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.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Back In The Saddle. The Thrifting Saddle.

Life has gotten a little too heavy on my brain lately. Bills, duties, more snow, frigid temperatures, vehicle repairs, yadda yadda. I needed a ME day. Not a spa day or a mall day or a pamper me day, because that is not me. I needed a thrifting day!

Yesterday, I dropped the boys off to see "Avatar" and I set out to visit every thrift store I could find. I managed to go to three thrifts, a flea market and make another trip back to Target while they were at the movies. Even though I was needing some time to myself, four hours seemed like an eternity to fill. I still ended up sitting in the parking lot for thirty minutes waiting for them, but that did give me time to play with my new "slider" cell phone and download my first "App." Man, I feel so hip! Except that I still use the word "hip"!


Here's the thrifty rundown:


First stop - The Attic Thrift Store. One of my favorites due to the nice ladies that work here and treat me like family.


Great old candy tin chock full of old button cards for $2.50.


A sweet spring-y vintage tablecloth with roses and butterflies for $1.00. A much needed hint of Spring on a 15 degree day.


On to the Peace At Home Thrift - a thrift I used to avoid, but is now under new management with low prices. Yes!

A set of 8 Seasons of Midwest Cannon Falls Bunny and Chick ornaments for $2.00.


I love this stuff, but i would never pay retail for it. So, finding it at the thrift was a definite thrift-Score!

Thrift Store #3 netted only a "Where's Waldo" book and a 4-H rubber stamp, neither worth photographing, yet worth purchasing at only 50¢ each.

With time still left to blow, I decided to stop at a new Flea Market in town. I was curious as to what sort of a Flea market it is because I am wanting to get a Booth. It turned out to be a very nice place with a good selection of items both old and new, so I put my name on a waiting list. Hopefully, I will get a call one of these days.

My very first find was in Booth W-4. When I spotted it, my eyes glazed over, not believing what I had just found. But! It wasn't priced. Oh, crap. I took it to the register and said it wasn't priced. I know you can't buy non-priced things, and I was sick to think it wouldn't be mine. I HAD TO HAVE IT. They said that the booth owner had just left so they would give her a quick call for a price. Luckily, they managed to get her on the phone and she quoted a lovely price of $2.00 for my much loved item.

Oh, did you want to know what it was? Sorry!

Here it is - a pink vintage Shiny Brite. What? Big deal! Why did I nearly croak when I spotted a pink Shiny Brite? (Besides the obvious...Vintage......Pink....Shiny...Brite...)

Because it is HUGE! The one on the right is a regular Shiny Brite - about 8" around. The one on the left that I bought yesterday is 18" around. I have never seen such a huge Shiny Brite! It is marked SHINY BRITE USA on the top. I would have bought it no matter what color it was, but finding a PINK one was simply dee-vine.

More pink - this old Almond Roca tin was $2.00. More than I normally pay for a tin, but it was a really sweetie. "Confectioners to the Elect" Ooo-la-la. It even has the key opener attached to the bottom.

I found this sweet little book reading gnome for $1.00. He matches the gnome planter I already had at home perfectly.
At one booth way in the back, I spotted a pile of linens and tablecloths. As I dove in I knew the prices might be high since it was a flea market and not a thrift store, so not to get too excited if I found a good one.
First, I found this fun one with clovers all over it. Perfect for March and St. Patrick' Day.
Then I found this fabulous pastel striped tablecloth. I held my breath as I checked the prices. I read the tags and they said, "OLD SHEET $2.00". An old sheet???? I think NOT! Two pristine vintage tablecloths for $2.00 each - OH YEA! *Note to self: Check Booth B-5 for "Old Sheets" more often!

It felt good to be out like a grown up, hitting the thrifts and finding a few good deals. But, it felt even better to get my boys and come back to my snug house before the negative temperatures hit again. When it ever warms up again, I plan on going out again for another thrifty adventure.

10 comments:

  1. I love reading about your thrift store finds! The buttons and huge shiny brite were definite scores. I have a great thrift store not too far from me where I've been doing really great at getting vintage pyrex.

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  2. Nice to have a "me" day that is eventful. You scored on the big shiny bright - I always get those big jumbo size ones whenever I find them (and i only have about 4 - they are few and far between!)

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  3. Oh you lucky lady!! We do not have any good thrift stores around, but plenty of antiques stores. You can usually find some good deals, but table cloths for 2 dollars!! WOW!

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  4. Isn't it amazing how some 'old sheets' can really brighten a day?!! Glad you had such a Great day, and thanks for taking us along 8-) !!

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  5. the clovers are awesome. I sometimes use bridge tablecloths in March, b/c they have clovers on them.

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  6. That is my type of me day. Right now the thrift stores are kind of sparse. I'm hoping that the cold weather will keep people indoors and cleaning house, to find all kinds of good stuff to bring to Goodwill, so that I can buy it. Stay warm.

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  7. Love the large Pink shiny brite ornament!!!! Happiness! The tin with all the buttons....oh I want that!!! I have to find some new thrift stores....I frequent my shops and I get some deals but they are 'chain' thrifts and I need some independent church run thrifts for really good deals. Yep when it warms up I will go hunting some new stores. Oh yea, and old sheets??? Score!

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  8. Good finds! Glad you got to get out in this minus degree weather. I had a 6.5" tall Shiney Brite PINK Bell but had to sell it on ebay for some moola way back when...wish I still had it.
    rosie

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  9. How AWESOME to have some ME time and then find AWESOME treasures!!!
    LOVE the buttons on the cards..yep!!! that's my favorite.
    You did great!!!
    Hubby and I went to an estate sale this AM...almost nothing to post about...
    Love the photo of the berries in the snow!
    I'm trying to not visit the thrift stores so much as I have SO MUCH!!! LOL...however I NEED things for resell!!!
    Happy weekend!
    Deb :)

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  10. How funny I nearly bought that almond roca tin but talked myself out of it (I have way too many tins!).

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