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, August 11, 2013

Weekend in Junk - In the Pink

I left the house at noon today, headed for the Super Cheap Thrift and to straighten up my booth.  I found a couple of yard sales along the way which was a nice surprise.  There has been so much rain here - almost a foot in a couple of days in some places- that no one can really count on having an outdoor yard sale right now.  But, the rain dried up this morning and some people had some junk on their driveways.  I didn't find a lot, but what I did find made me happy.

A lot of the things I found had a theme that made them fit together.  Lots of baby tings and pink things.

An old rummy game board with wooden checkers.  The checkers have crowns on them, so I already made them into necklaces.  The sweet kitty planter was from the SCT.  Notice above his head on the board?  Kitty!
 William Rogers Silverplate pieces.  I don't know why I bought these other than the act they were 25¢ each.  They would be sweet with some flowers though.  Under that is some really great old wrapping paper.

It's adorable.  I bought this sheet that was opened and a package that is still sealed.  I left a few behind and now I am kind of kicking my self for that now that I see it unfolded.  Hopefully it will still be there when I go back next week.  

Two old baby rattles, an older box of colored chalk (including brown chalk.  Who wants brown chalk?) and another piece of cute wrapping paper.  
These cats are pretty big.  I may try to frame a few of them.  

A Peter Pan book by Roy Best who if famous for pin up art.  It's odd that he did Children's Books too.  This is a newer reprint, but the drawings are amazing.  Also, a book "How to Draw Famous Stars."  Because I have been DYING to learn how to draw Gary Coleman!  (I actually did it and it did NOT work.  The Bean drew Spock and it was surprisingly good.)
I borrowed this from the web, but it is in the book.  They are lovely pictures.  
More tiny tart tins.  It's addiction.  Eight for 50¢, so I had to snap them up.  


Two old blue tins and a "Joy Scope" in the original box.  A Joy Scope is a Kaleidoscope with a big flat glass orb in the end.  It has the original tag of 29¢ on it.  The wire mesh box will hold business cards or something eventually.
Two small dog figurines.  I always sell these in the booth.  The dark one is dark amethyst purple glass.  

An old hosiery box with lable and an old clock with a cracked face.  I've seen these up-cycled into shadow boxes on Pinterest.  I have way more projects on tap right now than I can do, but someday I will be looking for a project and this will be it.

(From Pinterest)
We collect these sort of handmade puzzles.  This one was partially dissembled in the bag, but I thought it was going to be a horse.  The Bean was very happy to see it was actually a Centar.  (Have I mentioned that he is practically an expert on Greek Mythology?)  

Stork Bingo game.  Love the graphics on the box.  The words on the cards are interesting too - Pablum, Cod Liver Oil, Nipples, Enema, Soakers and Toidy Seat to name a few.
This sweet little pink chippy basket had to come home with me.  Especially once I spotted the pink gingham lining.  I'll probably use it for display at the Barn Sale.  

By the way, thanks for all the nice words on the things I have been making for the sale.  I really appreciate it.  It made me feel more confident.  

And, the last find of the day, this sweet, sweet vintage little girls dress.  It was marked $2.50 on the VINTAGE rack at the SCT and I actually stood there and debated it for awhile.  $2.50 sounds like a lot when you are holding a bag full of 10¢ and 25¢ items.  But then my common sense in kicked in and realized that $2.50 is what Goodwill charges for used Walmart brands so I snapped it up.  I hung it up with my other baby dresses and it is now the crowing jewel.

Oh wait!  I did buy one more thing on the way home.  
A vintage wooden doll playpen.  The man at the sale saw me looking at it and told me it was $2.00. When I went to pay the wife, I told her that he had told me $2.00.  She said, "Well, things are supposed to be cheap, but not THAT cheap!"  I told her never mind then, but she said, "Oh, no!  I didn't mean that!  No problem.  I just shouldn't have left my husband in charge."  Trust me, lady, been there done that.  I know.  Rule #1 of having a yard sale"  Never leave the husband in charge.  Rule #1 of going to a yard sale:  Find a husband in charge.  :D  I have an idea of hanging it on a wall with the bottom flat to the wall and putting slats through the rungs to make a deep shelf.  Until I get that productive, it will wrangle vintage toys at the Barn Sale.  

So, that is what I found this weekend.  How about you?

11 comments:

  1. I started out Sat morning, first couple were complete duds so I gave up instead of wasting gas. You always find a hodge podge of goodness

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  2. I did pretty good for only hitting up one sale and a show. I love that BINGO game! It's definitely different. I'm always picking up items for future Pinterest projects. Hopefully I can get around to some before I forget what I was going to do with them!

    ~Erica

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  3. I love those clock faces with the scenes. The girl who did those is local and I know her. I wish I would have thought of that first..so darling.

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  4. A+++, especially given that you only "accidentally" yard saled that morning. The wrapping paper is awesome. Would like to see more photos from that beautiful Peter Pan book and also, what, are you CRAZY, mentioning The Bean's Spock illustration and then not posting a picture of it??? I mean, REALLY.

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  5. That wrapping paper is great - I found some of that exact pattern not to long ago!

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  6. Shara you really did find some fun items but I think that wrapping paper is my fav for sure!!

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  7. All good stuff but I really love the pink dress and the wrapping paper! One of the first things I sold on Etsy was the stork bingo game - so cute.

    My vtg snoopy flat twin sheet from last weeks finds sold for $47.57 tonight! Crazy, I tell you!

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  8. This weekend was another bust for me as far as sales go. Glad to see you had more luck. Love the wrapping paper. It's just too, too sweet. The illustration lover in me wouldn't mind seeing some more from the Peter Pan book, if you run out of ideas for posts.

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  9. Good finds! I love playing Michigan rummy with family at picnics and things. We have an old wooden board that my grandfather made. I found some tart pans at the flea, sort of medium size and fluted. So yes, it is an addiction. :) And finally nabbed some 1960's Collins glasses and a lovely old rose oil painting. Will share on the blog this week. cheers

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  10. Oh, I kinda wish I hadn't seen those clock face shadowboxes ... another project on the list!

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  11. Anonymous7:23 AM

    Find the husband in charge! Oh yea! Ha-ha!

    Love the play pen but enjoyed looking through all these "junky" posts.

    PS I once had a tortoise shell cat name Pitty. Small world!

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