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.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Tuesday's Thrifty Trick or Treat Treasures

I made a quick run to the Super Cheap Thrift today. I thought they might have started putting out the Halloween stuff, and they had. They hold holiday items until the appropriate time and then they bring out cartload after cartload every day. I don't need anymore holiday things, but I am always on the search for vintage items and things for swaps. But, let's be honest. Even though I don't need any more holiday items, that doesn't stop me from buying more. I have been on a massive holiday decor purge in the recent months. I finally know what I like and what I don't like. I don't want a lot of the things I acquired when I had my apartment or was first married just so I would have holiday decor. So, those things are gone and I am on the hunt for neat old things for me.
This handmade clay witch oil lamp was so sweet, I had to grab it and especially for only 55¢. Her head comes off so you can pour in the lamp oil.
Three little handmade pins - two Halloween and one Winter themed for 10¢ each. I thought these would be sweet pinned on bag or in a swap.
I was on my way to check out when I made one last run to the Halloween area and saw they had just set out this 12" tall Halloween blowmold. And, for only 55¢! Yea, me! It's for resale.
This little witchy girl is a handpainted ceramic piece, which normally isn't my cup of tea. But, she is sweet and rather cute and rather large - over a foot tall. She a only 45¢. She's signed and dated 1974 on the bottom.

I liked this wooden bluebird with it's tin wing and beaded streamers with bells because I thought I might give a try at making some one day too. He was a 10¢.
This little Vinegar Cruet was 25¢. I know it should have an Oil Cruet with it, but the odd thing about the Super cheap Thrift is that I often find the other half of a set a week later and sometimes even a month later. So, I took a chance at buying the Vinegar thinking I just might happen on the other one day soon.
These three little Kewpies were in the 5¢ bin. They were wearing the oddest teeny crocheted clothes when I bought them. They are only about 3" tall, so the idea of someone actually taking the time to crochet itty bitty shoes for them was funny to me. I think Kewpie's are cute and always rescue them when I see them. But, I honestly have no idea what I will ever do with them. I just can't leave them!

My favorite lucky find of the day. An old Doll-e-Bed Highchair by Ansco. It is tin and stands about 7" tall. Love the little graphics on the back of the seat and the fabulous aqua color. I spotted it on the toy aisle marked $1.50. Now, $1.50 is a really cheap price for an old tin toy, but since I am accustomed to spending 15¢ or 35¢ for things at that thrift, I stood there thinking, "Wow. $1.50. That's a lot. Hmmm." Dork. It would have been $15.00 at the Salvation Army. Luckily I came to my senses and snatched it up. I should sell it and I probably will, but I want to look at it and enjoy it for a bit before I sell it.

10 comments:

  1. It's funny you mentioned that $1.50 seems expensive to you, because I feel the same way. I never want to spend more than 50 cents on anything, let alone a buck!! Glad to know there's someone else like me out there!!

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  2. Geez, I do that, too. I could not decide whether to buy a roll of wallpaper for $1 a couple of weeks ago and finally decided to throw caution to the wind and spend the buck. Turns out it was 75 percent off. Phew! More my normal price range. I think that chair was well, well worth the $1.50.

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  3. I wish we had a thrift like that in KY. My favorite consignment shop NEVER has anything priced less than .50 and our Goodwill puts really high prices on a lot of their stuff. I might have to move to Arkansas!

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  4. OOOOH, Halloween and Fall ARE in the air - LOVE IT!! FUN Finds! Glad the thrifting gods are being good to you 8-D !

    ALL those mugs you found a few weeks ago... don't try them on E-bay just yet. My mug auctions just ended with only '1' sale - guess it's 'not quite' chilly enough out... Yet!

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  5. Ohhh, a witch with a pumpkin! We don't have that one. Yet. LOL

    I've also started scouring for halloween goodies though!

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  6. I am so relieved to know there are kindred spirits out there who think anything over a dollar is pricey! I was having lunch with two colleagues recently and we got to talking about buying art, and one of them asked what price do you flinch at. One said something like a couple hundred dollars, and I'm sitting there thinking fifty cents!

    Love the oil lamp, and I think your single cruet would be perfect for maple syrup (or maple syrple as we always say).

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  7. Anonymous10:41 AM

    Fun stuff as always! I want a super cheap thrift near me too!

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  8. You got such cool treasures. I do the same thing when I'm thrifting. Goodwill and Salvation Army are so expensive. I always get awesome and cheap buys at the thrifts.

    Hugz,
    Michele

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  9. I struggle with the prices at thrifts too. I don't even go to the regular Goodwill stores anymore. Only the super cheap Goodwill Outlets for me! :)

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  10. I am flabbergasted at the price you paid for that Amsco high chair! Wow. We still have our old doll crib from when we were little, and I have a little toddler bed with it's original mattress made by the company, too. Great score!!

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