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 25, 2012

Some of the Junk

I know you are all waiting for lots and lots of photos of all of the junk I got in the last post.  To tell you the truth...I am kind of on JUNK overload right now.  I was thinking the other day about Ll the things that I touch in one day - laundry - sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away, dishes - washing, drying, putting up, getting out, putting food on them, picking up the house, picking things to price for the booth - pricing them, putting them in the car, taking them in the booth, putting them out, straightening the other things, working in the entire flea market - straightening other booths, grocery shopping - picking up the item, putting it in the cart, putting it on the register, putting it in the cart, putting in the car, bringing it in the house, putting it all away.  Some days I think, I cannot touch one. more. thing.  I had a blast going to that big sale and having the pick of a whole shop full of freebies certainly got my attention for four hours.  But, then I had to bring it home, sort it out, clean it up, take photos, put away the keepers, take things to the booth, take things to Goodwill, throw some things away - it's all very time consuming.  For now, I am on junk overload and have no plans to go junking in the near future.  (Having said that and really, really meaning it - I already read Craigslist and found two Estate Sales this weekend.  I think I might need an intervention.)

I have all the "Keepers" with the exception of the vintage Christmas in a basket waiting to take decent photos.  Here are some really fast photos I took of some of the other things. 

An old canister - kind of rusty on top, but I loved those polka dots - it was full of bolts and nails and stuff and I wish I had been smart enough to dump it out because I schleped that thing all over the house and up and sown the hill.  The Betty Crocker Cooky Book will be fun to look through.  A Vicki Valentine Comic - described as "wholesome comic books" - there are paper dolls in it.  A hand carved wooden dog.  I like folk art things like that.  the small divided dish is a thrift find from last week - I think it is from a toy dish set and the PURPLE pottery is a Salvation Army find that THRILLED me - I have never found PURPLE pottery!  It looks great with my other pastel pottery pieces.

More tiny metal tins.  Now, that is a real sickness with me.  I have tons of these things, but I CANNOT leave them if I see them.  Maybe I should sell these.  But, I can't see that happening.  Also in the dish drainer - a complete box of 24 quilted jelly jar glasses.  Not sure if I should sell them in the booth or try to find lids for them and use them as storage.  Also, a cup that says FATHER on it - my sad attempt at making a "Father's Day" display  in the booth.

I was honest to Pete walking out the door of the shop from gleaning freebies when I turned around to make one last sweep with my eyes when I spotted this Shiny Brite box way up high all by itself. I'm pretty sure I did a Michael Jordan move and jumped over a lady and snagged it off the top shelf.  It was way higher than I can reach, but somehow I got it.  It assumed it was just an empty box, but Nooooooooo!  It has ornaments in it - PINK ornaments!  These are big ornaments - about as big as a softball. The box is nice and deep and in great shape.  After one more look around and I was honest to Pete leaving this time, the lady I jumped over walked away and there was another box of Shiny Brites laying where she had been.  That one had indents and red, white and blue's in it.  Sigh.  

Here is a sad photo of the giant tub of Christmas things.  Part of an Evergleam pompom tree - this one is blue.  Lots of ornaments, angel toppers, plasticky goodness, kitschy stuff - you get the idea.  Lots of smalls for making Kitschmas Wreaths this year.

One more shot - see that huge tree topper in the middle?  I felt what I thought was a spider tickling my head when I was freebie hunting.  I reached up to smack it away and it was that topper hanging from the ceiling.  
It is truly heinous in it's tackiness.  It is Victorian  and I mean truly Victorian from back then.  It has glass beads, glass picks and that giant German glass glitter encrusted ball.  Not sure if I should leave it as is and sell it or part it out and keep it.  
This big tub was full of all sorts of crafty items.  I am still sorting it out.  Lots of glass beads, fun plastic crap, old wooden beads, etc.  

The best of the vintage Christmas going to my collection.  Six sweet felt stockings marked JAPAN on the back, fantastic garland with mercury beads and foil balls, a skiing Santa candy container, light reflectors, indented ornies, vintage PINK garland, and vintage AQUA garland and a few clip on vintage birds.  I spotted those four little knee huggers peeking out from some grass outside the shop.  I got really, really excited and no one else seemed to care.  It was finding a ten dollar bill in the grass!  Why weren't they excited????
Here's the big McCoy vase I got for $1.00.  It fit right in with my pottery and looks great.

I promise to take better photos of the really good stuff.  I've been busy lately, not feeling my best, tending to a sick (and cranky) husband, not sleeping well and on junk overload.  But I intend to start feeling better, sleeping great and getting back on the photo taking wagon!

9 comments:

  1. I can not believe all you got! If this is just a sneek peek.
    some great stuff for sure.
    Cathy

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  2. Oh...now I am on junk overload.
    I know what you mean about not wanting to pick up one.more.thing.I have more than enough stuff to sell on ebay and yet I want MORE....

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  3. Shara, every time you post up vintage Christmas stuff, I swear I can close my eyes and smell Christmas at my parents' house, lol. I am glad you blog :-)

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  4. That McCoy vase is GORGEOUS! Man.

    I think I might leave the tree topper as is, if it's truly antique Victorian.

    I have one or two of those big-daddy Shiny Brite boxes. They are awesome. :D

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  5. Amazing - the blue tree, the skiing Santa, the vase - all of it! I know exactly what you mean about a) buying things you don't need because you always buy them and b) being so tired of dealing with this stuff. But there's something that keeps me going - it really is a high when you hit a great sale!

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  6. The vase looks awesome with your other vases!! I think I am starting on a case of junk overload, but I'm still looking for sales! Maybe we can do a group intervention and form a support group!! :-)

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  7. Are you planning on selling the Cooky cookbook? My mom has been looking for that as her original is barely legible. Thanks?
    Jennifer

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  8. You really did hit the jackpot! Can't wait to see more. I have some things to share from my trip, but must unpack car, photograph and decide what to share. Ugh...

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  9. I am just catching up on blog reading after being away for a week - you're the second person to find the cooky book! Looks like a good one!

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