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.

Sunday, July 08, 2012

The Week in Junk - Meet the Browns

This week in junk is credited to The Brown Family.  I don't know who they are, but hey donated a bunch of vintage goodies to the Super Cheap Thrift and I was lucky enough to be there to scoop them all up.  More on those finds later.  

Thursday I read this ad:  Cake Decorating Supplies, pans, decorating bags , cake stands, beginners sets, Restaurant and Catering Equipment, Sheet Pans, Oven Vent Hood, Chaffing Pans, Dishes, Glasses.  One of my Thrifting Wishlist Items is an Industrial Bread Pan to hang on the wall to display and I wouldn't mind finding an Industrial Muffin Tin to make a table like Heidi's.

When I got to the sale, they didn't have exactly what I was looking for and their prices were pretty high for yard sale prices.  But, you never know what will you find, so I looked at it all.....just in case.  I spotted the big box marked CAKE DECORATING and went in for a dig.  

I was super excited to find a brand new Wilton 56 piece Decorating Tip Tool Kit for $12.00.  I know this retails for nearly $80.00 (which is CRAZY!), so I grabbed it for the $12.00.  I also got a box of 50 disposable decorating bags for $2.00 and a box of rubber bands thingys to close up the bags for 50¢.  I am set to decorate cakes now!  Bring on the icing!  Bring on the birthdays!
They had a few other things other than the Restaurant items.  I got this old typewriter for $1.00.  After I got home and came down from my Wilton Cake high, I took a second look at the typewriter and it is in pretty rough shape.  I like that piece that says ROYAL on it and it has a good ribbon on it, so I may take a screwdriver to it and pull it apart.  I LOATHE when people destroy old typewriters.  But this one is almost on the way to the dump, so it is okay.  I think.  

I also picked up a five piece Halloween Serving set that included a black tray with three spider web bowls, a big platter shaped like a haunted house and a plate shaped like a Jack o'Lantern.  It was brand new, in the box, sealed shut with tape and did not rattle at all due to all the Styrofoam packing.  It was two bucks and I knew I could throw it in the booth and make back my money for everything I had just bought.
Problem is, this is what was in the box when I opened it.  Shattered beyond belief!  The black tray and three bowls were okay, but the plate and platter were gone.  I can't believe that it didn't even make a sound in the box.  Oh well.

So, a crusty old typewriter and a smashed serving set - I was really doing GREAT, huh?  At least I got the cake stuff.  Since I was buying weird stuff - I also bought these:

SKIS!  Didn't see that one coming, now did you?  Well, neither did I.  But they are vintage, wooden child's skis and oh, so cute.  I only paid $2.00 for them.  I have them on Craigslist but will probably take them to the booth.  I think they would be adorable on a wall in a kid's room or in a game room.  Or as shelves!  Shelves would be great!

I went to Goodwill four times this week.  Can you believe that?  It is only two miles from my house right in between the two grocery stores I frequent.  I mean, I go right by there all the time.....  

Four trips and all I really have to show for it is this old telephone timer.
And a sweet green checkered tablecloth.  I dream of throwing a big party in my yard with all my checkered tablecloths, picnic baskets and thermos bottles.  Wanna come?

So, on to The Browns.  Almost everything I bought at the Super Cheap Thrift on Saturday came from The Brown's.

This sweet Golden Counting Book was in the FREE box out front.  Inside the front cover, it says "BROWN Library".  

Inside the BINGO box it says, BROWN.  Back of the Dominoes?  BROWN.  See the plastic card box?  BROWN.  I never write my name on my belongings.  But, long ago, everyone did.

This big old bag of plastic fruit (I sell it pretty quickly in the booth) was in a plastic bag marked BROWN.

This "Educated Cake Pan" was marked BROWN on the back.  I do have all the pieces, I didn't realize they were missing in the photo.  You can rearrange those little cubes to make every letter and number.  I will have to try it out one of these days.  And decorate it!  :)

This last item from the BROWN's was in a plastic bag with an address label on it.  I hinted to Laurie that I had found something Magpie Ethel worthy.  


Here it is.  A plastic tidbit tree.  It's kind of like those plastic gumdrop trees, but each little tray can hold one small chocolate, petite four or other treat.  I LOVE this thing.  I see it with my chenille chicks at Easter or my Pinecone Elves at Christmas.  I just think it is super kitschy cool.

Other items not attributed to the Brown's but I almost bet they are.......vintage Thank you cards and some plastic roses.  I love old funky waxy plasticky flowers.  I don't know why.  But, I do.  Both items from the 10¢ bin.

A great old silk scarf from Alaska.  It is big - you can see it here practically covering the hood on TBM's truck.  I don't collect scarves or things from Alaska, but I really do like it.  Especially for 25¢.

The SCT is open on Tuesday and I drive by on the way to work, but I only have thrifty minutes to look, so I don't usually stop.  But, what if the BROWN's had even more fabulous vintage stuff?  Stuff I didn't find yet?  I think I really MUST stop!

Did you find anything this holiday week and weekend?

11 comments:

  1. Great stuff, as usual. I'm pretty sure those are waterskis, right? I also love (other)Heidi's muffin tin table!

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  2. Wow, Shara, you got some good stuff - love it all and the cake decorating things are nice!

    If I'm making the cake for a birthday around here, I do an angel food one with the hard sugar letters - I let the Moms of the grandkids buy a store bought theme cake for their real party.

    One time I didn't find them and just wrote their name in frosting - the birthday child said hey, how come I dodn't have any of those special letters on my cake? oopsie!

    who knew they liked those things that much!

    I didn't find anything this weekend but I did make a special order mini I spy quilt for an Etsy order!

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  3. If I lived that close to a thrift, I would be there often too, you just never know.....

    Your plastic tidbit tray too me back in time, I remember my Mom using that at Christmas, she would put candy on it.

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  4. Totally agree about destroying old typewriters, but if it's in REALLY bad shape, the keys alone go for a pretty penny to jewelry makers and mixed media artists.

    And I love that plastic tidbit tray! Great scores.

    My kids are at Vacation Bible School this morning, and I'm thinking I should have gone to Goodwill after I dropped them off!

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  5. Wow you really found some great items. I love the kids water skis and the items from the Browns are all cool! I got one book for Tiger this weekend...that's it folks! Hugs, Linda

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  6. Thank goodness for the Browns. I do love the tidbit tray, and have one in my stash. I use it when I get my gumdrop tree forest out...all that food display plastic kitsch in one spot!

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  7. Ooh, that tidbit tray is awesome! Can't you just imagine it on the table at a baby or bridal shower in the 1960s, surrounded by a punchbowl and pastel-colored Jordan almonds?

    That cake pan is cool!

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  8. I can see you getting a whole lot of fun use out of that tidbit tray and expect to see a lot of photos when you do! Bummer about the serving set. We've all had that buy with the damage, stains, missing pages, whatever that we didn't see at purchase time. You're not alone in that.

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  9. I would definitely come to your garden party. We could all borrow one of your gingham aprons and eat petit fors and cucumber sandwiches from your kitchy serving tree.
    BTW, I did a post on my intitial pins. Check it out and let me know if you have any that I am missing.

    Thanks, Debra

    P.S. I be checking my mailbox for the vintage party invitation.

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  10. great stuff as usual. I took a cake decorating class years ago and made cakes for everyone's birthday. and decided it was to much work and I didn't love doing it.
    Cathy

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  11. I'm so behind on my blog reading that it's almost time for this week's Week in Junk ... great cake decorating stuff. Have you ever seen what some of those Wilton pans sell for on eBay? It's crazy.

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