Post #132949 by Aaron's Akua on Mon, Dec 27, 2004 11:02 PM

On 2004-12-23 17:41, Jungle Trader wrote:

...I'm cryin' about that original Leroy, jeeezz, if only people knew how valuable his work is. If I had that piece, I would never part with it. Lost forever. Unbelievable.

Ben & JT, Doug didn't know what a valuable piece he had there. To his credit, though, the guy was really generous. When the place got refurbished, he handed out his tiki decor to anyone who wanted it - gratis. Didn't give it a second thought. He really didn't even remember who he gave them to.

RT, where you been? Get that computer fixed, man. Can't wait to see what you've been doing with all that down time.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As it turns out, that tiki in the BOT was not the only one that Leroy turned out. PolynesianPop has a duplicate, also carved by Leroy Schmaltz.

On 2004-12-19 21:47, PolynesianPop wrote:

My Pair O' Leroys. The one on the right is signed on the back, "Aloha Adrian, Poly Pop - Keep the Moai Spirit. Leroy Schmaltz"

Definitely check out Poly Pop's very respectable tiki collection. It makes for a really good read and features LOTS of tikis by prominent artists.

Poly Pop gave me some insight on these one day over lunch. Apparently, Leroy really doesn't carve much for invidual collectors anymore. Most of his work is for hotels, restaurants, and the like. Which, in my opinion, makes these pieces all the more valuable.

A-A