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, April 24, 2016

The Week in Junk

Earlier in the week, my friend sent me a text for a yard sale that was right up the road from me that had interesting things listed.  The best one being a huge pile of old red handled rolling pins - and they all had 25¢ stickers on them.  The ad said "no early birds and no holds" so I decided that those rolling pins would be mine. Now, we all know that I am not a morning person.  I start hitting sales after 10:00 or even later and I still do okay.  But, I decided that I would get up an an unholy hour (6:30) and be at that sale when it started.  I was the second person in the driveway as they were starting to unpack. They were very nice and I stayed out of the way so they could put things out.  I picked up a few things then I asked if the rolling pins were still available.  "No, those sold last night."  Now, I KNOW it was just a yard sale and they had every right to sell whatever whenever.  But dammit, I got up early for those rolling pins.  

I left and drove to a neighborhood sale up the road.  It was to start at 8:00 and it was only 7:30.  I drove past the "Newlywed Sale" in the brand new very fancy house and went on up the road to a sale that was still setting up.  I bought one thing there then doubled back to the "Newlywed Sale." Now here is an interesting tidbit I learned about the Newlyweds - they had been married 18 months and they were both in their 70's!  Not your typical Newlywed yard sale.  I found some good old stuff there at great prices and I am sick that I didn't stop there first.  Live and learn I suppose.  

The stuff:


Two old restaurant custard cups.  
Do you know that I can never spell restaurant?  So, I made myself learn to spell it this week.
Restaurant. Restaurant. Restaurant.  
You can teach an old dog new tricks.  :)
Restaurant.


Four beautiful old  Franciscan Desert Rose dinner plates for 50¢ each.  I have them on ebay but I hope they don't sell.  The idea of packaging them up is stressing me out.


This old chalkware Shriner made me laugh.  


My mornings haul.



I ran to get to this Nesting Doll.  No one else was even at the sale, but I still ran to get it!  Sadly, it is empty, but it is still fantastic.  It is about as big as a two liter bottle of pop.  Huge!


The bowls came from the rolling pin sale.  They aren't old, but still interesting enough.  The little refrigerator dish is McKee Sailboat.  I had no clue, but my pal Heidi filled me in. The Santa S&P's are marked Japan, but they have plastic stoppers so not sure of their age - probably 1960's?


These velvety jewelry displays will be great for my feedsack pendants at The Junk Ranch.  That's an old magnifying mirror on the right and a couple of good old glasses on the left.


I sell a lot of coffee cups at the college booth.  So, I am always on the lookout for cheap fun, unusual mugs. The Sad Face is a Happy Face on the reverse side. The old folk art shovel crows went in my yard.  

As soon as I got home that morning, Lara sent me a text about an Estate Sale with great prices, so I headed over there.  She was right,  Everything was 25¢ or so.  It was really picked over, but I found enough to fill up a tote bag and a box and my total was $6.70.  

The worst thing about the sale that in the driveway there was a huge walk-in dumpster and the door was open.  I told the guy working in the garage that the good stuff was usually in the dumpster.  He assured me it was just junk.  Then he said, "But you can take a peek."  I didn't though.


Later after I paid, I told him I was going to take a peek by the dumpster.  He went back in the house and then another guy came over to get me out of the dumpster.  But, I was actually beside it taking photos of some peony bushes.  


Gorgeous peachy pink peonies.  Smelled like heaven.  

*I actually did step into the dumpster to peek and take that photo.  Everyone on Instagram said it was free since it was in the dumpster, but it was a privately owned dumpster on private property, so it wasn't free for the taking.  I did see some stuff that I wish someone could have rescued and not see it go to the landfill.  But, there wasn't much I could do about it.  


I didn't take photos of everything I bought, but all this came from that sale.  Pristine vintage Christmas tablecloth, kneehugger ornament, couple old ornaments, firetruck, old push button phone, cookbook and a squeaky pig - all for $1.10 total.  

***I bought a firetruck just like that for The Bean before he could even walk.  My Mom was holding him when I handed it to him - he wriggled and fought to be sat down on the ground.  When she sat him on the ground, he took that little fire truck and drove it back and forth like a madman.  How did he even know to do that?  It is one of my favorite memories.  

Speaking of The Bean - I sent him this photo from a yard sale.  You are never too old for Nerf.  He has a ton so we know it's expensive stuff.  I found him all of this plus a giant clear one with all sorts of attachments for a total of $5.00.  I was hoping some were doubles so I could put them in the booth.  But he deemed them all "keepers." At least he paid me back!  

Today I decided to that it was time that I had a yard sale.  I started puling things out of the garage, and I had a nice pile going.  Then, on a whim, I threw it all in the truck and sent it off to Goodwill. Sometimes your time is just more than important than a little bit of stuff.  I still might have a sale, but I haven't really decided.  Yard sales are SO MUCH FUN to go to and SO MUCH NOT FUN to have. People are rude, they offer you a quarter on a five dollar item, their kids kids mess things, up, there are speech barriers, and on and one.  Just so not worth it.  

Thanks for coming by this morning.  I sure love you guys.  <3 .="" span="">

10 comments:

  1. Grrr on the pre-sale when the said NO pre-sale. I sure wish you had been able to pick that dumpster, there may have been a real treasure in that heap. SIGH

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  2. Even though you didn't get the red handled rolling pins, you got some great stuff. Love the custard cups, the desert rose (those are my everyday dishes and the older ones are the best) and the crows are AWESOME! Great post and a great way to start the week!

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  3. I can't believe they were pitching that cool red garbage can! Glad you explained those jewelry displays. I was thinking they looked like tombstones. I feel the same way you do about early mornings for yard sales. There is always going to be stuff out there, so why not sleep a bit more?

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  4. You did get some great stuff and I'm with Eddie on the red garbage can, too cool to dump. Oh well. I'm not an early morning person so if I'm meant to have something it will still be there when I get there! Oh and I like going to yard sales but won't have one ever again.
    hugs,
    Linda

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  5. The good stuff is ALWAYS in the dumpster. I've picked 2 WWII scrapbooks and old greeting cards among other things from the garbage. I always go to the people having the sale and offer to pay for the items. That red can is so cool. You should have asked to buy it!

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  6. That's a real bummer about the rolling pins! I love your finds, otherwise. That McKee sailboat fridge dish!! :)

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  7. You found some great stuff. I have two sets of those santa salt and pepper shakers; one is plastic and one is ceramic (weird).

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  8. I can't tell you how many times I've put something up for sale and thought - I hope it doesn't sell. Maybe I'm really an antipreneur. And the ONLY thing that will get me to wake up early on a Saturday is a yard sale, estate sale, auction or better yet - a church rummage sale.

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  9. Garage Sales ARE FUN to have!!! ...or is that just the Bloody Mary part that we all enjoy so??

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  10. That was really rude about the rolling pines! I like the refrigerator dish.

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