The state of Hawaii is one of the world's top tourist destinations, and over the years a huge souvenir industry has developed to provide visitors with unique remembrances of days spent in this tropical paradise. These days, vintage Hawaiian clothing and bric-a-brac is big business, and collectors of the kitschy items are always on the lookout for fun pieces that have that distinctly Hawaiian flavor.
Dixie Feldman spends most of her Saturdays picking through the clothing racks at New York City's 26th street flea market. Feldman is a dedicated collector of unique antique items and an expert in antique clothing, paint by number drawings, Hawaiiana, Carnival chalkware and all things vintage. Her she shares her enthusiasm for collecting the pop culture artifacts of Hawaii:
- Hawaiian fascination.
Feldman has been intrigued by Hawaii all of her life. If Elvis was always jetting to Hawaii, and even Gidget "went Hawaiian," why couldn't Dixie Feldman go Hawaiian too? When she grew up, she decided to indulge her childhood fascination by surrounding herself with things that were tropical and fun.
- Items from the tourist trade.
Typical items in Feldman's collection of Hawaiian ephemera include Hula girl figurines, hula lamps, garish Hawaiian shirts, and incredible dresses. Most of these objects were produced for the tourist trade and brought back to the mainland as souvenirs. Dixie likes to imagine vacationers giving these items to friends at the Elks Club or the Ladies Club and can picture the collectibles making their way to her through thrift stores and flea markets.
- From dirt cheap to truly expensive.
You can pay a little or a lot for a piece of Hawaiiana, depending on the item. A postcard of a topless bathing girl might cost a dollar, while a motorized hula girl lamp, which were very popular and prevalent in the 50's and 60's and are now very collectable, can set you back $3,000 dollars or more.
- A taste of the tropics.
Feldman has never actually been to the Hawaiian Islands, but the kitschy tropical items that she hunts for in markets and shops make her feel like she lives in Hawaii everyday.
For more information about collecting vintage items and pop culture ephemera, check out the following organizations or websites:
The Antique and Collectible Exchange
www.tace.com/index
Carnival Chalkware Books
www.vepoware.com/Chalkware
HGTV: Tiki Collecting
www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_utc
Polynesian Pop Paradise
members.tripod.com/~artistguy
CBS Early Show: Collecting Hawaii
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/02/22
Vintage Hawaiiana
www.hawaiiana-shop.com
Next: Vintage Clothing
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