Tiki Quest [Paperback]

Duke Carter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2003

Tiki Quest: Collecting the Exotic Past is the latest book offering for Tiki fanatics. Many discover the mysterious wonders of the  world of Tiki through some small cast-off relic. Maybe it’s a Tiki mug with the name of a now-closed restaurant, perhaps a souvenir statue from Hawaii. But whatever the inspiration, Tiki has captivated the imagination once again.

There are those who amass only enough to outfit their home bar, there are others who are obsessed with Tiki in every form. Duke Carter is obsessed. His book catalogues the collection of vintage Tiki he has put together through years of scouring thrift stores, flea markets, and junk shops. The largest section categorizes Tiki mugs, the ceramic containers with fanciful renderings of Tiki gods that once were filled with Mai Tais and Navy Grog. Other areas of collecting are also presented: from souvenir statues made of resin and lava, postcards, matchbooks and swizzle sticks from Tiki restaurants of old, to an amazing variety of gee-gawks made into the likeness of Tikis. There are banks and bottles, lighters and lamps, even ashtrays full of aloha.

Far from a quickly outdated price guide, Tiki Quest is a vivid account and loving tribute to the joy of collecting, rendered in a colorful coffee-table book format.

Beautifully designed and lavishly illustrated with over 1000 photos filling nearly 200 pages, Tiki Quest is a must-have for Tiki enthusiasts whether they have been a collector for a long time or if they have just had their first Scorpion.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Duke Carter has been collecting Tiki with his wife Amy for nearly a decade, and they knew from early on that the Tiki collection was more than just a hobby or casual interest... the passion and fervor that they felt about Tiki drove their Quest.

The Carters each had a small collection before they met, and when Amy took Duke to the Hala Kahiki on their first date, he knew they were destined to be together. Four years later they got married at the Kona Kai in Chicago, Illinois.

In the years they have been collecting Tiki, the Carters have amassed a remarkable collection of vintage Tiki artifacts. From a wide assortment of Tiki mugs to shelves full of statues, the room they have dubbed the "Taboo Tiki Lounge" is overflowing with every kind of Tiki accoutrement that can be found.

In Tiki Quest: Collecting the Exotic Past, Duke catalogues a large portion of the collection and shares what historical information and insight he has been able to glean from his years of hunting Tiki. The book was written in an attempt to broaden the awareness of the wonderful world of collecting Tiki.

When not searching for Tiki, Duke and Amy spend their remaining time buying and selling vintage modern furniture and objects. Duke is also known for his paintings of Tiki rendered on black velvet as seen in the book Taboo: the Art of Tiki.

The Carter’s Tiki collection boasts thousands of items and has been featured in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, and on HGTV’s Extreme Homes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Pegboard Press (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974328308
• ISBN-13: 978-0974328300
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,096,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive Tiki collection I've seen, January 19, 2004

By 

"hanford_lemoore" (Tiki Central, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tiki Quest (Paperback)

This is a 193 page all-color coffee table book featuring one of the most comprehensive Tiki collections I've ever seen. The book is huge, and it's overfollowing with pictures of all kinds of Tiki collectables. The book focuses on mugs, with tons of great photos of an extensive selection, and is a must-have if you're an eBay Tiki collector as an unoffical collectors guide.

I'm equally impressed with the pages and pages of other tiki collectables. Lanterns, decanters, postcards, swizzle sticks, matchbooks, dinnerware and more. There's a lot of variety here. Every time I flip through the book I find something new that I just need to have in my own collection.

If you love Hawaii and Tiki collectables, this book is a must-have for your collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiki retro bible, April 13, 2009

By 

Michael A. Duvernois (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tiki Quest (Paperback)

It's a few years old now, so it's not as useful as a price guide, but then it was always too pretty to be a just a price guide. It's really one of the core documents of the retro tiki (neuvo-tiki?) style.

Though relatively thin, it's jam-packed with tiki collectibles, familiar and exotic. It's extensive and the photography is quite good.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiki Quest Book Review, August 29, 2007

By 

R. Hawes (Maui. Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tiki Quest (Paperback)

This book is an invaluable resource for Tiki mug collectors. A Must have for Tiki enthusiasts!