The Mystery of the Missing Milan Tikis - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Fri, Nov 19, 2010 8:21 PM I decided to start a new post for this, since the location is no more -and the photos neither: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=11003&forum=2 Reports from this strange place were carried to me for years until I made it there. I never could quite comprehend WHAT kind of place people were talking about: Hobby City? The Bear Tree? A Doll Museum that was a small version of the White House? And indeed, all that and more, a drive-in mall of hobby and collector stores had once flourished here! But alas, by the time Chris Jepsen lead me and an expedition force of urban archeologists like Jeff Berry, Kevin Kidney and Daniel Paul to the site, proprietor Jay DeArmond had passed away, and Bea was on a trip around the world. And the place was gonna close, and get torn down. So naturally, there was great interest in what was going to happen to THESE fine specimens: These were exceptionally well-preserved Milan Guanko Tikis, with all his classic stylistic features! He must have done these late in his career, they almost seemed formal, a little stiff in a way... Nevertheless, I already saw them in my mind's eye supporting my front porch roof. :D However, as we quickly found out, there was a mile long list of petitioners already, with well-acquainted names like King Kukulele on it, to snap these puppies up once they would became available. So I let go of my dreams and was content to just get these guys on film. I also did not pay close attention to their fate, hoping that someone I knew would be the lucky winner of the fine idols. Two things have happened since: The project that was going to be built on the lot fell thru because of the recession - but the reptile store is no more, and no more Milan Tikis. Chris Jepsen has no idea what happened to them. Does anybody here on TC know?

I decided to start a new post for this, since the location is no more -and the photos neither:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=11003&forum=2

Reports from this strange place were carried to me for years until I made it there. I never could quite comprehend WHAT kind of place people were talking about: Hobby City? The Bear Tree?

A Doll Museum that was a small version of the White House?

And indeed, all that and more, a drive-in mall of hobby and collector stores had once flourished here!

But alas, by the time Chris Jepsen lead me and an expedition force of urban archeologists like Jeff Berry, Kevin Kidney and Daniel Paul to the site, proprietor Jay DeArmond had passed away, and Bea was on a trip around the world. And the place was gonna close, and get torn down. So naturally, there was great interest in what was going to happen to THESE fine specimens:

These were exceptionally well-preserved Milan Guanko Tikis, with all his classic stylistic features!

He must have done these late in his career, they almost seemed formal, a little stiff in a way...

Nevertheless, I already saw them in my mind's eye supporting my front porch roof. :D

However, as we quickly found out, there was a mile long list of petitioners already, with well-acquainted names like King Kukulele on it, to snap these puppies up once they would became available.

So I let go of my dreams and was content to just get these guys on film. I also did not pay close attention to their fate, hoping that someone I knew would be the lucky winner of the fine idols.

Two things have happened since: The project that was going to be built on the lot fell thru because of the recession - but the reptile store is no more, and no more Milan Tikis. Chris Jepsen has no idea what happened to them. Does anybody here on TC know?

Post #565800 by bigbrotiki on Fri, Nov 19, 2010 8:21 PM