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 11, 2010

Fabulous Fun Find!

Saturday morning I hit the same sale from Friday.  They were still pulling stuff out on Friday afternoon and talking about how much they still had to get out, so I figured it was worth another stop.  And, it was! 

When I walked up, the first thing I noticed was this table:
A 1940's enamel topped table with pull out leaves.  I've seen a few red trimmed tables, but never a blue table.  I have a red table top that I use for a magnet board and I have always wanted an entire table.

The sign on the table said, "OLD Metal Top Table is FOR SALE."  But, there wasn't a price.  That can't be good, I thought.

As I stepped up to it, I commented on the neat old table.  One of the ladies having the sale heard me and started telling me, "That is very old.  It is metal.  It has leavesThose are hard to find."  You know the song and dance.  They knew what they had. 

I walked around the sale and picked up an old Mexican basket, a Roycroft candle holder and a glass bird.  When I went to pay for them, I decided on a whim, to see how much the table was.  Just for my amusement.
"So, how much is that old table?' I asked.

"The old metal topped table?"

"Yes"

"Let me ask my husband."

"HOW MUCH IS THAT TABLE?"
(Did I mention they were quite elderly?)

"Which one?"

"THE ONE THAT FOLDS UP."

Then I heard muttering and conversations and I couldn't hear what the husband had determined.  The wife walked back out to me and said, "He says he wants FIVE DOLLARS for that table."

I nearly gave myself a paper cut whipping out a Fiver.

When we went over to clear off the things that were piled on it, the lady pulled one of the leaves out to show me how it worked.  It in the process it pulled out cattywampus and was off kilter.  She hollered at her husband to come fix it.  He came out through the garage door and said, "Why are you working on that table?"  She said, "You just told me to sell it for $5.00!"  That's when he stopped in his tracks and pointed to a rusty chippy saggy old card table on the end of the driveway and said, "I meant that one."

I held my breath.  My lovely table.  It wasn't meant to be.  I knew it.

But, then he just shrugged and reached down and fixed the leaf.  He even helped schlep it to the car. 

I really thought he was going to ask for another $50.00!

It is in wonderful condition, clean enamel, clean trim.  I adore it.  I have it in the garage to be my "in progress" area for when I am working on a project or getting out my holiday decorations.  It's also adjacent to the freezer, so I can use it when I put up groceries.  I'd love to incorporate it into the house someday, but until then, at least I have it and I do have a use for it. 

$5.00!

I still can't believe it!
Check out all the other fun treasures everyone found this weekend!  Look at  Apron Thrift Girl too for even more Thrifty Finds!

21 comments:

  1. That table is so awesome. I am just a tad jealous. : ) Good find!

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  2. You lucky gal. Love the story as much as the table. Hope the paper cut is healing nicely. LOL
    Erin

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  3. Uh I am More then a tad jealous! I love that table!!! Wow!!!

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  4. Oh what luck! Im going to try and aquire another glider bench this week, and im sure the over priced antique dealer will want $200 for it im going to see if i can get it for under $50! Wish me luck!

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  5. How nice that he still let you have it...awesome table and a great story!

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  6. That table is the Bee's Knees! Blue trim?! Who knew?! The best five dollar story ever.
    xo
    Pam

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  7. Love it! It reminds me of my Grandma's table, except it has red trim. I'm hoping my Mom will pass it down to me one of these days!

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  8. I am more than a tad jealous, too! I swear it seems like every day on somebody's blog, they find one of these great old tables! It is exactly the type of table that I have DREAMED about finding some day! I hope there is one out there someplace for me.
    Yours is wonderful!!

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  9. Wow - amazing deal!!!

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  10. What a great story and a great old table!

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  11. Those are the kind of episodes that make me love love love yard sales! I'm so glad I've gotten over feeling guilty when I get incredible deals like you did. Hilarious!

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  12. Congrat's on the table! And all the other cool stuff you got there!

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  13. Wow! I would have grabbed it up, too. It's cool and I could find so many uses for it.
    I went to an estate sale yesterday and thought of you - they had nearly an entire room devoted to old spice cans, not the tins but the containers it came in. Really neat stuff.

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  14. Count me as more than a tad jealous too! I have always wanted a table like that( nowhere to put it but I want one anyway). Unfortunately the prices for these where I live have gone through the roof. You've inspired me to start hitting some sales!

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  15. It makes me really happy when sometimes nice people have all the luck! Way to go!

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  16. Anonymous11:12 AM

    Very Kewel! I don't think I've ever seen one that color.

    I have one just like it, but it's red trim. Mine was $15.00......so you beat me on the price;) I hope you can incorporate it into your home soon. I LOVE mine. I just bought some wooden chairs at a flea market to paint, and put new material on the seats.

    Reenie

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  17. Awesome DEAL!!! You did great!!

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  18. I simply can't believe that you got that table for $5.00. Unbelievable. I think it is just gorgeous. My childhood kitchen table was very similar.

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  19. Are you kidding me!!
    I am sooo green with envy!!
    WOW!

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  20. You are the luckiest yard saler ever! I LOVEEEEEE it!

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