Post #764958 by AkronTiki on Mon, Jun 13, 2016 10:18 AM

It was interesting to read this thread all the way through. I can see the resurgence of Tiki back in the 90’s – but it seems I really saw the wave swell after Kirsten’s “Book of Tiki” was published back in ‘03. Not long after, I commonly saw Tiki-themed items almost everywhere, in mainstream retailers, discount stores and even the dollar stores. I bought some of that stuff for the mere fact that it was available--though I treasured the older, vintage stuff I later found in thrift stores a lot more. Even if I wanted to buy it, “retail Tiki” seems to be far less common now; maybe part of that comes from being here in the Midwest. If slightly less popular interest makes it easier to acquire better vintage items, that’s ok – but if it’s an inducement to make my own stuff—that’s fine too. And I will.

As a Baby-Boomer, there is a certain nostalgia associated with Tiki—one that I can associate with my father, a Marine who fought in the Pacific. There’s an aesthetic in vintage Tiki that I know he appreciated, and many of my generation probably have a vague affinity for it, too—even though most of them can’t consciously recall where it may come from: Maybe an old picture on a wall, their dad’s favorite Hawaiian shirt, a dusty lamp on a nightstand, or some old souvenirs on a basement shelf.

Friends my own age like Tiki Style because it’s comfortable, attractive and a kinda nostalgic. Younger people enjoy it because it seems exotic and a little strange. When we party at night around the pool, with the candles and Tiki torches lit, tasty drinks at the bar and a little Martin Denny emanating from the speakers hidden behind the hibiscus…it’s pure fantasy land. And that’s just the way we like it.