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 12, 2013

Vintage Christmas Finds

Thanks for feeling my pain about losing that money yesterday.  I was pretty upset about it, but then I realized that it was much better to lose cash than a debit or credit card or my keys since I was alone or my phone.  So, at least what is done is done and there are no headaches attached to it.  

Here's the junk that I bought yesterday along with a few things I picked up today.  Photos are crummy - based on my bad mood yesterday and the lousy weather outside.  Sorry about that.  

An old Ribbon Candy tin and a tin that looks like an old drum.  I love the old Ribbon Candy tin.  

At Goodwill, they had all of these sandwich bags full of beads.  I bet there were thirty bags of those beads.  But, since I have the patience of Job when it comes to looking for vintage Christmas, I looked in every one of those bags in hopes that I might find some Mercury Glass Garland.  As you can see I found one.  I was really happy to have found one glass garland in that sea of Hobby Lobby beads and Mardi Gras beads.  
I bought on bag of ornaments that produced these four Jewelbrite ornaments.
And all these sweet satin balls with the gold rickrack trims.  I think  they would look sweet on a wreath.  

This little Matryoshka doll doesn't open, it's just an ornament.  But, since I collect the nesting dolls, I liked it.  It looks sweet on the tree.    

This silly Santa reminded me of a bad Annalee doll so I grabbed it.  He will go to the booth or on a wreath.  

This German Smoker was only 50¢.  It looks like Santa except for the fact that it has no beard and is kind of feminine.  Ideas?

I found this old stocking at the Salvation army today for $1.00.  When I was in line, I noticed the lady behind me in line had a couple old stocking in her cart.  They were the great old red ones with the all white graphics on them.  I about threw up when I saw that she had them and I didn't.  (Jealous, much?)  I asked her if they had names on them (because I prefer the ones with fun old fashioned names on them) and she said they didn't that's whey she bought them.  But, when she held them up for me to see, I noticed a name written in pen on the back of one and I said, "That one has a name on it, Deborah."  She looked at me in the strangest way, then turned it over and looked at it.  Then she hit herself in the chest and said, "I'M DEBORAH!" It was at that moment that I was happy that she found it.  "It was meant to be", I told her.  She was still chuckling when I left.  

 Angel Blowmold - I call her a blowmold, but she is really a very hard plastic.  
And another Angel Blowmold.  Both were $1.99 each.  

 
A package of vintage Thanksgiving napkins.  I swear I remember having that napkin at an Elementary School party when I was a kid.  

  I am so completely focused on vintage Christmas right now, I can barely see other things when I am thrifting.  But, I did have the brains to spot this lovely vase.  It was really filthy when I bought it, but I could tell it was old and in really nice condition.  The Stocking lady - Deborah  - loved it too.  She said, "That's ooooooold."  
My favorite part is the sticker on the bottom.  I avoid Dollar Store stuff at all costs - but this is OLD Dollar Store  - like 1940's Dollar Store.  Which is amazing because most people were shopping at the Five and Dime back then.  Oh, how I would love to go back in my time machine and shop at the 5 and 10 or the Dollar Store.  

You want to go with me?  What would you buy?  I'd buy Christmas, toys and candy, candy, candy.  :)

7 comments:

  1. I'd buy comic books and toys and stuff with great graphics on the packaging!

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  2. I have left thrift stores before because I was so upset about what someone else beat me to. We are sick, aren't we? Glad you found some great stuff. Those Jewelbrite ornaments are a pretty good score. I've only seen them a couple of times and they were way too spendy for my blood.

    I would buy every single piece of vintage kitchen in pink and turquoise I could find. Lets build a time machine!

    ~Erica

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  3. Love the old candy tins! I would be looking for Christmas stuff with you! :)

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  4. You got some great scores. I especially love that cardinal vase and never even knew Dollar Store had been around that long! We used to have an 88 cent store in the neighborhood and I loved that place.

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  5. I am so glad you visited my old Santa Mug post. You are absolutely right...we do collect a lot of the same things! By the way...the post about the naked Santas is hilarious! I just became a follower...I know I am going to really enjoy your blog. =D

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  6. Your German Santa smoker does have a beard. It is the flat white shape below the head/chin (seems a little too low) but you are right, it still does look feminine.

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  7. WOW, you are truly a treasure hunter! So many good finds. I love the ribbon candy tin and the tropical bird vase! I'm excited to find your site. Very inspirational for my vintage novel The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress. I have to comment on the pic your grandparents. I LOVE his hat. It looks like a Fez? My son is obsessed with Fezzes and hats. This made my morning. Happy Christmas to you :)

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