FAQ

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

    What may have started as cultural appropriation has evolved over decades of conversation into a new form of art: American Escapism. We draw direct parallels to Polynesia from time to time, in part to acknowledge and honor tiki’s cultural roots, but the truth is tiki culture in its current incarnation is primarily an American thing. In our view, Tiki (capital T) and tiki (small t) are different, with the latter having little to do with Polynesian culture.

    Although our primary focus is on tiki mugs, many of our users also collect ceramic cocktail mugs of adjacent genres including horror, fantasy, and pop culture. Our goal is to be the most comprehensive ceramic cocktail mug database in the world. Those who prefer to browse only tiki mugs can do so on our website here.

Mahalo for your support! There are many things you do to help us keep The Search for Tiki up to date. If you have a mug in your collection that is not on our website, you can submit it using this form. You can also help us keep average mug prices accurate by submitting recent sales on each individual mug page. Financial assistance is appreciated through our Patreon.

You can submit a mug to the website by using this form.

    Did you know The Search for Tiki does not charge mug makers for advertisement? If you have an upcoming mug or tiki related announcement to promote, please submit it using this form. In order for us to consider your request, the promoted item must be relevant to our loyal fanbase of tiki enthusiasts.

All the mugs! We do not charge a fee for adding mugs to your collection.

By default all collections are public, but we won’t judge you if you want to keep some of your more expensive mugs a secret! Registered users can change this setting under the manage collections setting found here.

Unfortunately usernames cannot be changed at this time for security reasons. If you need to change your username, you can create a new account. Please feel free to contact us if you need additional assistance in this matter.

Yes! You can. Click here to change your password.

Yes! You can subscribe to our newsletter here.

Mug Trading Policies

Can I trade mugs on The Search for Tiki?

    If you are a registered user of The Search for Tiki, you can arrange a trade with another user via our messenger. If you agree to make a trade using The Search for Tiki’s website, you do so at your own risk and agree not to hold The Search for Tiki LLC responsible for any damages, financial or otherwise. We strongly recommend using our built-in user review system as a resource before making any trade. You should always use your best judgement and never make a trade if you are uncomfortable assuming the risks.

A mug I traded for arrived broken. What do I do?

    Unfortunately accidents happen. To prevent the tiki Gods from being angered any further, we recommend contacting the user who made the trade with you to see what reparations can be made. If an agreement cannot be arranged, and the mug was not packaged correctly, we recommend writing the user a review on their user profile. If a user receives frequent negative feedback regarding trades, they may have some of their membership privileges revoked, including the ability to manage lists and message other users.

How should a mug be packaged for shipping?

    Each mug is different and it is the responsibility of the parties involved in a trade to ensure their mugs are packaged appropriately for shipping. A general rule of thumb is each mug should be padded using bubble wrap (or an equally effective material) and double boxed. We do not recommend shipping more than two mugs in a single box.

How do I know if a trade is fair?

    Only you can decide if a trade is fair or not. While users can take advantage of The Search for Tiki LLC’s average price values, many mugs have intrinsic value. Never make a trade that you are uncomfortable making. If you are unsure about a trade, we recommend reaching out to other users who have the same mug in their collection as you for advice.

    The Search for Tiki LLC will not act as a liaison for trades. If you need clarification on our polices prior to making a trade, you can message us at questions@searchfortiki.com.

Pricing History and Average Value Policies

Questions and Answers

How is the "Average Value" of a mug determined?

    The average value of a tiki mug is determined by its recent and past sales history. Each mug page has a “Submit Price” tab that allows users to enter the sale price of a mug once it has sold. Those entries are then tallied and the average price of the mug is updated across the site and displayed to the user.

Who can submit a mug price?

    To ensure the accuracy of mug values, only registered users of The Search For Tiki LLC can submit information regarding the sale and value of mugs. Purposefully raising or lowering the value of mugs by submitting false information is cause for the immediate and permanent termination of any account.

Super Limited Edition Mugs

    The Search For Tiki LLC will not display the average value or allow users to submit the price of any mug with an edition size of three or less. This decision was made for three reasons:

  • Sales are not frequent enough for accurate reporting
  • Reporting the presumed “value” of these mugs can be unfair to both buyers and sellers of mugs
  • Many times the value of SLE mugs is intrinsic

    Only mugs with an edition size of four or more will be assessed.

One-off Mugs and Artist Proofs

    The Search For Tiki LLC will not display the average value or allow users to submit the price of any one-off or Artist Proof mugs. This decision was made for three reasons:

  • Sales are not frequent enough for accurate reporting
  • Reporting the presumed “value” of these mugs can be unfair to both buyers and sellers of mugs
  • Many times the value of one-off and AP mugs is intrinsic
    Only mugs with an edition size of four or more will be assessed.

User Review Policies

What are user reviews and when should I write one?

    User reviews are reviews written by a member about another member. Reviews can be used as a tool to help members determine whether or not to interact with, trade with, buy from, or sell to another user.

    We recommend writing a review any time you have a positive or negative experience with another user. Consistent feedback can help improve The Search for Tiki for all users.

What should I write in a user review?

    We recommend writing your personal experience(s) with a user in your reviews. Be as detailed as possible.
    We do NOT allow the following content in reviews:
  • No hate speech (including threats of violence, name calling, inappropriate language or racial slurs)
  • No false claims
  • No posting of personal information
  • No spam

A review written about me is unfair. What can I do?

    Nobody wants to have a negative review written about them. However The Search for Tiki LLC will only investigate a review if it violates one of these policies:

  • No hate speech (including threats of violence, name calling, inappropriate language or racial slurs)
  • No false claims
  • No posting of personal information
  • No spam

    If you feel a review violates one of these policies, you can report the review by clicking the report button directly beneath the review or by emailing admin@searchfortiki.com. Please note you may need to provide proof that a policy has been violated in order to have the review removed.

Are there any consequences for bad reviews?

    Users who have more than three reviews and an overall approval rating of 60% or less will likely have their account reviewed by The Search For Tiki LLC’s administration and certain privileges may be revoked.

    For example, if a user consistently packages mugs poorly when making trades, they may have their ability to manage lists and message other users revoked.

    Please note if a user is found to be in violation of any of The Search for Tiki’s policies, they can be banned at any time without warning (regardless of the number of reviews they have or their overall approval rating). If a user creates an account after being banned, they may have their IP address banned and lose the ability to use mug search features.

Contact

Still have questions?

questions@searchfortiki.com