know if they are similar to the one we bought last year from the old Kansas City location. (do a search on our first post to read about that). Someone on TC really must pursue this and get them safely into a proper collection!! C'mon folks...This sounds like a rescue mission! Are there any other Kona Kai items there besides the carvings??
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I once was lost..... but now I'm found.....
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Lars
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 21, 2004
Posts: 57
From: Whittier, CA
| Posted: 2004-03-24 01:14 am Permalink
WOW!! Must be nice.
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tikijackalope
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 23, 2003
Posts: 814
From: KS/MO
| Posted: 2004-03-24 04:05 am Permalink
Hmm...I do have really tall ceilings in this old house. Please tell us more.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2004-03-24 07:11 am Permalink
I am guessing that they are hardwood, not palm. I have the blueprints for some, from Armet and Davis, designed by Irving Weisenberg (BOT p.245, compare to entrance Tikis on page 140). I am not sure if OA carved them, or who did.
Since that Kona Kai was the flagship of the chain, they must be pretty nice. I am guessing the prices in the range of over grand each?
Then again, if you look at the Tiki post on page 141 of the BOT, the design might not always be that great, that one looks kind of too square to me.
I wonder what happened to the glass paintings behind the bar...
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ekman spiral
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 22, 2004
Posts: 31
From: mystic island NJ
| Posted: 2004-03-24 07:35 am Permalink
hello all.. i thought that may have generated some interest! i will be heading that way this friday and will check them out again.. hopefully get some shots and ask a few more questions and generally make sure they're still around!! let's keep our fingers crossed..
from what i remember they looked very well done, very dark and ranged in height.
are there any particulars i should question?
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2004-03-24 08:06 am Permalink
Yeah, you should question their high price! 
Since they have been sitting on them for years, recommend them to make the Tikis "priced to sell", (i.e. affordable to us).
Damn thing is, they probably have my book...
Any shots would be appreciated. Hmmmm...If they had other things like lamps from the place they have probably sold them by now...
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ekman spiral
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 22, 2004
Posts: 31
From: mystic island NJ
| Posted: 2004-03-24 08:49 am Permalink
.. yes unfortunately i didn't see any other items but i'll have to inquire a little further...
btw. bigbrotiki i thoroughly enjoyed your book.. i thought of you instantly when i saw them lurking out at me.. (having had a great section on the kona kai in your book)
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4814
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2004-03-24 11:06 am Permalink
Ekman,
Don't talk price, just ask. Don't make like you really want them and try to take the pics without a flash and so no one knows you are doing it.
If someone wants to buy, you might tip these folks off and make it harder.
When I went in on my Guanko, it had been there for years at $800-900 bucks. I went in and found the owner and acted like I knew nothing. Said "$600" he said yes, I paid, and then told him what it was.
Try not to get their attention or you may drive up the price for someone who really wants to buy.
DO NOT EVER MENTION BOT!!!! It's still a weak market really and we need to keep it that way for us lovers, and not make it a "collectors" world. Yes, we are collectors, but not capital C collectors. Most everyone on this board still has a hard time paying $20 for a mug...
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Tiki Chris
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1543
From: London
| Posted: 2004-03-24 1:07 pm Permalink
i'm very interested (depending upon the price).
my plan would be to use these in a public setting in new jersey.
i live relatively near philly (i'm in monmouth county, nj) & could maybe help you lugging these babies around or sneaking photos, etc.
feel free to pm or email me.
thanks for the tip,
tiki chris
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Feelin' Zombified
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 15, 2003
Posts: 1328
From: The Exotic Shores of Lake St. Clair
| Posted: 2004-03-24 1:45 pm Permalink
Count me in as VERY interested. I'll be traveling in that area soon and would love to bring one home!
-Z
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ekman spiral
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 22, 2004
Posts: 31
From: mystic island NJ
| Posted: 2004-03-24 9:00 pm Permalink
ok good tips..
keep in mind the woman sort of scoffed at me when i inquired about their asking price like she had sized me up or something... "in the thousands" i believe she replied..
i did read that these particular kona kai tikis were filled with solid gold.... i think she may be on to us!
stay tuned for friday...
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ekman spiral
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 22, 2004
Posts: 31
From: mystic island NJ
| Posted: 2004-03-26 7:12 pm Permalink
ok... so i should maybe move this thread to the one i've already started about the 'Pub Tiki'. i am trying to find any interior shots that may exsist from this increasingly amazing deceased restaurant.
i have returned from the antique shop and have inquired about the 5 massive tikis. the owner is now telling me that most are from the 'Pub Tiki' (that used to be on 1718 walnut street and not the kona kai that was out towards the mainline area..sorry for the confusion but i was told erronously from another staffer there), one is from australia? and another from a restaurant? entitled 'Langer's' (or something that sounds like that) that closed "over forty years ago" in Malvern, PA.
so who knows what to think.. but i guess thats part of the thrill trying to put all these pieces together!
i will include a link below to some pics i snapped.. they are not taken at the best angle as they were perched really high, probably one of the reasons that he's had them for so long without sale.... the other reason being that he wants .. $5500 for the larger to $2500 for the smaller ones!!!!!!
they are authentic though.. you just feel it eminating from these amazingly detailed figures.. check out the one on the left!
http://www.netwt.org/tiki.html
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