DUMPSTER DIVING GARBAGE PICKING READ & SEE WHAT IS FOUND HERE UPDATED 2012

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

a couple weeks ago i was helping a friend get some things out of her storage unit..... laying beside the dumpster was a small TV, a home stereo, a gas weedeater, and an electric weedeater, .... well i figured i would take them home and try them out and if they didnt work i would set them back out on the curb...... all 4 items work perfect.

I just started working at a grocery warehouse.... the section i work in is the part where the trucks would bring returns back from the different grocery stores.... all the dairy, produce, and perishables that come in are thrown into the dumpster,... in 2 trips to the dumpster i "salvaged" 12 bowls of butter (a little soft but hardened right back up after i put into the fridge), 4 gallons of milk still in date and still cool 20 packs of sandwich ham slices, 16 packs of country peppered bacon, a sack of potatoes, a box of bananas, 28 packs of Kraft cheese (24 slice), 12 cans of biscuits, and there is a TON i didnt get.

I grew up playing with toys my dad found in dumpsters, so it is a handed down tradition. lol
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

start given it to a food pantry /soup kitchen!!!
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

Bulk Trash Day :)
Almost every couch I have ever owned came off of the curb
Good Hunting
Joe
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

The Question was asked How do I find the coins? ( in an email ) my answer is:

I look for the big piles on the curb..The for sale sign....An old box...A single electrical cord hanging out a garbage can...3,4,5 or 6 boxes stacked up...The 1892 and 1893 columbia expedtion half dollars were found in a small box along with a silk 46 star flag...why I stopped...3 boxes 1 garbage can and an old( I mean OLD ) mattress..The mattress was telling me that the stuff in the boxes may be old too...Was I right...I took the 3 boxes and drove off..I look through them when I get home... 30 + years of it helps
If I find something good 1 time I always make it a point to go by the house for a few weeks in a row..If there cleaning the house out because someone died...The older stuff comes out last cause it's buried in the back of all the newer stuff... Go through the same neigborhoods every week... GOOD LUCK
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

I used to be a pro at this when I was younger. Furnished my college apartment on what other people threw out and a lot of it was cool stuff. My best find was a whole dining room set, the old oak kind with the ball and claw foot table and pressed back chairs. They used to have trash week twice a year in the hoity-toity suburbs of Pittsburgh and the best story I heard was of a student who got a VW Bug that actually wasn't in bad shape. The owners put parked it on the street next to the junk pile and put the signed title and keys in an envelope under the windshield wiper. After that news broke, we circled that area like vultures. LOL Rich people throw a lot of stuff away that they think is out of style, it's unbelievable to go to the same neighborhood year after year and find pracitcally
new furniture that they discard just because they are "redecorating." The stuff I throw out even the Salvation Army won't take. LOL Good luck to all you divers, there's good stuff out there!!! ~RR
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

speaking of the howty towty northern subs near the lake are having the trash day give away ,soon i think or did i miss that.??? BOB to you....
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

fleamistress said:
ringding said:
Write the book, I'll buy it.

My uncle used to upholster furniture. He found all kinds of coins and stamps in the chairs.

I met an old upholsterer once who told me people used to stash their cache deep into the recesses, such as between the arm and seat.

I check these now, but not without gloves!

There are other sofa stories on here. Like things sewn beneath and such.

Cyn

I have found a few things in sofas myself. One time, I was helping my mother find her glasses. I thought to check the couch where she usually naps. During the attempt, I found a nail clippers or something, a few simple coins and cut the hell out of my finger. When I reached back in I found the pieces of a drinking glass that some moron didn't want to take to the kitchen. >:(

The second time, we were getting ready to send the couches in to be reupholstered. The guy was going to be by in the morning to pick them up. My mother had an appointment that week with the eye doctor to get a new prescription for the glasses that she had lost again since the last time. Eveyone said they had looked high and low for them. As I was going through the cushions and under the couch to make sure nothing was in there, I found another couple coins, a water bottle, probably same moron as with the drinking glass before and guess what. The eye glasses.
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

I used to be a "Materials Recovery, Transport, and Interment Technician" (Garbage truck driver) and have a house full of great finds. One of the good ones was a box full of embossed metal Rolling Rock Beer signs (We're only 30 miles from the brewery.) I sold them a few at a time on Ebay, and made $420.00
Other finds- 2 working lawn tractors, 14 VCRs, an Eames/Herman Miller swivel chair that I am sitting in, a cut crystal iced tea pitcher with silver plated top (In a recycling bin- crystal is NOT recyclable!) 5 gas weed trimmers, 3 lawn mowers, 2 framed Egyptian papyrus paintings, the collective works of Liszt on cassette, and 30 vintage XXX movies.

Stuff I didn't keep- a skinned sheep head, with eyes and tongue still attached, a GIANT (Like, 24 INCH!) vibrator, a sandwich bag full of low-grade weed, and 2 10cc vials of cocaine. People will throw away ANYTHING!
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

I got a nice old concrete bird bath last weekend in the trash. It is one of those 3 piece units. There is a nice ornate base, then the bath part is a large shell, and the top part has an angle sitting on top of something that can spit out water into the bath area if you hook a water pump up to it. It is pretty cool!
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

Need some more good stories..I know I'm not the only one who finds some good things............The book is'nt going to be worth reading...
I'll buy one....

You snooze You loose....
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

Thats some pretty awesome finds.

I have been dumpster diving for aluminum cans on and off for a great number of years. My grandfather started sending me in at about age 7 since being little made me the obvious choice.

Don't really do it so much now, however never ever found such good finds as you have. But at age 7-10 scoring some playboys at the local college dumpster was a find!!

Do know that when college breaks out many students just throw away very nice furniture and appliances rather than loading them in the car. Nice to be able to just throw that stuff away as a young adult eh?

Congratulations on the cool finds,
Postalrevnant
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

I like all the college dumpster stories, but you guys are actually missing the gold mine of dumpster diving. Find your local retirement home, and take a peek in there dumpster late some Sunday afternoon....seriously! These folks pass away, often with only their prized possesions with them. Many times, family members can't or don't come back to pick them up, or don't realize what Grandma has, so it all gets tossed. I recently found a chair that I sold as is for $700 to a high end Dallas Antique Store. About 3 years ago, I found a collection of 7 Roseville pitchers...one had been broken, one was fake, but I got a nice chunk of change for the rest. Know your antiques and collectables well!

I bet I've made 2-3 thousand on Ebay from the same retirement home dumpster...kinda morbid, but hey, we ARE talking about dumpster diving now aren't we.

Just thought I'd offer the tip to my fellow "not too proud to do it" clan here :D

Jason
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

Jason
Never thought of that...I have few of the retirement homees around me. I'll check them out.
Thanks for the INFO BOB
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

Was going back to the shop a few days ago, found this bike at the curb. Stopped, and the homeowner was pulling out of the driveway. I asked if I could have it, she said yes. Needs some metal polish, air in tires, maybe a tube.
Have found, repaired, and given away 4 bikes to local kids that wouldn't have one otherwise. Kids are happy to have them, bikes are happy to not be landfill.
 

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Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

pathetic ;D
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

Yes, I have found many antiques and great items over the years, even this computer. Our society is so wasteful, and our consumer oriented throw-away economy depends on it! Can our world survive another 50 years of waste?
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

Haha, I'm about to go around some neighborhoods in the city where I live and look for some stuff. If I find anything I'll post it here.

Peter
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

I stopped my car close to what look like a table/dresser? Guestimation of the length is 4 ft 3 ft high and 2 ft wide. Further inspection exposed a lid on the top that opened.It looked maybe like a radio or possibly a T.V.. I could probably have sold it for a type of table if I cleaned the insides(meaning take out wires,possible radio stuff?, etc. and probably could have made $20 to $50 because it had designs on it and it may have been solid wood.I would have taken it but I did not have a truck

Peter
 

Re: BESIDES M D DOES ANYONE GARBAGE PICK OR DUMPSTER DIVE FOR TREASURES new pics

a brand new humidifier in the box still sealed, 2 paint ball masks (the lences are crap but hey )a battery jumper box that plugs in the wall to jump start your car after its all charged,a reel up hose with like new 100 feet of hose, shoe box of copper pipe fittings,old fiberglass fishing pole and zebco 505 (all metal)reel,4 pairs of work gloves(jersey type)
 

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