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, April 20, 2011

Thrifty Finds

I had to go to the Flea Market to straighten up today. It was a complete and total mess! I don't know why people have to put things on the floor. I understand a toy or a tablecloth on the floor - but not a set of six cups or a handful of miniature animals. Last week I had bought a display rack and put all the vintage linens on it.  Well, someone had decided that the rack looked better over there and without all those silly linens on it.  Ugh.  That is one complaint I have about the Flea market.  They don't walk the store and straighten it up each day.  I don't mean go booth to booth and straighten every little thing up.  I mean pick up things on the floor and sit up knocked over lamps and such.  If the booth is neat, I will sell more and therefore, so will they.  I have a lot of Easter items in there, so next week it might be time to send the menfolk to the movies one afternoon while I revamp the booth. 

Directly across the street from the Flea market is the biggest thrift in town.  They recently moved in there from up the street.  It is an old water bed store and it is huge.  The biggest thrift I have ever been to, in any case.  If I go to the Flea Market, I have to go to the Thrift Store.  I think it may have hurt business a bit - I know I would rather go to the Thrift than a Flea Market, given the choice.  And, it is across a five lane very busy highway. plus on an awkward intersection, so you sort have have to decide which one you want to go to and that is it.  Time will tell if it helps or hurts.

Today I found a few things that made me happy I maneuvered the busy highway and intersection. 

First up, an old cast iron toy stove.  It is old, rusty and missing a piece, but for 25¢, I think it still might be worth about $20.00 or so. 
I honestly don't even know what this is, but it looked like a toadstool to me and the price ($1.75 minus 25% Blue Tag day) made me pick me up.  It is hand thrown and very heavy.  I'll have to research it a bit.

This old wicker laundry basket was $2.75 minus 75% off orange tag - so I got it for a song at 69¢.  I love old worn baskets for storing things, for display in the Flea Market and for holding vintage linens.

This sweet piece of aqua pottery was my favorite find of the day. I don't normally go for Victorian looking things, but this is super sweet.  The back is what really sold me.

W ((hearts)) K.  Cute, huh?

Occasionally I buy things at the Flea Market for re-sell.  I watch items and as they get marked down, I swoop in on them.  I have had my eye on a Rushton Doll and a few other vintage toys in one booth for awhile. 
Today when I went to check the prices of those items, I spotted this wonderful Little Bo Peep Kitchen Set.  The refrigerator stands about 15" tall.  They were all made in Booneville, Arkansas in 1966.  Since they were new to the booth, not to mention fabulous and vintage, I never thought they would be affordable.  I was really surprised to see each piece was only $5.00!  I snapped them up Pront-O!  I haven't taken the time to look them all up yet, but I did find sink that had sold for $55.00 recently.   So, I know I will do okay.  If I had room, I would so keep these.  CUTE!

9 comments:

  1. Fabulous finds ! I don't know how big the 'toadstool' is but it looks like a bird bath to me?

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  2. Wow, the thriftin' is good in Arkansas!

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  3. I had one of those stoves when I was little. My grandpa bought it at the auction. I think it might be in a box somewhere in the basement!

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  4. Wonderful finds at the big thrift. I love the toadstool thingy! Also great buy on the little sink, stove, etc. CUTE!!

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  5. I thought the toadstool might be a birdbath too, but I can't tell how large it is. I don't think the thrift will hurt the flea too much. Lots of people love having several junking destinations in one locale. I know exactly how you feel about customers inexplicably rearranging stuff in your booth. Drives me nuts. It seems like the lower sales have been, the messier the booth will be, which makes no sense to me. Love the kitchen set. I shop my mall all the time for stuff. Got a huge box of old medical supplies a while back for five bucks! Usually, when I set out to walk around and look for stuff of mine that's been left in other booths, I end up finding something to buy!

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  6. I have one of those cast iron stones too! With all 3 doors and the stove pipe, we restored it a long time ago and gave it to my mother. :)

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  7. I used to have a booth at another flea market in Fayetteville, and I was amazed at how messy my booth got at times. I once went in and someone had left their partially-eaten food in my booth! ick!

    Which thrift store has moved into the waterbed store? do tell!

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  8. Love the Bo Peep kitchen set. Too cute!

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  9. Anonymous8:23 PM

    W <3 K - a perfect Royal Wedding item to auction off! :)

    I'm loving your blog.

    Moriah
    www.moriah.barach.us

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