I just raided Garbage....

[Lisa loves Pooh]

...if you want to get technical .

Neighbors across the street getting a divorce. She can't afford the home--so she's the one getting a new place. I guess she must have had a garage sale this weekend or something (I was gone).

Anyway---the hubby was putting boxes of stuff to the curb.

Call me cheap, taking advantage of a situation--but this was GOOD christmas decor--beautiful. If anything--it belongs in a thrift shop or goodwill--not the county dump. But I digress, it is sitting in my garage for me to utilize next Christmas . Merry Christmas to me .


My name is Lisa--and I salvage garbage .

 

[gradtchr]

There's nothing wrong at all with dumpster diving. My senior year in college I saw students throwing out computer, tv's and all sorts of good stuff because hey my parents will buy it for me again. If only I had had room or been ebay savvy. I still try to drive by local college apartments and stuff at the end of terms it's amazing what you can find!

I'm Beth and I do it too

 

[swilshire]

Our favorite beach location, where they are SERIOUS about recycling (as we should all be) has a "take it or leave it" building. You leave your usable things in the building and others go by and take what they want. I try to hit it at least a couple of times while we're there.

I've found clothes with the tags still on. Ditto obvious gifts still in the boxes. My best find last time was a huge box of Sesame Street magazines, quite old but in good condition, that appeared to have belonged to a teacher. My two youngest sons have been enjoying them for a couple of years now.

Landfills are expensive and bad for the environment. If items are usable, they should be made available to those that need/want them. Maybe we should all work on our own local governments.

Sheila

 

[imsayin]

There is a "rich" suburb near me. Once a year they have garbage week for big items. People make an event out of it. I was planning on going the past 2 years, but something came up and I couldn't, but I'll try again next year.

 

[pjlla]

I am a NOTORIOUS garbage picker and I am not ashamed to admit it!! I won't go into details, but my most recent best find was this.... driving down the road one day and spied a kids drawing table on the side of the road with someone's trash. The table is blue and yellow from Little Tykes and has a light. Anyhow, the drawers were missing, the chair was mismatched and the light didn't work... but I hucked it into the van anyhow. We took it home and cleaned it up well (Mr. Clean Magic Eraser takes off crayon and pencil marks, plus bleach for the germ factor) and DS was delighted with it as it was (we had a blue plastic chair at home that worked just fine). Well... lo and behold, DH was at the dump a few weeks later and found the IDENTICAL table, but in worse shape.... but it had the drawers and a working light!! He brought it home, took out the parts we needed, fixed the original table so it is in perfect working order, and returned the broken one to the dump's "take it or leave it" trailer. And the whole thing never cost us a penny! Gotta love those deals!

The table that currently holds the TV/vcr/dvd in the playroom was a wooden kitchen table I found on the side of the road many years ago. I brough it home and cleaned it up and used it as a spare table and later a scrapping table for a long time. When I replaced it as a scrapping table, we cut the legs off it and it is now an "entertainment center" for the playroom... again, it never cost us a penny!

Don't be afraid to share you dumpster diving, trashpicking stories with me! I find inspiration from them! Thanks to OP for sharing!..............P

 

[Aidensmom]

In the apartment complex I lived in before I bought my house, everyone had a little area with their garbage can behind their patio. At the end of every month, when people were moving out, my neighbor and I would take a walk around the complex to see what people left with their garbage that they did not want to take. You would be amazed at some of the stuff people leave behind - furniture, TV's, vacuum cleaners, toys, video tapes, etc. We found quite a few treasures!

When we moved into our house, the previous owners had left some of those large lighted wire reindeer Christmas yard decorations in the attic. Some were broken, and a lot of the lights didn't work, so we did not want to mess with them. We put them out on the curb, and less than 5 minutes later someone picked them up!

 

[jennifer293]

Dh's grandma was taking a walk down the road and she saw a neighbor had thrown out one of the OLD antique Singer sewing machines. You know the kind with the wooden casing and the wrought iron foot pedal and such. She asked him if he wanted it just to make sure and of course he said no so she brought it home and polished it up with furniture oil and now it sits in my living room. It is so beautiful I cannot imagine why he would throw it out. Inside of it we found a wooden box with all the original needles and accessories for it. Stamped on the wooden box is the date 1898. So when I say OLD I mean OLD!!!

I have seen them at auctions and selling well over 300-400 bucks!!!

I am not selling mine!!!

 

[VintageKnight]

and by the way, its legal..=D

last year there was a final judgement in favor of the taker.

they had found somthing they liked and had it appraised and resold it at huge profit.

the original owner had found out about it and sued for all the money.

he lost since he had placed it on the curb were the trash goes...=D

cant remember the specifics but it was a fun story.=D

DVK

 

[TNKBELL]

My DH is a very frugal guy, his entire 1st apartment was furnished with leftovers! He brings home wood trim found in construction dumpsters and uses it dress up our particle wood furniture: shelves, entertainment center ect.. He has brought home chairs, desks, workbenches, shelves ect.. Sometimes though they are a little too rank for my taste and back those fishies go! I can't complain because this is his hobby and seriously never spends a penny on video games or cds or anything, he leaves all the spending to me!

 

[hugsquared]

The very desk this computer sits on is my prize from a dumptser dive. I also found a beautiful antique dresser in the trash area in the apartments we lived in...now it sits in my dining room with a runner on it and several items...made a wonderful sideboard...total cost $0.00
My hubby calls me the Dumpster Queen...I'm not above looking in anyones trash for my treasure!

 

[krdisneybound]

one mans trash is another mans treasure

In my neighborhood - on the last Friday of each month - you see trucks come by to pick up articles that have been thrown out.

Great stuff

 

[kfeuer]

Count me in--on the way home today I spotted a kid's ride on toy in someone's trash so we stopped to grab it. Turned out to be a Fisher Price Power Wheels Harley motorcycle and it WORKS!!! It's missing it's seat, but I did a search online and looks like a replacement only runs about $10. I'll have to see if the battery charger we have for a different toy will work with this one, if not I may go ahead and get the replacement.

With that said, I would throw out a word of caution--don't trash pick anything that can't be thoroughly cleaned. We had this really pretty greenery arrangement in a basket in my office. Unfortunately it's an old building and we had a rat problem . The rats got into that arrangement and when I lifted it up one day there was all kinds of rat droppings and chewed up filler everywhere (YUCK!!!). Needless to say the arrangement got put out with the trash...and before I could stop someone, they stopped and put it in their car! Those people probably have it in their house, congratulating themselves on the great find

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Count me in--on the way home today I spotted a kid's ride on toy in someone's trash so we stopped to grab it. Turned out to be a Fisher Price Power Wheels Harley motorcycle and it WORKS!!! It's missing it's seat, but I did a search online and looks like a replacement only runs about $10. I'll have to see if the battery charger we have for a different toy will work with this one, if not I may go ahead and get the replacement.

With that said, I would throw out a word of caution--don't trash pick anything that can't be thoroughly cleaned. We had this really pretty greenery arrangement in a basket in my office. Unfortunately it's an old building and we had a rat problem . The rats got into that arrangement and when I lifted it up one day there was all kinds of rat droppings and chewed up filler everywhere (YUCK!!!). Needless to say the arrangement got put out with the trash...and before I could stop someone, they stopped and put it in their car! Those people probably have it in their house, congratulating themselves on the great find

Good point!

I did witness the carrying to the curb of the items--and since I knew their origins...I think I'm safe from the rats (but ewwwww! LOL).

I did find a Kangaroo Climber play set in the thrift shop dumpster. Whomever donated it to the thrift shop, donated it unassembled. The poor elder ladies didn't know how to assemble it or if it was complete. They let me take the whole thing from the dumpster. That thing is $100 brand new. But mine for free

 

[pediatric-rnp]

There's nothing wrong at all with dumpster diving. My senior year in college I saw students throwing out computer, tv's and all sorts of good stuff because hey my parents will buy it for me again. If only I had had room or been ebay savvy. I still try to drive by local college apartments and stuff at the end of terms it's amazing what you can find!

I'm Beth and I do it too

In Providence, Brown Univ & RISD (RI School of Design) get together in the late spring and early fall, and hold a sale of all the items left behind by the college students -clothing,computers, TVs, DVD players, cell phones,microwaves, furniture, everything!!! They had boxes and boxes of packaged Ramen Noodle, too! They sell it cheap, but still make a mint on it, because there is so much.

 

[Mickey527]

I used to find some great stuff years ago but nowdays no one in my town or the neighboring towns seem to toss out anythng good. They all have tag sales.
When my boys were young my friend and I used to cruise the streets looking for those large boxes of pampers. they had little Teddie Bear "points" on them. We collected the points and sent them in for $50 savings bonds. Each one of my boys and her two children had $1000 worth of savings bonds when they turned 18 years old, all from "garbage". Peggie

 

[D L and K's Mom]

My hometown has a dump and they have it sectioned off....one section for garbage...food , yucky stuff.... some of the other sections are for furniture, appliances (for parts) etc. You are allowed and encouraged to put your reusable things there and take what you like.. My father is notorious for taking stuff home. He got DD crib from the DUMP!!! I almost died....I had a fit. NO way , no how was my darling little new baby going to sleep in a crib from the DUMP!!!!! How Gross. How sick, HOW BEAUTIFUL!!!! Dad sanded it, stained it, refinished it got a new metal mattress holder and a new (I MADE SURE ) mattress and the crib was BEAUTIFUL!!! It was cherry, beautiful wood and it was a sleigh type crib...so beautiful. Of course this was when there was no idea about slats being to far apart etc. The crib was beautiful and it was fit for a princess. I loved that crib and gave it away when we were done with it....low and behold new DD came along 13 years later....her crib came from Babies-R-Us...we live to far away for GrandDaddy to get her one.
I also have a beautiful antique bench seat Dad got for me, sanded refinished and re upolstered its beautiful and sits right next to my Victrola...old phonograph with the big crank and flower like speaker....It even works. again a beautiful refinished gift from Dad. My Dad has now retired and he refinishes furniture.....yup from the dump and re-sells it to an antique dealer . It keeps him busy and I swear it is keeping my parents happily married as Dads workshop is in the basement and Mom stays upstairs!!! He is now into finding old trunks, refinishing them and has Mom re-line them with fabric, his friend the Antique Man says these sell really fast for coffee tables. I keep telling him he doesnt get enough $ for them but he just really enjoys doing it and it keeps him busy.
The only thing I ever took myself from someone curb was an old ladder I actually had to un-finish....(I made it look older with steel wool and a hammer and stain) that sits in the living room and has my quilts over the rungs.....and a big plant on the top.....
Anyone else? Great finds? I love reading this thread.

 

[FigmentGuy]

My mother is noutorius for curbside/dumpster picking. She usually does one of two things with her finds A)gives it to others who are financially tight and could use it or B)Keeps it in a shed till the shed is full and has a sale. HAHA, She can make some serious cash, and help a few families at the same time.

 

[goofyforlife]

we just moved into a townhouse in July. On the day of settlement the sellers had left several bags of trash at the curb (for pickup). We weren't in the house but an hour when we witnessed on of our new neighbors rumaging through the bags........

My husband and I have "recycled" many items over the years. Our neighbor once through away a perfectly good vacuum that the cord end had come off of. My stepfather who is an electrician put a new plug on and it worked great for over 8 years.

Back to our new neighborhood.....Our neighbors right next door moved out the week after we moved in (not cause of us..our houses are just going up so much in value that alot of people cashed in at once. In fact 6 out of the 9 townhouses on our stack moved in within a month before/after we settled)
But our neighbors kept putting out really cool stuff on the curb. We got a telescope and a microwave. (Wasn't going to take it but we tested it and it was clean as a whistle inside...I don't think it was ever used.) We used the microwave for a month until our built in came in and was installed.

When their buyers moved in, they said that the seller left behind a lawnmower and we could use it. Then when we came home the next day they said we could have it because they bought a new one. (Turns out it only really needs a tune up and was hard to start.) So now we have a $100 or so lawnmower too.

I guess you could say dumpster diving is in my blood because my grandfather once owned a trash pick up business....

 

[oogieboogie]

The best place and time for dumpster diving is when college graduations are coming and the university has a lot of international students. Why??? Because most international students will go back to their home country and they don't do the garage sale thing, so often times, they'll just dump their tvs, beds, dressers, tables, electronics, etc.

Best of the crop - their stuff is usually pretty new & in good condition.

Love dumpster diving.

 

[Free4Life11]

I recently got a job with maintenance at the University I attend. My first day on the job was the day students move out and we spent all day going through a dorm taking apart lofts/beds. Well in the afternoon we found one room that, literally, looked as if the girl dropped everything and ran! Not kidding -- her checkout materials and room key were on the ground! Well the boss told us to toss it - checkout is checkout and NOTHING is held. I could not believe all the stuff that was there! A beautiful athletic jacket from the university, 2 pound UNOPENED bag of Millstone coffee (unfortunantely decaf!).

Well needless to say I set aside a box of stuff for me, but since we technically can't take it I set it in the dumpster outside and came back later!Got about 10 packs of Easy Mac, 10 bags of microwave popcorn, half a bottle of All detergent, half a bottle of Clorox, half a bottle of Dove shampoo, a BRAND NEW desk fan in the box, 3 boxes of ziplog baggies, Brita water pitcher with a NEW FILTER still in the wrapper inside of it! I couldn't believe it...I hit the motherload!

Also since they are renovating some dorms they were just throwing out a lot of stuff; some of the tables were really nice! I have no room for them but some people came wandering by and snatched them up!