We are nearing the end of our supply of vintage crates. When these listings are gone, we won't have more. If there's a crate you've been watching, please don't hesitate to order it!

We ship these (in protective cardboard boxes) via the least expensive method, using mainly USPS or UPS, and shipping costs depend on your location and the crate’s weight. Each has a different weight, due to the unpredictability of the wood used to build it. If you have specific questions about the shipping charges, please contact us before you order and we’ll be glad to give you a close estimate. You may also arrange to pick up the crates if you live within driving distance of Central Iowa.

Some of you have asked about how to clean these … we recommend that you NOT use excessive amounts of water on them. In many cases, water will cause the boards to curl on the edges. We’ve had success using a mist bottle filled with a fairly strong mixture of bleach and water, spraying on the mist and quickly blotting it to remove any excess. Others we’ve talked to have tried a foam cleaner that can be sprayed on the wood and has an alcohol base, rather than water. Most of our crates can be cleaned … and we’ve done our best to describe and show photos of those that have heavy soil/stains. Then when you’ve finished, a coat of varnish will seal them nicely and preserve the pretty wood grains!

These are definitely becoming a treasure of the past!

Item #	Description	Quantity	Price
Click for more detail... 6186	Armour Meats Crate We don't know what the product was that came in this neat little box, but it was used by ARMOUR AND COMPANY, GENERAL OFFICES CHICAGO, ILLINOIS and that name is stamped on the crate. On one end is the paper inspection label of the USDA. The box measures 11.25 inches long; 11 inches wide and 3.5 inches deep. It's in Very Good condition with some soil and stains inside. Most can be cleaned to have a nice old store collectable! (6186)	1	Your Price: $19.95
Click for more detail... 6522	Wood Cable Spool At 11 inches diameter and 4.5-inches deep, this cardboard-core wooden cable spool offers a variety of possibilities for crafts, decorating or other uses. It’s in Very Good condition with no apparent defects. (6522)	1	Your Price: $9.95

Beer Crates

Item #	Description	Quantity	Price
Click for more detail... 6566	Authentic WW2-era Budweiser Crate Here's a crate we've not found before ... from deep in the store's attic! It's a solid wood crate that held 24 12-ounce bottles of Budweiser beer (or another brand from the same brewing company!) The number '1944' is imprinted at the top of both ends of the crate, along with the Anheuser-Busch eagle logo and a variety of patent and trademark notes. On each side are the impressed words: 'Property of Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, Missouri.' We are presuming that this '1944' mark designates an early form of the company's age-dating of the product! The crate has well-worn cut-outs on the ends for carrying the heavy product. It measures 17.75 inches long, 11.5 inches wide and is 9.75 inches deep -- just right to hold 24 of those great longneck bottles! The crate is, as noted, all wood, although a metal band is used to reinforce the bottom and ends. The wood has a few cracks and is somewhat darkened from age, but is intact and a great example of how beer was delivered in the world war II era!	1	Your Price: $49.95

Cheese Crates

Item #	Description	Quantity	Price
Click for more detail... 6580	Original HOMESTEAD Cheese Box Long before cardboard was used to encase cheese being transported from the producer to the retailer, these all-wood cheese boxes protected processed cheese that would be sliced to order by the butcher or deli worker. The box was opened by removing the top (or bottom) and removing the large cello-wrapped block of cheese. These boxes make great storage boxes on the kitchen counter ... or elsewhere in the house. We used them for many years to store cassette tapes near the stereo. All they need is a good cleaning and maybe a layer of varnish to protect the imprinted label information. This cheese box was used for distributing Five Pounds of Yellow American OLD HOMESTEAD Pasteurized Processed Cheese from The Iowa Packing Company, Des Moines Iowa. The box measures 4 inches wide, 3.5 inches deep and 12.25 inches long. The imprint is on both sides, with only a minimal amount on the two ends. The wood is without any notable damage! (6580)	1	Your Price: $19.95
Click for more detail... 6583	Original WINDSOR CLUB Cheese Box This cheese box was used for distributing Five Pounds of WINDSOR CLUB Sharp Pasteurized Cheese Food and an imprint of Windsor Castle is imprinted on the label on each side of the box. We aren't certain what company produced this cheese, but the following details are imprinted on the bottom: 'Cheese food consisting of a blend of Wisconsin aged and milk cheddar cheese, milk solids, with added salt, sodium and vegetable color. Moisture no more than 40% (sic?) and not less than 26% buttterfat.' The box measures 3.75 inches wide, 4 inches deep and 11.75 inches long. The imprint is on both sides, as well as the ends. The wood is worn, but without any structural damage! (6583) Long before cardboard was used to encase cheese being transported from the producer to the retailer, these all-wood cheese boxes protected processed cheese that would be sliced to order by the butcher or deli worker. The box was opened by removing the top (or bottom) and removing the large cello-wrapped block of cheese. These boxes make great storage boxes on the kitchen counter ... or elsewhere in the house. We used them for many years to store cassette tapes near the stereo. All they need is a good cleaning and maybe a layer of varnish to protect the imprinted label information.	1	Your Price: $19.95

Fruit Crates - Grapes

Item #	Description	Quantity	Price
Click for more detail... 6575	HIGH CALIBER Seedless Grapes Crate Here's another of the newer wood fruit crates -- as the 1960s saw the end of the all-wood era of construction and lighter, more efficient and less expensive materials were tried. This crate held 23 pounds of 'HIGH CALIBER' brand of Thompson Seedless Table Grapes grown and packed by the Poochigian Farms, Bakersfield CA. It was constructed of a traditional set of solid wood ends, while the sides and bottom were constructed of pressed wood on which the label information was included on a printed heavy cardboard material. This one measures 6.5 inches deep; 13.75 inches wide and 17.5 inches long. It's in Very Good condition with some stains on the inside, but no apparent structural defects. It would make a great addition to your collection! (6575)	1	Your Price: $19.95
Click for more detail... 6574	MOTHER Brand Table Grapes Crate Here's a look at how some of the newer wood fruit crates looked -- as the 1960s saw the end of the all-wood era of construction and lighter, more efficient and less expensive materials were tried. This crate held the 'MOTHER' brand of Delano Quality Grapes from Jack Radovich Packing Co. It was constructed of a traditional set of solid wood ends, while the sides and bottom were constructed of pressed wood on which the label information was included on a printed heavy cardboard material. This one measures 6.5 inches deep; 13.75 inches wide and 17.5 inches long. It's in Very Good condition with some stains on the inside, but no apparent structural defects. It would make a great addition to your collection! (6574)	1	Your Price: $19.95
Click for more detail... 6578	MH Arizona Seedless Grapes, Wood Crate Twenty-four pounds of THOMPSON SEEDLESS GRAPES were shipped in this wood crate. The product was grown and packed by McCarthy and Hildebrand Farms Inc., Eloy, Arizona. and that information appears imprinted on one end of the box. Evidently the company packed and shipped other produce also, since the attached label lists the name as M-H Fresh Fruit. The crate measures 15.25 inches wide, 17.5 inches long and 6.75 inches deep. The wood has a few stains inside, but can probably be cleaned to make a great vintage crate collectable! (6578)	1	Your Price: $24.95

Peach Crates

Item #	Description	Quantity	Price
Click for more detail... n6085	United Colorado Fruit Growers Peaches Crate This old-fashioned peach crate from United Fruit Growers' Association of Palisade Colorado was comprised of traditional solid wood ends, sides and bottom. A label on one end, partly torn, tells that the contents were United Mountain Grown Colorado Peaches. This one measures 5 inches deep; 12 inches wide and 17.5 inches long. It's in Very Good condition with no apparent structural defects, but does show very minor stains on the bottom. It still would make a great and useful addition to your collection! (n6085)	1	Your Price: $24.95
Click for more detail... 6085	United Colorado Peaches Crate Here's a look at how newer fruit crates looked -- as the 1960s saw the end of the all-wood era of construction and lighter, more efficient and less expensive materials were tried. This peach crate from United Colorado was comprised of a traditional set of solid wood ends, while the sides and bottom were constructed of pressed wood on which the label information was printed. This one measures 5 inches deep; 11.75 inches wide and 17.5 inches long. It's in Very Good condition with no apparent defects and would make a great addition to your collection! (6085)	1	Your Price: $14.95