I have an an interest in a business called Mr. Ice Bucket. Not an interest like I’m an investor – just a fascination with them. It’s ” … the oldest continuously managed Ice Bucket manufacturing facility in the world!” They manufacture ice buckets (among other things) for retail sale, corporate gifts and wholesale to the hotel and hospitality industry.
The current crop of ice buckets are pretty good. And why wouldn’t they be? They’re made by local ice bucket artisans. In New Brunswick NJ. Right off of Rt 1. But I see that they change their line frequently to keep up with design trends and probably to create desire in ice bucket consumers for continuing ice bucket acquisition. In fact, the one I just bought as a Christmas gift doesn’t seem to be in production any longer.
So that got me to thinking that since this company has been making trendy ice buckets since 1965, there must be some vintage psychedelic or pop-art ones still floating around. And sure enough, eBay does not disappoint. I didn’t find any 60s buckets but how about this late 80s-early 90s fad of tropical flora and dressed-up monkeys?
I mean look at this thing. Once you have gotten your fill of the dressed up monkey and start admiring how the little frosty stand-up circle knob matches the frosty handle, well … I mean.This is really a thing of beauty. And that is stated non-ironically in case that wasn’t clear.
It is a wonder to me that it has lasted this long on eBay. I can’t buy this because I already have 2 ice buckets maybe 3 and I’m supposed to be getting rid of stuff in anticipation of a move to a smaller house in a warmer retirement location next year and its not going as well as a certain spouse thinks it is, but if I was already in Florida I would have owned this so fast the turban would have flown right off that monkey’s head. And I’m not saying you should buy it either. I’m just saying that a thing like this deserves to be looked at and admired and considered. You should at least go and see it. Only 15 hours left.
Cripes Suzette 
I had dressed up monkey curtains in my house in Fl…They were by the kitchen table, and I started to feel as if they were watching me eat..Switched to a soothing stripe. Then switched to….whatever…one single long window is something even I can make a curtain for, so that window has had many changes of wardrobe..I collect fabric the way others collect ice buckets..or any one of a million more things we don’t need.
My Dear Sweet Wife fell in love with that very pattern after seeing it in a condo we rented in Florida. (That place was *crawling* with monkeys in the decor – motif, I think it’s called.) So much so that she searched and searched, and searched some more until we found it on a shower curtain which graced the girls’ bathroom for some years. It now lives in a box of stuff that’s being seriously considered as a charitable donation.
I showed her the ice bucket. She immediately went to her computer. for $10, I bet that comes to live at my house as a pool accessory and may result in the shower curtain being rescued from charity.
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