Flowers in California

Flowers in California

Monday, February 24, 2014

Inside the Coupon Box

I have a wooden box that I bought at a craft sale. Sloped on top, it could function like the top of a lectern if placed on the kitchen island. Should I find a need to start offering speeches in my home that require notes, I will use it in this way. I have stored recipes in it but they didn't stay well-organized. Now I use it for coupon and coupon-like items. They don't stay well-organized either but I like having a place to toss them.

Yesterday I had reason to look in the box for something. I found what I wanted and I also found a number of other items. I have little need for some of them and, unless otherwise indicated, the following items are available to anyone who wants them (free or best offer should there be a high demand). The offerings include:

1.  Winning Safeway Contest Card, Expired September 27, 2012

I enjoyed the sweet moment of discovering I had a winning card in a Safeway contest but never felt excited enough to take the card with me to Safeway to claim my prize of a Nestle Chocolate Bar (Assorted Varieties!). If that's a part of the experience that you want to have, and you think you'd enjoy arguing with a bewildered employee about the long-in-the-past expiration date, I'd be pleased to pass the card on to you. Whether you end up eating a sweet chocolate treat or being whisked away by security guards and/or police forces, it's impossible to know where this winning card will lead you. Surely adventure awaits!

2.  Toys R US Gift Card, Unknown Amount
   
I have never remembered to bring this card with me to the store when in a mad rush to buy birthday or Christmas presents for my nieces and nephew. I have preserved the card carefully for many years but do not know its amount or whether it has an expiry date. It's sitting here and ready for a fun shopping adventure and/or a big scene at the cash desk if it turns out to be of no value. Enjoy either way!

3.  Canadian Tire Money, Small collection (and suitable for display purposes)

We collect but do not use Canadian Tire money. My husband curates a larger and more historically significant exhibit of it.  I maintain a small collection. In trying to decide whether the collection is or isn't something "to sneeze at" (a curious idiom which might merit further study), I realized the money could used, perhaps, to buy a purse/pocket package of tissues. No one's ever been sorry to have a tissue handy. Avail yourself of that sometimes urgently needed relief with Canadian Tire money today. ( Note - Please don't use Canadian Tire money when you don't have a tissue. No one wants to collect it then.)

4.  Passport Holders, Like New Because They Kind Of Are

When my son and I had passport pictures taken a few years ago, we were given complimentary passport holders. While they would provide some much-needed protection for the passports in the unpredictable environment that is my purse when travelling, we've never used them and probably won't use them in the future. But I've stored them safely and they've come to be an important part of the wooden box family. They are very welcome to stay in it (and are thus unavailable, I'm sorry).

5.  Coupons for Dare Foods Products, No Visible Expiry Date!

I sent a letter to thank Dare Foods for their many peanut-free products about 6 years ago. The company sent me coupons in response. This made me love it even more. (I also wrote a letter to Kraft complaining about their dangerous labeling of peanuts in a food. They sent me a box of food products but that didn't make me come any closer to loving that company. It was really a change in their labels that I wanted and that didn't happen for years.) Apparently I also love paying full price for Dare products as I have never used the coupons. There are no expiry dates shown so they may still be useful. And the cookies and other products are yummy. Buy some soon, perhaps at a reduced price!

6.  Piece of Cardboard from the Calgary Tower

It's not that this piece of cardboard was once a component of the Calgary Tower. Cardboard is a poor building material. But this piece once held a Calgary Tower Gift/Membership Card. Still listed are the terms and conditions of that card although they are oddly illegible now due to an unfortunate adhesive problem. A picture will help to explain:

Joanne Hawthorne Dippel's photo.



Use your creativity to find a use for this treasure. I dare you! And have fun.

7.  A Menu for Coco Brooks Pizza, Very Portable, Easy to Ship (Although if you live outside Calgary, you would likely have little use for this item)

I don't know the age of this menu and cannot attest to its accuracy. When we order pizzas from Coco Brooks, I check online. If a paper menu of unknown vintage is your instrument of choice, I have one available. Perhaps it could be a keepsake to remind you of when they did have that one special pizza you loved. Perhaps it could be something you'd always treasure. Perhaps you'd just like to add it to your pizza menu collection.

8.  Community Membership Card

The membership information on this card is vague. It "Expires Aug. 31 (Annually)" but there is no indication of any year for which it is valid. I will keep it as my name and address are written across it. Is it something I should be carrying with me at all times? Maybe it's like a dog licence and I should wear it when out in public.  I might start doing that. It's so humiliating to removed forcibly from the community (or so I would imagine).

9. Two Keys

The 2 keys I found are not for any locks in or around our house. Given enough time, somebody could find out what they open. Do you feel ready for a (big) challenge?

If you want to enrich your life by acquiring any of the items that are available, please let me know. I will return everything to the wooden box and await your inquiries.

JAHD