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.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Bargains Galore on 64 - I Did It!

We got up at 6:00 am on Thursday and headed over the mountain to Bargains Galore on 64.  I know that sounds late  - but most of the sales don't get started until about 8-9 and many were still setting up throughout the morning and afternoon.  We hit the first sale at 8:50 and left the last one at 5:55.  SO MANY SALES!  They were all along the highway in through Alma on a divided highway.  So, we drove to the end of town, turned around and hit the ones on the other side of the highway.  We stopped at a lot, but we passed a lot.  We probably passed more than we stopped at - but we stopped at a ton!  I think by the end of the day,we stopped at least 50 times.  And many of those stops had multiple vendors set up.  Some were more flea market-y and higher priced.  Others were actual yard sales.  Some were set up as once a year businesses with abandoned houses full of junk or sheds set up like mini stores.  I quickly learned that if a sale looked like one I would really like - old rusty chippy stuff and lots of it  - I wouldn't be able to afford a thing.  I bought two sacks full at one stop and two sacks full at one open air kind of dingy flea market, but other than that, I usually bought one or two things at each stop.  I left empty handed at a few.  The only thing I missed out on was a bag full of super old cracked up antique dolls that are all the rage.  They weren't priced, so I showed the lady that I had a tablecloth, a tin and the bag of dolls.  She looked at it, said, "Two dollars" and I paid her. When I was walking away, some man yelled at her that I had a bag of dolls.  She said she didn't see them and they were $10.00 each.  I handed them back to her and it was fine - but she wasn't paying attention - I SHOWED her the dolls.  Anyway, its okay - $2.00 would have been a nice deal, but $30.00 was not a deal - they weren't worth that at all.  That is my only rant of the day!  And, it really isn't even a rant!  Just a story.


This Snickers trash can caught my eye.  
It's about waist high - really cool, but of course, I didn't need it!


The Bean's holy grail.  I told him he "might" find a knife along the way.  This was our second stop. He bought six knives for a total of $20.00.  Not a bad deal.  He was happy the rest of the day.  (And he bought more too!)


This parking lot had hundreds of boxes.  I was SO excited.  But, it was gross old crap, it stunk and it was HOT.  Movin' on........

First truck shot.  The Bean only bought one Nerf gun.  



Do you see those light fixtures?  Lord a mercy!  HUGE!


This was a big sale, under a bunch of trees with a nice breeze.  Sadly it was all super high and nothing caught my eye.  But, the shade and breeze was worth a stop.



This child's size table and chairs caught my eye at that sale - but it was $175.00. 


Please tell me that these will never, ever, ever come back in style.  PLEASE?


Bathroom I was forced to use.  Hover, wash, GET OUT.  



If you ever have the chance to visit Arkansas, you must drive from Fayetteville to Fort Smith.  Bridges across mountains, millions of trees, no billboards or truck stops or houses.  It is beautiful.  


We got to drive through the tunnel in the mountain.  
It freaks me out.  


Home again, home again.  
Jiggity Jig.  
That's the University of Arkansas up on the hill.


So, there's my day.  We had fun.  Good Bye!

Oh, what's that?  

You want to see what I bought?  

Okay! Okay!  Okay!

I had big ideas of taking a photo of each sale, then photographing what I bought there.  But, I had to literally heave crap in the door and jump in the car before I got hit by a semi at each and every sale.  I mean, I love you guys,  But, I kinda wanted to LIVE to tell.  


BOOM!


I'll let the photos do the talking.  You can see what I bought.  


That tiny feedsack clothespin bag was my first good find.  SO CUTE.


Yes, I bought watermelon potholders.  4/$1.00 - that is my price point. 
Gotta rescue them.  


Loved this old unopened box of Dixie Frozen Food Containers.


I almost passed on this giant serving tray.  But I thought I could flip it for $20.00 at The Junk Ranch.  

Then I found one that just sold on ebay.  Whoop!  Whoop!

A very happy surprise!


Various pieces of jewelry.  Love all the Christmas pins.  



This piece of Arts and Crafts Pottery was a nice $1.00 find.  

Ebay bound.....


I wanted to find the vintage Christmas mother lode.  Instead, I found one thing here and one thing there.  But, it added up nicely.  Everything is Junk ranch bound except the tin in the center.  I hoard those like a crazy woman.  

At 5:00 we made our last stop at a big yard with about fifteen tents set up.  When we got in there, it was mostly tools and manly junk.  And it was more of a flea market situation.  We were in the last tent, headed to the car when I spotted a box with old cake decorating toppers and picks in it.  Not like a cigar box, or a shoe box.  


But, like a huge toilet paper cardboard box full.  

Then I saw one more.

And another.  

Uh-OH.

I started looking through them, but they weren't priced.  The guy didn't want to talk how much for one or two - he wanted me to buy them all.  Then he pointed out three more smaller tubs under the table too.  He named his price.  It was more than I thought I should pay especially at my last stop of the day.  But I considered it, and then I did what I ever do.......I counter offered a price $10.00 less and told him he could keep the storage tubs.  OK he said!  

Oh my GOSH, there are hundreds and hundreds of packages.  Lots of 1990's cartoon and movie ones like Rugrats, Catdog, Mickey Mouse, Barney and Teletubbies.  I really only wanted the vintage ones, but now that I OWN THEM ALL - I have done a bit of research and the Teletubbies sell for $29.98 a pack.  Great googley moogley!


As for the vintage - there are Christmas and New Year.

Halloween a palooza.


Baby things and the World's Largest Ballerina.  



Well, as you can SEE, we had a fabulous LONG hot day.  I cannot believe I put off going to this for so long.  I will BE THERE OR BE SQUARE from now on though!

Thank you for all the sweet comments here and on IG - I felt like I had a lot of my friends with me yesterday!  

16 comments:

  1. Love it! So glad you went and found so many amazing things. Reminds me of the WLYS and how hot it is and lots of driving but there are bargains to be found and yes Semi's to dodge!
    hugs,
    Linda

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  2. I love those cup cake picks such a huge find. I have a bag full I use on special occasions and then run around collecting them before they disappear.
    Cathy

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  3. Wow I love your finds especially the cup cake picks. I have always wanted to got to a longest yard sale but I'm not super close to any and would probably waste a day of travel just getting there. I'm glad you had fun.

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  4. Sound's and look's like FUN!!! It enrage's me when people put $175.00 on a little table and chair's , that's higher than an antique store or a big show. Booooo It look's like a fabulous drive. (I'm in Ohio)That steer serving tray, Yeah !! Love all your find's. The geese are never coming back, they've all been exported to China. Haha TT

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  5. Glad you and the Bean took the plunge and made the trip. Would love to do something like it someday...but not with that heat. Fun to go along on your trip!

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  6. Loved hearing all about your big adventure and some great finds!!

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  7. I could go on and on about all your super finds! What a fun time! It has been too long since I've done a sale like this. Love the Dixies and whaaat....$30 for Teletubbies! Holy Po!

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  8. BOOM is right! Looks like a great haul and good time. That steer plate is UG-O but I hope you sell it for a mint!

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  9. Man did you get the mother lode of great junk! Love that piece of green pottery, it's gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your travels with us. Such fun to read about it and see all the goodies.

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  10. Glad the 2 of you found treasures and had a great time doing it. It must have been a long and tiring day too. But plenty of time to rest up for next year.

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  11. Glad the 2 of you found treasures and had a great time doing it. It must have been a long and tiring day too. But plenty of time to rest up for next year.

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  12. You did score the motherload of cake decorating toppers. Congratulations! Those Dixie Frozen Food Containers are pretty darn fabulous too. Glad you survived the heat, the traffic and scary bathrooms! It was fun watching all the sneak peeks on IG.

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  13. Yowza! What a great junk haul! Loving those cherry dixie cups in the original box! :)

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  14. Keith's mom called and told us we needed to get over there for Bargains Galore on 64. Glad you went and had fun and found stuff. One year we took 64 part of the way home to avoid construction on the interstate. It was a lovely drive. Keith and I have loved the Tubbies for years. They totally rock, you know. I want the Snickers trash can!!!!

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  15. Shara! I literally just posted that same box of Dixie storage containers last week on IG! Aren't they the cutest things ever?! You found some awesome things and it really looks like The Bean had a great time too! Nothing spoils a good junkin' trip like a cranky ass kid so way to go Bean!

    Erica

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  16. I was so excited for you to go and then I forgot to read to see what you found! And what some nice things you did find! Loved everything and especially the cake picks - you can do so much with them besides selling them as is! Great haul!

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