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Dress to the 9's: Tincan Mailman

By Grace Lee - bio | email

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Transplanted from Kauai, the vintage Hawaiiana store Tincan Mailman has moved to downtown Honolulu. Kathryn Drury Wagner, the executive editor for Honolulu Magazine discovered the store for Dressed to the 9's. The store is filled with rare, old books, hand painted guitars and one-of-a-kind ceramics.

They have been lovingly restored and saved by owner Chris Oswalt. One of his favorites, the ivory carved necklaces that were made by Ming's designers. The store opened in 1941 and was renown for its fine hand carved pieces. After the owner shut its doors in 1999, a cult following developed for the pieces, according to Oswalt.

What drew Kathryn, were the Bakelite bangles. Far superior to the cheap plastics you often see today, the material is sturdy and good for carving intricate designs. With cool names like butterscotch, pea green and applesauce, they are appealing to the girlie girl. They're also fairly light to wear and perfect for those who may be allergic to metal.

Manager Raul Sanchez showed us the vintage aloha shirts for men. The oldest are from the 1940's. Most are in near perfect condition. These are prints that you don't see in the stores today. Super vibrant and unique, Sanchez said they look for the aloha shirts that may have been worn by a tourist once, before being discarded when he returned home. They are mostly larger sizes.

Tincan Mailman is also a great source for ephemera which is pretty much any kind of old paper. That includes old postcards, print ads, and pin-up girls. They come in all sizes and designs. They're great to frame in order to add some flare to a home or office.

You can find the store at 1026 Nuuanu Avenue in downtown Honolulu.

Look for more tips from Kathryn on her blog "Guilty Pleasures" at HonoluluMagazine.com.