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, December 16, 2010

Thursday's Thrifty Finds

I was whining the other day about not finding much in the Vintage Christmas Department this year.  I have found a few items since that post.  But, I still want to find one box of indented ornies or a handful of spun head elves.  (Of course, I always want to find things like that).

Last year I picked up an Angel Chime at a thrift after The Bean looked at it and asked how it worked.
I had never really known what they were, so I bought it and we put it together when we got home.  If you've never seen one in action...the heat of the candles makes the little fan blade go around which makes the angels chime.  I have to say, I am quite smitten with these little chimes now.  I've picked up two sets since and a few boxes of vintage replacement candles.  Even though I do like these metal ones, I have been wishing and hoping to find a wooden one from Germany.
 And, what did I find at the Super Cheap Thrift today for one dollar???????  It's not German, but it is darned cute and it will do.
The little figures are so sweet - even the pantless elf!  This one does not chime, but the fan does go around and the figures spin.  I just adore it and am so happy to have found it.  Especially for one dollar.  :D  Now, to find a three tiered one!
I got these little girls at a different thrift yesterday.  I do think they are cute, but they aren't really my style.  I will sell them somewhere - Etsy, ebay, the booth.....I don't really know.  (I need to talk about the Booth someday.  It's ho hum, and not doing great.  Not bad, just not great.  I don't want to close it, I want to keep it.  I certainly don't want to drag all that crap home again.  But, the amount of work it takes isn't quite matching up to the amount of money I am making lately.  We'll see what happens after New Years.)
And, at a sort of permanent yard sale up the street, this ginormous assortment of chalkware, plaster, pressed paper and plastic nativity figures and animals.  I like the old chalk sheep.  I may have to keep those.  I have two or three of every member of the Nativity.  Except one.

I only found one baby Jesus.  One baby Jesus with wickedly wild eyebrows.

Time is ticking on the thrifts having vintage Christmas stuff on display.  Maybe there is still time to score some treasures.  Good luck to you!  (and to me!)

3 comments:

  1. We had those great little German sets growing up. We had both the wooden ones and the metal ones that chimed..I loved them! Also, that assortment of nativity members...just went through a box with I think the same number of pieces at my mothers the other day! Awesome find!! And...only one baby Jesus in there too...funny.

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  2. Shara you found some really great deals. I love the $1 wooden candle chime. Love the little Christmas girls also. Come join me for Junkin Finds Friday! The link in open! hugs, Linda

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  3. The wooden German candle set we had when I was growing up is one of the things I've been hoping to find in Mom's things, but no such luck. Bummer. They are cool.

    That pic of nativity figs nearly made me choke! Awesome!

    Don't give up on your booth. It takes at least a year to get all the bugs worked out. Also, this time of year a lot of folks aren't looking to buy second-hand stuff b/c they don't give used items as gifts.

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