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, July 20, 2014

The Week in Junk - Family Edition

So, you worried about me after that last post, eh?  I am fine - hell has not frozen over, I am still alive, it is not the end of the world and sadly, I did not win the lottery.  The truth is - I just wasn't feeling it the weekend.  Does that make sense?  Friday I did stop at one sale.  I got out of the car and walked about five steps and for some reason, I just turned around and got in the car and left.  There was just a vibe there that didn't' feel good to me.  Not just the junk, but the whole place.  I don't know why - I have been to some downright scary places all by myself way up on top of hillbilly mountain.  This was in town at a house with a family.  But, I just didn't think it felt like a hospitable place.  So, I left.  And I didn't go to anymore.  Part of the reason that I didn't do any others is that I seem to have hurt my MCL in my knee and I have a lot of trouble getting in and out of the car and walking.  All three of those things are kind of important!

Lest you think I have been without junk all week - well you are WRONG.

*Surprise!*

Wednesday we drove to the next big town over.  I dropped the boys off at the $3.00 Matinee to see Spiderman #346.  Okay, maybe it is just Spiderman 2.  Who cares, right?  The point is that I had THREE hours to go thrifting all by myself!  The bad news is that I had a strict $20.00 budget.  No, I can do a lot of damage at a yard sale with $20.00.  But, thrifts cost more.  So, I had to only get the GOOD STUFF.  I ended up buying everything that intrigued me and I only went $1.00 over my budget (But that's because I got hungry and had to grab a bag of Doritos...).

On the way to the thrifts I spotted a Wednesday yard sale which is just weird.  But the temperatures are awesome right now and the lady decided to just go with it.  I bought several things.  Almost all of which I have failed to photograph - what's the fun in that?  Sorry.

I did get this full box of vintage spun cotton doves.  They are on ebay right now.

 First thrift store netted a pile of books since ALL books were 5/$1.00 that day instead of their usual $2.00-$5.00 Each.  I bought then that looked interesting.  Three were Reader's Digest books that I gutted (ouch), one is a cookbook for The Bean and one is on ebay right now.  The rest already went to Goodwill.

Second thrift is my favorite LOL (Little Old lady) thrift.  In the back, I found a Rubbermaid tub with huge backs of fabric scraps.  I dug in there and found a gallon Ziploc bag crammed FULL of vintage feedsack scraps - the cute ones with kids and animals on them - for TWENTY FIVE CENTS!  I bought a 50¢ bag that had a handful of vintage mixed in with polyester and an HUGE bag cull of all polyester with one full feedsack inside it for $1.50.  When I checked out, the (LOL) lady told me that quilt scraps were half price, so I paid, $1.25 for it all.  She said, "I just don't know how to ring up half of 25¢": so I told her full price was fine.  She clutched her heart like I was the nicest person ever for giving her that extra 12.5¢.  I kept the good stuff and released the polyester back to Goodwill.

Third stop  - NOTHING.

Last stop was Goodwill across the street from the movies.  When I walked in, I heard laughter and immediately knew it was Amy Duggar.  I've never been to that particular thrift without seeing a Duggar or nine.  This was my first Amy sighting though.  

I bought this Ouija board.  The Bean said, "Get it out of here" as soon as he saw it and most of the people on Instagram agreed.  So, it is on ebay too.  

My find of the day was this:
Shawnee planter/candy dish with an adorable bluebird on it.  
*Swoon!  
It was only $3.00 - SUCH a deal!  
(That looks like a chip in the photo - but it's not, I promise!)

Friday after I worked in my booth, I looked at the new booth right beside mine.  For some unknown reason to me, they have priced almost everything in their booth 50¢.  It is going to take a lot of sales to make their $52.00 rent!  Yowza!  I bought a few things even though I can't resell them in my own booth (it's not really a rule, but it's frowned upon).  
Sweet little JAPAN pincushion girl.

Two JAPAN doggie ashtrays.
Sweet, sweet, sweet JAPAN doggie ashtray.  
It's so darn cute I just might start smoking!  

Saturday I had family to meet for lunch, so I skipped junking all together.  
But, when I saw my Aunt, she handed me a huge box chock full of vintage Christmas ornaments!  Shiny Brites, a spun head, a vintage ornament hanger box, German glitter boots and a lot of other great stuff.  Isn't that a great kind of family to have - the ones that "get" your junking????
Thanks Aunt Dorothy!

**Booth News:  I had a message today that one couple came in looking for vintage items for their apartment and they bought $98.00 worth of things from MY booth!  They money is great - but I get stoked when people like the things I sell!  Old framed advertisements, vintage flash cares, old school posters, etc.  That stuff makes me happy and I love it when someone loves it too.  Plus, $98.00!  Woot!






9 comments:

  1. Congrats on the big., big sale. I wish I could have one big sale that would cover my rent in one fell swoop like that. Good finds as always and super-great to visit with family!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congrats on the big sale!!! I've been loving all the sneak peeks on Instagram.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good weekend except from creepy house on Friday. (smart to turn around if you aren't feeling it) Sounds like you made the most of the three hours of movie time!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, I'd say you made up for taking the weekend off! Congrats on the sale. I understand just what you mean about people 'validating" the things we love.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Whoo Hoo on the sale! Love that little planter with the blue bird....great find!!
    hugs,
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  6. You totally have to trust your gut when you feel like someplace is just off. We looked at a house to buy once and I had this giant urge to run out of it. I couldn't breath and I just felt like something really bad had happened there. The energy was horrible. Needless to say, we didn't buy the house and it sat on the market for years until the owner finally just demolished it and sold the lot. I'll bet I wasn't the only one who had this experience!

    I will have to let Maddie know about your Duggar sighting. She loves them!

    Erica

    ReplyDelete
  7. SILLY BEAN!! I can't believe HE is that stressed about a Ouija board! I guess he hasn't come to the realization that all of the 'stuff / junk' we bring home has a bit of the soul of the previous owner ;-). You need to hook him up with the free app GHOST RADAR - that will really send him over the edge!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I walk away from plenty of sales that give the "creep" factor. Then again I venture into some and think to myself "what the hell am I doing here"?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! Of course our family had to get a Ouija board when they first came out and we had so much fun with it. Scary! Eerie! I don't go to many yard or garage sales since so many have piles of baby clothes, and when I do venture to one there are always "those" people who are rude and shove and don't want to start my day mad after encountering them. Love it when I find out I had a big sale at my booth, although it hasn't been happening much lately but everyone is getting ready for back-to-school (they start REALLY early here).

    ReplyDelete

I love my comments. I'd love to respond to everyone, but if you don't have an email address tied to your ID, please sign your name so I will know who you are! It makes it nice to know who is saying what. Now, leave a comment! Please? ;o)

I Can See You!



Look at my Visitors!

Fellow Junk Followers