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.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Friday's Thrifty Finds

It has been raining here for days. Cool and dreary. I'm not really complaining since September is normally still unbearably hot here in Arkansas. But, cool dreary rainy days usually mean a serious lack of yard sales. Booooo. This morning was still very cool, but ta-da, the sun peeked out. I made a quick run to see if there might be a sale or two. I was gone and back in about an hour and scored some fun things in that short time.

The first sale I stopped at had lots of things in boxes strewn about the driveway on both sides. I spotted a few things I was interested in, but nothing was marked. My pet peeve. Grrrr. But, this time it worked in my favor because the prices were low. Let's start with my silly frivolous purchase of the day:
Wooden shoes from Holland. Real wooden shoes from Holland in my size. Oh my gosh, those things hurt your feet. I walk in them like I have be cobbled. And, to think that people dance in those things! Ouch! They were only $1.00 and I've never, ever seen wooden shoes that weren't just for decorating, so I had to get them! (You know I hate photos of feet or I would have had them on).
This very nice old Hudson Bay Blanket was lying in the driveway. I almost didn't ask the price because they are nearly always priced high. People know what Hudson Bay Blankets are worth. But, not this time - $2.00. Score. This is a four point trade blanket - one of the better ones. I've never seen a blue one, so this was a very happy find.

On the other side of the driveway sat this big old rusty bucket/basket. Again, $2.00.
*Edited to add after reading all the comments: It probably is an egg basket. It's just so big! But, I found one online at a feedstore that holds 15 dozen, so this must be it. Now, I KNOW I got a deal!

It is marked STALEY FEEDS on the bottom. Any idea what it was used for originally? Feed wouldn't stay in it, unless it was still in the feed sack. Hmmm....hadn't thought about that idea. It is currently holding my TO BE MAILED packages for Etsy. It is really BIG.


A small child's hand made quilt. I have several child's quilts and they are my favorites. I had this quilt, an old sewing box and a few other odds and ends in my hands, but the lady just ended up charging me $4.00 total for the Hudson Bay blanket, Feed bucket, quilt, sewing box and the odds and ends. Not bad......not bad at all.

From another sale - a set of six Ukrainian eggs for $1.00. The black and white one is my favorite. But, they are all lovely.

A funny vintage solider.

A hand painted terra cotta whistle/flute for 25¢. I have a collection of these too.
Honestly, what don't I collect?

And, lastly, the WORLD'S BIGGEST ROLL OF RICKRACK. I think it would reach to the moon and back. Miles of rick rack. Miles of rick rack for 50¢. You can't go wrong with that!
Tomorrow we are headed to the Cane Harvest to watch the cane being cut and harvested into Sorghum. On the way there we will hit a Church Sale and a big, big HUGE yard sale.
Bring it ON!

11 comments:

  1. Morning Shara! What awesome finds and fabo prices...again! The big red basket...my Mom & Dad & I used to go clamming in MA, and had a bucket just like that! I don't think that ours had the wording on the bottom, but it was great cause the clams stay in & the water flows thru while you're diggin...to keep the lil guys alive. I don't really like clams, but I loved going clamming! Anywho...I see you have become a follower on Love2...but you didn't put in your name for the giveback...should I add some rickrack? :o} There goes that weird rhyming thing again...have a great Saturday *elaine*

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  2. I have always heard those baskets called 'egg baskets', but not sure if that is what tehy are or not. What I DO know is that they are at least $8 at every flea market in the Fayetteville area. Lucky duck!

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  3. You found all that in an hour on a rainy morning? Jeez!! I'm voting that your wire thing is an egg basket--bet it came as a premium with bags of chicken feed or something.

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  4. I was also going to tell you that itw as an egg basket. Of course, if you have an egg basket that big you must have A LOT of chickens!

    Love the blanket! You always find the best "junk"!

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  5. it also looks like the baskets they use for golf balls at the driving range! Love the quilt and the miles of ric rack!

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  6. WHOA!! Score!!!
    Yup, sure looks like an egg basket to me!
    LOVE LOVE LOVE the Ukranian eggs!

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  7. I'm with Jen, the only place I have ever seen baskets like that is at the driving range. I wonder if those are marked on the bottom and are being reused?

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  8. Those are some terrific finds! I think every thing I did would include a bit of that ric rac!

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  9. I LOVE the egg basket! Thats a loy of ric rak!

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  10. Jen and Sarah have the same idea I had... I have one that holds DH's miscellaneous golf balls on the porch! Fun stuff! (as always!!)

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  11. Wow, what an assortment of finds! What I wouldn't give to have my parents' Hudson Bay blanket! Yours was a steal, and that child's quilt is really pretty. Love those Ukranian eggs too. They remind me of ones I see at the Czech Fest that we go to every year! And yes, as everyone else has said, that is an egg basket. I know, because I've been looking at them at antique stores for years, and they're always way to expensive for me. You scored for sure!

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