My neighbor called and said there was a garage sale and they had a cedar chest for $5. Hopped in the car and took a look at it. I'm the proud owner of a LANE cedar chest. The outside is dated 1960's fake wood laminate but the inside is in perfect condition. If there is one thing I've learned from those HGTV decorating shows is that you can always spruce up and improve the look of anything.

Toni,

That's fanastic! Congrats on the great deal!

 An odd little history tale: When I graduated from high school in the 60's the local furniture store gave every girl senior a Lane jewelry box that was a miniature cedar chest. All they had to do was go to the store and pick it up.  Of course the purpose of the store was to get them to buy a large chest, as a "hope" chest for their future marriage. Quite a few of the graduating seniors already had their wedding dates set immediately following graduation so not much time for filling a hope chest with linens and things. Edey

Toni what a great find .. I still have my Hope chest and  the small jewelry box .  .

I remember when I brought them for my girls .. my DD 13 still works on pillowcases for hers .  4 years ago I gave all my DIl a hope chest none ever had one .. and I gave one to my SIl she was thrilled .

I love hope chests

My grandfather made me a cedar chest when I was a little girl. It's at my parents and holds my baby blankets and some other special family/baby items. It is a special thing to have.

I'm glad you found one at such a great bargain!

mine still in storeage needing to get retouched up and redone one one saide it cracked so time to take it home and start doing it mom gave it to me when I was working and the dr. found a lump in the throat area near the voice box thyroid area they had to take the throid out yup on meds for that the family got money together and gave me a small cedar chest its a memorries that I have from it.

Edey:

An odd little history tale: When I graduated from high school in the 60's the local furniture store gave every girl senior a Lane jewelry box that was a miniature cedar chest.

 

I have 2 of those chests.  One was my grandmother's and she passed away my senior year of highschool.  The lock on it is broken.  The other was a graduation gift; each year the Jr/Sr banquet is put on the Jr class for the Sr class.  That year they made us a video of our high school years and gave us each a chest.  The lock works on that one.  My grandmother's is used for envelopes on my desk.  My locking one holds little keepsakes from highschool and college.  I have no intentions of parting with either of them.

What a great find for the OP and what great memories for the rest of us!

I graduated in '76 and also got a Lane mini-chest (have a large one, too).  We had a housefire that year, and the box survived, but the finish was blistered.  My df refinished it for me and even though it still smells a little smoky inside, it's now doubly special to me...Liz

 I have one of the small cedar chest too. Babs

I worked at a furniture store in the late seventies that sold Lane cedar chests. The sales manager, gave each  female employee a mini cedar chest Lane sent to the store as a promotion. I bought  myself a large one  while working there and used it to store my china for several years. Then we fell on hard times, and I sold the cedar chest to pay bills. Never bought myself one to replace the one I had to sell. When each of our daughters turned 16 DH and I found nice chests for them. One we purchased at an auction, the other from an ad in the classifieds. Paid around $50.00 for each. The sellers were please that the chests were going to be future "hope chests" for our daughters. The girls have no plans of getting married soon and both are now in their late 20's. They store momentos and scrapbooking supplies in them. Many of their friends have admired them, even if they have no clue as to the original intent of these cedar chests.

Darlene