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.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The Week in Junk: What You Can Buy for $5.00

Once again, I didn't go to any yard sales this weekend.  SHOCK*HORROR*  Saturday we had Christmas in July at our house with my Mom and Step Dad.  It is a completely silly day - we cook out hot dogs and have a summery dessert  - I decorated the table in a Summer/Christmas theme:

This year it was a Kneehugger camping trip.  Any excuse to bring out the Romper Room camper set.  The best part of our Christmas in July are the gifts.  Strict rules apply - you cannot buy anything, it all has to come from your own house, wrapped in tissue paper and placed in a Walmart bag.  FANCY.  I received gloves, laxatives, microwave popcorn, and EMPTY gift box and a lot of other odd but hilarious to open items.  It is a silly fun day and MUCH needed at my house.  MUCH.  (More on that in time......)

Sunday I met up with Lara, the twins and our other junking friend Laurie at a big Antiques Show.  I thought it would all be pricey antiques, but it was mostly vintage things.  A lot of the sellers from the other shows were there and we are all getting to know each other.  It was fun to walk around and look at all the things that were for sale plus look for display ideas for my shows and booth.  Of course, all that looking makes you see things you want to buy.  Most were out of my budget, but I found just enough to make me happy and not be sad about missing yard sales the day before.  

On booth had hundreds of these new old stock signs.  It took me FOREVER to decide which one to buy.  I'm still not sure I made the best choice, but I do love this one.  It will look great in my cake decorating corner during the holidays.  

One of my favorite sellers had a big baggie of vintage Christmas items. I saw one item that made it worth the whole package and the price, so I bought it.  Lots of fun vintage things in the bag.

Spun head angels at the bottom of the bag were a sweet surprise.  

This pipe cleaner Santa is what I spied in the bag.  I just really, really, really LOVE this guy.  

After I left the Antiques Show, I popped into Goodwill.  
I spied this wonderful Peterboro Market Basket sitting on a low shelf with a book and a plastic cup in it.  I waited for someone to come around the corner and grab it, but no one did.  So, I grabbed it.  I was SO happy to see it was only $3.00.

It is lined with red GINGHAM oilcoth.  I looked on the Peterboro website and it is a $50.00 basket.  Nice!  You know how much I love a good handmade basket.  And this one is really useful, so that is an added bonus.

Today I made a quick run to the booth to straighten up and clean up after our Christmas in July sale we had all weekend.  On the way, I stopped at the SCT.  Lara had sent me a text earlier that she had been there too, but I don't know what she found.  Maybe she will tell us if she EVER UPDATES her blog?   (Like she has anything other to do with a new GIANT booth, three year old twins and a father recovering from a quintuple bypass.......)

So, back to my purchases.  I call it the Super Cheap Thrift for a reason.  Today, I spent $5.00. 

And this is what I bought.  For five dollars total.  :)

Two Readers Digest books with pretty covers - (already taken apart and made into clipboards), a wee piece of crockery, a JAPAN elephant, tiny angel playing the harp planter and a wooden crate that I will add a vintage label to before I sell it.  

A fun bunny planter.  

A hefty piece of Floraline pottery for 50¢.  I know - I don't do green and I'm not supposed to buy plain pottery - but I just cannot leave a piece of McCoy behind for 50¢!  

(Self imposed rules are easy to break).

Four small toleware trays, an accordian mug rack (these always sell) and a sugar shaker to make more string holders.  
Handmade Raggedy Ann.  I have a soft spot for Raggedy Ann dolls.  I don't keep them but I like getting them into the right hands.  She looks a little mischievous.  

And lastly a Barbie book.  I never knew there were Barbie books.  

Nothing is particularly valuable.  But, there is money to be made, projects to complete and a couple pieces of pottery for me, so it was a well spent $5.00. 

I do need a little help from you guys.  My friend Laurie gave me a baggie full of these hollow tubes.  She thought they were screwdriver handles, but I don't really know. 
The CANDY one is my favorite one - whatever it is. 
Any ideas?
Thanks!

13 comments:

  1. I think they are advertising pencil tubes.

    Loving the Christmas. I always do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love that pipe cleaner Santa. You did really good. That's quite the haul for a few dollars. You can bring your Romper Room camper set over to our a-frame cottage. Josie has a camper set and the fisher price a-frame that she'd share with you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love your finds from this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I finally saw some of the RD books with the pretty covers at a sale on Saturday. I thought about you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I want to visit SCT! It was money well-spent. At first glance I thought the tubes were cigar containers. Can you turn them into a twisty windchime? Or a chandelier???
    love
    rosie

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your SCT is a real honey hole - wowza!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't normally buy green pottery either but I was just noticing yesterday that I have quite the collection. How did that happen?! Probably the same way it happened to you. How in the world can you be expected to leave a 50 cent piece of McCoy behind?

    Not sure what those thingies are but the graphics are amazing. Can't wait to see what you do with them.

    ~Erica

    ReplyDelete
  8. $5!! Love the pottery pieces. The picnic basket is really nice and I love the pipe cleaner Santa. Looks like a good weekend!
    hugs,
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great Haul! I always break Self Imposed Rules... just call me a Rebel! *winks*

    Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm the Tole addict! Love the trays, sweet colors and well done. You did very well for only spending a few dollars. You really S T R E T C H E D your money.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am in love with that Fisher Price camper! So stinking cute! Christmas in July sounds like a great time. Great find with the Peterboro basket. I have several of them, not like yours, (but I would love to find that one) but they are such a great company, so well made. I found a chocolate covered cherry box at an antique mall the other day. The price was right ($3.00!) so I bought it for you. I move my daughter in on the 16th so maybe we can meet up, I will give it to you. Have a good day :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. "Monkeybox" has been included in our Sites To See #383. Be assured that we hope this helps to point many new visitors in your direction.

    http://asthecrackerheadcrumbles.blogspot.com/2014/08/sites-to-see-383.html

    ReplyDelete

I love my comments. I'd love to respond to everyone, but if you don't have an email address tied to your ID, please sign your name so I will know who you are! It makes it nice to know who is saying what. Now, leave a comment! Please? ;o)

I Can See You!



Look at my Visitors!

Fellow Junk Followers