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.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Winner, Winner, Winner

(That title should be read in a big booming voice like the Claw Machine at Wal-Mart). We have a WINNER!!!!!! Ottermom is the winner. We've already been in contact and I am in the process of assembling a personalized Goodie Box just for her. It will be in the mail by the end of the week (*Cross fingers*). Congratulations, Ottermom!

Friday I went to a couple yard sales and to another sale that I have been going to for weeks. In the beginning, the prices were obscenely high, but have goten cheaper as the weeks pass. The items are getting picked over to a point, but they also keep bringing in new items. As I was looking around this time, the man brought in a big box full of salt and pepper shakers. There were probably 50 sets of old shakers in there. They were $2.00 a set, but everything was half price - so a buck a set. I showed restraint and only bought two sets.
Friday's Finds: Miniature Mouse Tea Set - 50¢
Boyds Bear - 25¢ (I just cannot pass up a Boyds Bear when I know they are hawking them on QVC for upwards of $20.00 each)
McGruff "Take a Bite out of Crime" puppet - 50¢
Aunt Jemima Bottle - 25¢ (I see these for $3.00 and up at sales because people think they are collectible. Well, they are a little bit - she will look cute with my Black Americana collection)
Ball Jar w/ Glass Lid - 25¢ (But, what shall I put in it?)
Big Bag of Buttons - $1.00 (How about buttons in the jar?)
Old Cast Iron Microscope - $5.00 (This had been priced $49.99 at the sale and I had watched it go down each week. I figured I would miss out if I waited much longer. Not sure if it's a toy or the real McCoy).
Mama and Joey Kangaroo S&P's - $1.00 (They have the cork stoppers and JAPAN on them).
Old Acorn S&P's $1.00 - (Cork stoppers and JAPAN again)
White Pottery basket - 50¢
Cake Slice S&P's - $1.00 (I'm always looking for Birthday Party decorations)
Single Shaker of African Boy on a Carrot - 50¢
Stack of Newspapers from 1917-1936 - FREE (I will use in collages and crafts, but first I am reading them. Can you beleie that Oranges were 29¢ for TWO DOZEN in 1917?)

I went to the Super Cheap Thrift on Saturday. Since they had been closed earlier in the week to "RESTOCK", I assummed that it would be chock full of goodies. But, apparently, they had just cleared out the store and gotten rid of old merchandise and will be slowly stocking it with new merchandise. So, the pickings were pretty slim. I did notice one thing that sort of upset me - the prices had gone up a bit too. Not too much, it will still be the cheapest thrift in the area, but, nonetheless, the prices had gone up a bit. I also went to two sales - left empty handed at one.

Saturday's Finds:
2 Cookbooks - 25¢ each
Set of Handmade Bears - 75¢ (These are really cute)
Old mint green Hairdryer - $1.00 (The man told me it worked. As if. It has the old round plug and a ravel-y cord and it is metal and it weighs a ton. Like I would use it. Bzzzzt.)
Paper Maiche Egg - 25¢ (Made in West Germany - the other Easter items were in the bag with it)
As I was paying, DS went over to look at something and I noticed the picnic basket under the table at his feet. It is big and very old and has the longest handles of any picnic basket I have ever seen. Everytime I see these at a sale, I hold my breath when I ask the price because I usually get a lecture on "it's old" or "that was Granny's" or some other inane comment that I do not want to hear. I asked the magic question and he said, "Oh, that's a good OLD heavy basket." (Crap, I thought) "50¢ oughta do it", he said. The lid has been painted, and I wish it hadn't been, but at least it is painted well and fairly cute. I mean it could have been cammo or purple or something! When I got home I took a running inventory of my picnic baskets and I seem to have an even dozen now. So, apparently I do not hear "that was Granny's" enough. I use them to store everything from my coupon stash to bread and potato chips to my crafting supplies. I suppose I could go on a picnic sometime.

Have a happy week!

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:24 PM

    I love all of the stuff you got. I know what you mean by the Ball jar (what will you do with it). I have several and love the ones that are blue and green. I use to put dried beans in them for decoration and now put dried seeds in a couple, but mostly they just sit around. Sometimes it is hard to find a use for an item, but we still like it.

    Our Goodwill just went up from $3.50 to $3.75 for most clothing items. My mom and I were complaining to each other how much harder it would be to add the prices together of multiple things in our cart at this price. Oh well...still pretty cheap.

    I was at Talbot's big 50-70% off sale last week just looking around and did buy a couple of pretty tops at 70% off. The lady checking me out noticed that the top I had on was such a pretty Talbot's sweater. I just said that you and did not mention that I had bought it at Goodwill. I really wanted to though!

    Libby

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  2. Thank you for picking me! I will be anxiously awaiting my goodies from you. And with any luck I can figure out how to post pictures on my blog so everybody can see them! I follow the directions to post pictures, but it never works for some reason. THANK YOU! :)

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  3. Congrats to Ottermom. You will get a really cool pkg., cuz Shara is just cool that way.

    That McGruff dog makes me laugh. One of our p.e. programs run by two crazy coaches has one they use occasionally for health lessons. One day they got terribly bored and decided to "add on" to McGruff under that crime coat. It was ONLY for adult eyes, no children were privy to his "addition".

    I instantly fell in love with the little carrot and african boy. Reminds me of Little Black Sambo.

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  4. You could strip the lid or cover it with fabric or oilcloth or something.

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  5. Shara, my goodie box arrived today (Saturday 7/21). It's wonderful and I am very touched that you thought of me. I will get pictures posted tomorrow on YSQ and with any luck also on my blog. DD has already asked me if she could have the stuffed otter mom & baby, I told her we could share them. The Texas platter will be up on my Texas Shrine wall asap and the rest of the goodies were wonderful. Thank you so much!

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