I worked at the Queens Botanical Gardens in the 1970’s in a youth program. For some years prior, metal crates for milk bottles had gradually given way to the plastic ones you see now.

One day, there was an abandoned truck in the middle of a grassy field.  This was Flushing Meadow, near the Whitestone Expressway. A creepy place at the time. The ’64 World’s Fair was decaying there, across the highway.

I walked around the back, and the tailgate was open. There were stacks of those old metal milk crates.  I saw a use for them (record cases), took 4, and brought them home at the end of the day. I was living in my mom’s house in Flushing at the time. I put them in the corner of the living room.

Doris (my mom), and Jack (my stepfather), had bought a boat. They were retired. They bought this boat and were fitting it out. They needed something for a wine bin. It had to be good and sturdy. They wanted to make something rather than buy it. While they were not home, they discussed it.
Jack suggested milk crates. My mother said, good idea, but the plastic ones you see today won’t do. We would need those metal ones, but I haven’t seen them for a few years. And we would need 4. Where are we going to just happen to find 4 of those old metal milk crates? 

With that they arrived home, opened the door, and found 4 metal milk crates in the corner of the living room.