Do you remember the sock monkeys from the 2011 Junk Bonanza?
Deb Haupt of Haupt Antiek populated her booth with dozens and dozens of the these merry little marsupials! From humble beginnings as working class socks, these monkeys were eventually imbued with lots of personality (not to mention really rockin’ accessories!)
Where did some of those monkey end up?
“Four went to Japan with a Japanese buyer,” Deb said. “She loved them. She was a character, she had on jean shorts with suspenders and striped socks and a shirt that said – I love Junk.”
Another had a pink scarf and a bald head and sported a note labeled ‘Chemo Survivor.’
“I wrote on that tag, ‘This monkey is free to someone who needs her’. A nurse from the Oncology Center of Iowa in Des Moines stopped in our booth and we asked her if she could take it and give it to someone,” Deb said. “She was thrilled. Her name is Kristi Van Leeuwen and maybe she has the rest of the story.”
That she did!
“That sock monkey sits in our chemotherapy room for all to enjoy,” wrote back Kristi. “It is an inspiration for those who have battled cancer, completed chemotherapy and achieved a remission, but it is also loved by those suffering with no cure. I haven’t found one person to give this treasure to because it is so well-loved by all!”
Whither the other monkeys? Some went to kids shopping with their parents, Deb said, and others to people who remembered them as childhood companions.
Junk Bonanza is all about good junk, good times and good memories!
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for Sept. 13-15, 2012!
Kim
love to hear where things end up! what a great post
I love these and I see them everywhere. Ty (the beanie baby folks) even have one out now.
Love the stories.
Margo
I bought one, a little ponchie guy with white button eyes. His cap is the top of the sock and he was the smallest one! He snuggles in a wall box with one other I had purchased. Always wanted one as a child, now I do…keepin my little girl heart.
What a sweet story! Love sock monkeys!!! Ki