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, June 05, 2014

My Review of the X-Men Movie

It was FANTASTIC!  Mostly, because I DIDN'T GO SEE IT!  I dropped off the boys off at the theater and then I hit a slew of thrift and junk stores ALL BY MYSELF.  Well, that isn't really true - I met my Dad and he went with me.    (The boys raved about the movie, so a good time was had by all!).

We went to two thrifts and a junk shop, then I hit one more thrift on the way back to pick up the X-Men dudes.  The Goodwill we went to had rearranged the entire store since the last time I was there so my thrifting map was throw way off course.  Also, it was really dark in the back where they had all the junk like I look at so I had trouble seeing what on earth was on the shelves.  Luckily it isn't a Goodwill I frequent (due to the distance and the terrible parking) or I would be one UNhappy camper!  

The first thrift store netted me:

A complete Tripoley game for $1.00 - it will go the Barn Sale /booth.

A baggie of twelve hand-turned handmade wooden eggs.  I see wooden fruit all.the.time, but I never buy that stuff.  But, these eggs intrigued me.  You can see the layers of wood that someone put together to make these.  


I think they would look in an old dough bowl or an antique egg basket.  To the barn sale they will go - HEY! I even have some vintage egg cartons to put them in.  Yea!  I also bought an old ice cream scoop and a tiny curtain tension rod - neither of which were photo worthy.

Nest we went to a junk shop that said it was a "Flea Market" but it was just junk upon junk in there packed - I tell you, packed.  My Dad said it had only been there a couple of months so I don't know how they had SO much in there.  Now, my Dad is a fast looker - one quick trip and he is ready to go.  So, I have to shop quickly and efficiently which isn't my usual look at everything TWICE procedure.  


The first thing that I spotted was this adorable vase.  I kind of held my breath as I looked for the price, because it wasn't a thrift store, so I didn't know what to expect.  I was happy to see a $3.00 tag on the bottom.  I would have bee thrilled to find it at Goodwill for $3.00, so it was a good price.  It's just the cutest thing ever.  

As I was walking through the kids area, I spotted a bin of stuffed animals.  I always root through the toys because you might find an oldie in there.  So, I reached into the bottom and pulled out......

This!  A Rushton lion! I looked for a price on him or on the toy bin, but there wasn't anything anywhere.  That's when the owner walked by and I asked how much he cost.  Well, she stopped and she looked at me and she thought and she was quiet and then, as she looked at me over the top of her glasses, she said, "Oh, that one?  Well, that one is ten dollars."  He was well worth ten dollars, but I know that she saw the glint in my eye and the way I was clutching him and that I had NO CHILDREN with me so she threw out a big price.  I could tell she didn't really know what he was or she would have said $45.00 or more.  I'm trying to stay neutral about him so I can sell him.  I MUST STAY STRONG. 

Next up was the Goodwill.  

I found two of these vintage Western Wear enamel cups.  They will go on ebay.

And this little handmade hutch.  It stands about ten inches tall and is really well made.  I think it would be adorable painted white or a nice chalk paint, but I DON'T DO THAT.  So, I will sell it and let someone else have some fun with it.  

A quick trip to Aldi with my Dad and I was on my way alone again.  I stopped by the local BIG GIANT Church Thrift Store that has been SO outrageous in their pricing lately - $25.00 for a wooden pallet.  A plain, you can get them behind the grocery store FOR FREE wooden pallet.  They get a ton of brand new donations from Wal-Mart headquarters so they concentrate on selling the new fancy high dollar stuff.  I hate that part of the thrift, but they often will sell good old junk cheap because of that.  So, I still pop in if I an close.  This time, the store was really really bare and there were only three cars in the lot.  I think they have run themselves out of business with their crazy prices.

I found a few things that made it worth the stop though.
I love this old worn tin of metal Canape cutters.  These are the oldest and the tiniest I have ever seen.  The tin is only about five inches across and each cutter is about the size of the end of my thumb.  They are just too cute.  

I bought a giant bag of cookie cutters, most of which will go to Goodwill again, but these were worth it  I sell these for $2.00 each at the Barn Sale in my booth and they sell consistently.  So, $3.50 for all was a good deal for me.

Have you ever seen one of these jars?  It is an Ocean Spray Cranberry Mold.  You open the jar and the thing 'spluts' out on a plate in mold form.  Neato!  I think the jar is cool enough on it's own.  

Lastly, I spotted a Fisher Price Jalopy on the shelf so I went to grab it only to see the $10.00 price tag.   So much for selling good old stuff for cheap.  Ouch!  Next to it, I spotted this great old bag of wooden blocks.  

I held my breath, but there wasn't a price on it.  I decided to take it to the register just to see what would happen - most thrifts won't sell it without a price on it.  But, the girl told me they were $1.00.  I love the patina on old wooden blocks.  But these must not have been played with much because they are still nice and bright.  They will go to the Barn Sale or the booth.  Unless I think of a use for them........always the crafty one.....:)

I'm still making and pricing and sorting and gathering for the Barn Sale.  

EIGHT MORE DAYS Ya'll!

12 comments:

  1. good haul as usual! I love the little hutch so cute.
    Cathy

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  2. Holy cow, girl, you found some good stuff! Thanks for that excellent insightful review of the X-Men Movie, BTW. I have a feeling that is the only way I would love it also.

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  3. Looks like you picked up some great stuff for the barn sale.
    Sheryl

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  4. Ya, I'd have to do X-men your way, too! Nice finds as usual- love that lion! Don't know if I could sell it. We're off tomorrow on our vacation but I will be thinking of you at the sale and looking forward to reading about it sometime LOL !!

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  5. Love the wooden eggs, the blocks and those adorable little canape cutters!! Good finds and much better then XMen any day in my book!

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  6. You've found so many good things lately! Wow! But the Rushton Lion rocks! Right before Easter I found a Rushton yellow duck doll. I paid $20 for it at an antique store and then I put it on EBay. It sold for just under $300.00! I couldn't believe it!
    Boy, those wooden blocks bring back good memories!
    Hope you have a great weekend!
    Erica :)

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  7. Love the little hutch and the Rushton. I've never seen a lion before. Nice find.

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  8. I always enjoy thrift reviews more than movie reviews any how. This one was no different. Bet you don't part with the Rushton!

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  9. I have one of those cranberry molds, too! I don't think they are very old but what a neat idea they are. Sounds like you had a fun day!

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  10. I'm probably going to pop in on a matinee of the X-men this week or next. The story it's based on is a classic from my teens. I haven't been much for the X-men for years and haven't cared for the movies at all, but this one I want to see. I've never found a complete Tripoley set. It's always just the mat in the box. I have found those canape cutters before and they are too cute. The day you posted this, I went to a thrift and bought a big bag of cookie cutters too!

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  11. I have that exact set of canapé cutters from a garage sale. Not only are they cute but I actually use them all the time: cutting shapes from pie crust dough to put on top of a pie, from fondant or flattened starbursts to decorate a cake, from sliced cheese... so awesome! I live in cranberry land here in Massachusetts and I've never seen one of those jar molds before but it's such a good idea.
    --sarabeth

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  12. How did I get so behind on your blog?? Great finds, all of them. I adore that little dollhouse furniture. Those canape cutters would be perfect for cutting kids' food into fun shapes, to entice them to eat vegetables!

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