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, March 08, 2015

The Week In Junk: You've Been Schooled

It warmed up this weekend and made me be in a yard sale kind of mood.  Sadly, it was freezing cold with snow all week, so there were few yard sales to be found.  I did find one, not far from my house.  It was advertised as an Estate Sale, but once I Google mapped the house and did a street view, I saw it was at a house of a retired teacher I knew.  She was just moving to a different house, so it wasn't truly an "Estate Sale" (which is a SERIOUS pet peeve of mine!).  I decided to go just in case she had some old teaching aids (the ad said as such, but you never know).  I decided to go there, then circle out to the Super Cheap Thrift and see what I could find.  After that Lara texted me and we ended up hitting a few flea markets in the afternoon.  It was a fun, junk filled day - even though I didn't really buy that much in the end.  


This old phone actually came from Goodwill earlier in the week.  Black isn't the most popular color as far as selling - but it I've really never seen many of these at the thrifts.  It will go to The Junk Ranch.  *As wise IG person told me that is a Chicago area code on the center.  

I found this in a box at the teacher's sale.  The little girl I babysat when I was in my teens has twin daughters and one of their nicknames is Kiki.  So, it will go to her.  In real life, Kiki loves animals. But I hope she will like this book too.


This big eagle is just made of plastic, but it's sort of majestic anyway.  I am considering spray painting it, but I like it black too.  I hung it on the porch, but I am going to take it to The Junk Ranch is some sort of a Patriotic display area.  It was only $1.00.  


The tiny oil painting is from the flea market later in the day.  I have a thing for tiny little paintings. From the sale - vintage Hallmark honeycomb stork, a pair of lucite candles, a box of Dragon Dominoes, a wee piece of pottery, a copy of "Junk Day on Juniper Street" (which is like the BIBLE for us junkers), an old metal frame of some sort and a book of poetry and sheet music.  I thought I would salvage the sheet music for ephemera packets.  


But, then I realized it is a book of poetry in Black dialect.  (That's what the inside says, I know we would phrase it differently nowadays).  If you look at it, you would think it wouldn't make a lick of sense.  But, if you read it out loud, it makes perfect sense in a thick accent.  Try it - it's really interesting.  I can't cut it up now.  It's really awesome.  


I was hoping to find a box of old flash cards - like Dick and Jane Flashcards - but all I found were these brightly colored giant flashcards.  They are really good for a kids room - nice and bright with fun pictures.  The Humpty Dumpty is handmade (I know, you could tell that...) and vintage.  The Cinderella doll has pages that turn and tell a very, very abbreviated version of Cinderella.  It is dated 1977.  And that cap gun!  It is vintage and it has a PINK handle.  Yee haw! 


These were my favorite finds from the sale - old handwriting tablets.  I don't think schools hardly even teach handwriting anymore, so these struck a chord with me.  


I remember writing my name over and over on those lined pages.  I am thinking a scrapbooker or ephemera lover will appreciate these.  Minus the one I am keeping.  Maybe two.  We'll see.  :)  


This big carved wooden knight was my big purchase of the day - both in price and size.  It stands about three feet tall and cost $3.00.  It is signed on the front and back and I think it's kind of cool.  I think Eddie would buy it - am I right?  I picture in a Frat house or a man cave.  It will go to the College town booth for that very reason.


From the Super Cheap Thrift -  Two vintage aprons in bright colors, a set of buttons to cover with fabric and some vintage fabric scraps all for 10¢ each.  I found a gorgeous full feedsack there last weekend so I am going to be digging in the fabric/craft bin for a long, long time because I just KNOW there will be more.  Fingers crossed!!

Tomorrow is Monday - but guess what?  There is a SALE!  

MONDAY. MOVING/CLOSING warehouse. March 9th, 10-5. 1-day only. West side of Fayetteville. Tools, furniture, old barn wood, metal carts, legal locking file cabinets, 4’x8’ sheets of hard foam insulation, old upright piano (great salvage for wood and keys). Boxes & boxes of treasures. Fantastic hunting for pickers. Buy it all and start your own flea market. See you!

Wish me luck!  

10 comments:

  1. A Monday sale? Oh how I wish we had those around here! Would definitely start the week out on a good note.

    Good luck!

    Erica

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  2. Great finds! The sale for today sounds like it could be a winner. I'd be there with bells on!

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  3. Lots of goodies, and yes I think Eddie would buy that Knight!! Fun find.

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  4. Super duper treasures. Looks like a fun day of thrifting. I hope your Monday sale was equally impressive.

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  5. OMG, Junk Day on Juniper Street. I know we have had conversasions in the past about this very book. This was my second favorite behind Little Black Sambo. The poetry makes me think of Lousiana. We have a teacher that can read stories really well in that dialect. I will have to show her this one and see how she would read it. Can't wait to see what you found at the Monday sale.

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  6. I'm getting antsy for yard sale season to start up, I think it's just beginning. I did go to a church rummage sale on Saturday and found a few things including a semi-vintage Raggedy Ann and Andy for my sister and I think I paid about $4.00 for the both of them.

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  7. Oh yeah. I'd totally buy that knight. Good call. Glad you found some sales to hit. We've got warm weather this week, so maybe that will bring weekend goodness!

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  8. Can't wait to see what you find! I feel the same way about the penmanship tablets. How can they not teach cursive any more??

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  9. Yay, you found more dominoes! And that Kiki book is so cute. I was in Fayetteville again Saturday and Sunday for my son's moms weekend (another 24 hour trip). My son was at a meeting Saturday when i got there so I had an hour to kill before he was done. I picked up my daughter and forced her to take me thrifting. We hit up GW first (blech, nothing good) then went to a going out of business sale at this flea market/warehouse place. Maybe it was the same place you are going! If so I hope you find some goodies, I will post about mine this week.

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  10. Nice finds! Love the poetry book. I think your knight might be Don Quixote?? Love rosie

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