Hula Dancers and Tiki Gods: With Price Guide (A Schiffer Book for Collectors)
If you thought that Hawaiian war gods and ukuleles were a thing  of the past, think again. They're just as collectible as they  were in the 1940s, when U.S. servicemen returned home from the  South Pacific laden with treasures. Hawaiian shirts which have  always retained a devoted following, as documented in The Aloha  Shirt: Spirit of the Islands (LJ 12/00) were one of the most  obvious symbols of the Islands, but knickknacks of all kinds  were bought by this newfound "tourist" trade. The development of  air travel created another source of souvenir hunters and thus  continued the fascination with all things Polynesian. In the  last few years, Schiffer, a firm specializing in guides to  antiques and collectibles, has turned out several books on  Hawaiiana, and these two are the latest to document this  enduring craze.  The title of Pfouts's book pretty much tells it all. Look here  for images of grass-skirted hula girls (some more naughty than  nice) and, in the last 15 pages or so, those stylized idols  known as Tiki gods. The text throughout is breezy and perhaps a  little flippant, and, characteristically, most of the objects  shown are on the kitschy side. Nonetheless, there is no  discounting their popularity. Items shown include everything  from postcards, matchbooks, and album covers to furniture,  lamps, mugs, jewelry, and tattoos. By contrast, Blackburn's  book, written by a Hawaii-based antiques dealer, features items  that are considerably more upscale, such as traditional native  quilts, vintage travel brochures and posters, paintings,  textiles, and, yes, even ukuleles. As in Pfouts's book, values  are often included, but the text is much more informative, with  historical data included in each chapter. For libraries with  decorative arts collections, both come highly  recommended. Margarete Gross, Chicago P.L.Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.