Friday, December 26, 2014

Boxing Day at Axman Surplus

As my Pals across the Pond know well, December 26th is Boxing Day.  Like all the best holidays it is of murky origins.  One theory is that it hearkens back to alms boxes in early Medieval churches, where money was collected for the less fortunate.  Another, more British version is that the day after Christmas was the time for servants to go home and be with their own families.  Traditionally they would be sent on their way with boxes containing food and perhaps gifts from their employers.  In the modern era of course it is simply another excuse for binge shopping.

But in all three manifestations, there are boxes.

Recently I saw some nice ones when I visited Axman Surplus.  I doubt they actually stock all the sizes and shapes depicted here; sometimes I figure the staff is just having a bit of fun...


Both the Monkey and the Gnomes seem a bit put off by being on display next to the Shallow Open Grave Box.


My goodness.  Can you in the single photo above find references to 2001 A Space Odyssey, Das Boot and the Roman Poet Juvenal?  And there are several that I don't understand at all.


A good sized container, I think lots more than one tick would fit in there.  Note the "toaster box" to the left.


Homage to the musical group Rush.  They look a lot older now.


If you did not grow up on a high sucrose diet you might not catch the quote.  It was actually from Lucky Charms which boldly stated "They're Magically Delicious".  This was spoken by a presumably Irish leprechaun.  Maybe this hooded figure is IRA.  It would explain the bomb part.


I leave you with wishes for a most Happy Boxing Day from Gwen Stuffinme, Long Cat, The Eye of Gozer and the Very Hungry Caterpillar who has just chewed a hole in both the Axman mascot and in Jesus.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this post, but it has left me more confused than enlightened. Is this a real shop? Does it random boxes?

Anonymous said...

... I should have said, does it SELL random boxes, ?

Tacitus said...

It is actually a chain of three stores in Minneapolis/St. Paul. They sell boxes and most anything else you can imagine. Their staff are very creative in their merchandising skills...

T