What is a monkeybox?

When I was a little girl, we had a pet monkey named Amanda. My Dad worked in the produce business, so each night he brought home that days culls in a big box - spotty cucumbers, pithy apples, limp celery, moldy oranges and the like. We called it a monkeybox. It was really just trash, but my Mom would take each piece of fruit and trim it, pare it and cut it up to make a beautiful fruit platter for Amanda. Even though it was deemed trash by one, it still had life left in it and was good for the purpose we needed it. That's how I live my life - thrifting, yard saling, looking for another's trash to be my treasure.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Head's Up, Thrifters

We took The Bean Back to School shopping today for an array of skull encrusted/guitar emblazoned shirts and cargo shorts with pockets and loops and hoops and chains for what, I do not know. We don't normally do the whole Back to School Shopping Spree. I pick him up clothes here and there all the time, so he normally just gets a few things before school, then I hit the after school sales and buy him more new things. Plus, I pick him up shirts at the thrifts. I write a lot about my thrifting and yard saling but a retail shopper, I am not. Hate it. After three different stores and three different men's departments, I was truly in need of some thrift therapy.
We stopped at a thrift that I rarely shop at due to it's incredibly high prices. I have seen more times than I can remember, items clearly labeled from the Dollar Tree for $5.00. Their "magic"price is $8.00. Everything is $8.00. They do have good cheap prices on their clothes, but as far as knick knacks and household items, they are expensive.
They do have a big glass case full of jewelry, vintage hats, and expensive pocket books on display. They've had two vintage ladies Cosmetician Mannequin heads in the case for years. They put vintage jewelry, old hats and scarves on them and dress them for the holidays. They have little signs under them that say, "Not for sale. Display Only." I've always thought they were pretty neat.
Once a year, they pretty much clear out the store and have a huge parking lot sale complete with "All You Can Eat Mexican Food". Yes, you read that right. Mexican Food and Garage Sale shopping are not really two things that I necessarily put together. When we got there today, they were already starting to pull most of the things off the shelves and started lowering the prices for the parking lot sale. They had also filled random boxes with random things, covered the box in clear tape and written $1.00, $2.00, $3.00, etc. on them. I looked in the boxes and decided to buy this one:
Hmmmm...$1.00 for two big plastic mugs and some other things. Hmmmm...what's that under the mugs? Anything I might want?
My vintage mannequin heads. FOR ONE DOLLAR. Why would they use them all this time, make a point to say that are NOT FOR SALE and then one day decide to sell them for a mere $1.00? Actually $1.00 for two mannequin heads, eleven glass bar glasses , a linen napkin and the giant mugs. I'm just glad that I found them. I told DH that I had a calling to go there today.
I realize that they are a bit creepy in their "As Is" status. But, with a little combing and teasing, an old vintage hat or a neat scarf, they'll be tres chic, no?

2 comments:

  1. TOO COOL!! Now you MUST name them - No mannequin/dummy/large figural ornament is complete without a name 8-) !! Personally we share our space with 'SARAH HEAD' (on the underside of the wig dummy was a label 'Sarah'); SIMON HEAD (Clay, Retro 'Man Head' by a budding artist who signed it 'Simon'), the large garden fountain is REBECCA, our full sized mannequin is MRS. TELLER (aquired at Bonwit/Teller going out of business sale), dress mannequin is Miss Skinny (from a church sale in Skaneateles), and the list goes on & on... Okay, so maybe I have a problem, BUT you still have to name them!!! Maybe a couple of nice Mexican names in honor of the cuisine of the sale... hmmm... Senorita Carmen and Senorita Carla...hmmm... we could have fun with this one ;-) OOH, Sarah Head is wearing a sombrero right now... I think it needs a new home!!

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  2. Oh my...I love those vintage heads..and I had to laugh at the teasing the hair comment...lol

    A couple of my thrift stores price their stuff really high too..what's with that?

    Take care and hugz,
    Michele

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