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.

Monday, April 09, 2012

Week in Junk 4/9

I had a junk free week since my Dad was in the hospital.  We spent most of the day with him each day, then back home for dinner and sleep, so no time for junking.  Saturday morning, I was ready to walk out the door at 10:00 to head his way when he called to say that they might be letting him out, so I should take my time getting there since it wouldn't be anytime soon.  I took that as a sign from the Junkin' Gods that I should  hits some sales in that time.  Surely an extra two hours found from nowhere on a Saturday morning would mean lots and lots of GOOD JUNK.  Wrong.  I knew it was Easter weekend, but there were several signs up and even more on Craigslist.  I checked my IGarageSale app (love that app) and knew which way to head.  All in all I hit seven sales and bought about the same amount of items.  I was getting discouraged that I hadn't found anything good, when I realized I was pretty close to the Super Cheap Thrift so I would run that way and score some cool cheap goodies.  Wrong.  "CLOSED FOR EASTER" the sign on the door said.  Sigh.  I found a couple other sales in town, then headed back to pick up The Bean and go see my Dad.  (Five hours after we got there, they let him go home).

What I bought, but I don't know why:


Giant macrame Santa head.  We had one of these when I was a kid, but this one will go to the booth.  
It was 25¢.

Nice red traincase.  It has a dent on the top, but I am working on popping that out.  I have good luck with these at the booth at $20.00.  It was 50¢.
A little wiggly parts Santa.  I wore these when I was a kid, so I will keep it.  It was 25¢.

Two teeny tiny egg cups marked 2-6-1932 on the bottom.  They are really too tiny to be used for eggs.  I will keep them in my Easter things.  Freebie from a sweet older lady.
An old metal doughnut cutter. 
I picked the cutter and the little insert out of a plastic shoebox of odds and ends.  When I sent to pay, they lady told, me, "oh, that whole BOX is only 50¢"  I said, "Well, can I buy this cutter for 50¢ and you can still sell the rest?"  "Oh MY, REALLY?" she said?  Like I was all generous.  I just didn't want to haul any crap home.  So, she charged me 50¢, then threw in the tiny egg cups.  
Set of six old Reader's Digest Reading Skills books for kids.  At this particular sale the lady running it accosted me as soon as I stepped out of the car - "What sort of things are you looking for?" she asked.  I told her I just liked to look at everything.  "EVERYTHING?" she said all surprised.  "You are going to look at EVERYTHING?"  Uh, not anymore, I thought.  I spotted the books and the little Santa pin and got out of  there.  It was sort of weird.  The books were 25¢ each.
This old wooden Salad Bowl isn't in the s best shape, but I grabbed it for only 50¢.  At this sale, I asked how much books were - "Oh, make an offer" he said.  So, I just set them down and walked away.  I don't make offers, and come on, books are always a quarter or fifty cents and not make an offer or dicker on the price.  I picked up the bowl and he looked at me for awile then said 50¢.  So, I she about the red suitcase and it was 50¢.  I should have gone back to the books, but I just gave up.  *Sigh.  I use these old wooden bowls to hold things at the booth, but people keep buying them!  So, maybe no one will want this one since it isn't perfect.
A Boyds Bear. I don't know why I buy them.  But, if they are cheap and have the tags, I can't seem to leave them behind.  I've watched too many QVC shows selling those darn bears for $80.00 each, I guess.  I have a big box of them, but I have started taking them out to the booth and selling them.  I'm not a teddy bear kind of gal, but I think they are sweet nonetheless.

(It is possible, that after reading this post, I may have been a bit cranky with some of these people.  Not TO them, but AT them).


So, whaddya find this weekend?

5 comments:

  1. I can never resist vintage Christmas. I am a sucker for it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hate it when they say make an offer and then I make it cheap and they look all offended so yes, I walk away from those things also. Looks like you found a few goodies and hey cranky is OK if the people are cranky also...just sayin!
    Glad you Dad is home. Hugs, Linda

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those wooden egg cups might actually be Communion cups. Some churches used to use wooden cups for the wine as part of the Communion service.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great finds! Hope you sell lots out of your booth :)

    Lisa @ happy Girl Collectibles

    ReplyDelete
  5. I hate when they say make an offer!!! Really, they have no idea how much they want for it? My son is an Spring Break from school so I haven't gotten to go thrifting at all this week and it's killing me. Hope you find some more good stuff this weekend.

    ReplyDelete

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