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.

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Swap Meet Finds

I went to the Swap Meet today.  It started today and runs through Saturday.  But, because of the heat and the threat of rain, only a handful of vendors were set up today.  There should be more tomorrow and even more on Saturday.  So, we will probably go back on Saturday.  Even though there weren't many vendors, I still managed to find a few good deals scattered here and there.   At the particular time of day we were there, the Bean and I were the only customers in the entire place.  I did find some good deals, but you simply cannot try to get a better deal when there are no other customers.  They wanted every penny!  And, who could blame them, right?

The goods (and their destination since I get asked "Where do you keep it all?" so much lately). 
An "America the Beautiful" Sunshine Biscuit tin.  For my Patriotic Decor.

A great old pitcher with nice transferware on it.  I love it and would like to keep it, but it might go to the booth.  I already have a couple of the glasses that match it.
A Parliament of Owls (I googled that - I thought it was a flock!).  Destined for Etsy.  That one on the right is freaky!  The other three are marble.

A sweet cat planter.  Maybe keep, maybe sell.

Three packages of vintage Party Plates - loving those Kewpie dolls!  One pack to keep for my birthday display and the others will go on Etsy.

This was my last purchase of the day, but my best.  I walked past it several times before I took a second look at it.  A science teacher made this in 1945.  It is a handmade wooden box with an old wall map decorating the top and front panels.  It measures about a square foot.
Open it up and you will find five handcut wooden puzzles depicting five different continents.  The tray under the puzzle has more map pieces applied.  This is really a neat piece of folk art.  We love puzzles and this one will not only be fun and educational, but it will look good sitting out on the table.  It was only $5.00, which is a steal!
I adore this old Children's book from 1931.
Such sweet illustrations.  I love the bright colors the old printing presses made.
These little ones on the cover of this 1931 book stole my heart. 
The illustrations are so amazing.  I sat and looked at it for the longest time.  It really seemed familiar to me, but I didn't know why.  I certainly wasn't around in 1931. 
And then I remembered a piece of fabric that I bought a couple of years ago for 10¢.  I am not a fabric person, but the cute factor on this piece really won me over.  I thought it looked a lot like the book.
Then I compared the two - the fabric is all of the illustrations out of this very book.  Now, isn't that a happy coincidence????  Now, what to do with it?  (Besides keep it forever and ever...)

I spent $21.50 for everything shown, which is  lot more than I would have spent at yard sales, but a lot less than the Flea Market, so I think I did okay.  I would never pay more than I was comfortable with anyway.

I'll be back with my Saturday Finds.  ***Crossing fingers for VINTAGE CHRISTMAS......***

3 comments:

  1. Shara,

    All of your finds were fabulous. Love the wooden puzzle box. Very unique. Can I come to your house one day and play with all your stuff?
    The book illustrations are just precious. And to think you had fabric that matched.
    Good luck at future visits to the swap meet.
    Debra

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  2. I love those puzzles! Such a neat piece. :) And you should make the cat planter into a pin cushion. That's what I would do. I just made one from a cute little lamb planter and have a few other planters I want to transform as well. :) Just a thought!

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  3. Shara,
    Oh my, what goodies you scored. I especially love the old children's books. Aren't the illustrations marvelous. And I don't know if I could part with the cute planter. But I agree, the best deal was the map box. I have never seen anything like it. Sometimes it is really hard to part with some of the treasures you find, isn't it???

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