What is your best dumpster find?

[fistfulladirt]

Six extruded aluminum phone booths. A few years back, when the price of aluminum was up there.

 

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[A2coins]

Found a metal box with a gold Waltham pocket watch, and full of hundred dollar bills in an old piano that was dumped.....

 

[hughmaster10]

My uncle found a 14k white gold ring in its original box sitting outside a trash chute at his old apartment complex. It had a parking garage, so it was a nicer complex. I NEVER thought people would throw valuables out. But I was wrong. People throw almost New valuables out every day. Unreal

 

[cyberdan]

Found a metal box with a gold Waltham pocket watch, and full of hundred dollar bills in an old piano that was dumped.....

When we had a piano it had a secret compartment only a piano tuner would know about. The entire panel where you would bump your knees would come out. A hidden latch way up at the top opened it up and you could pull the entire panel. I used to keep all my coins and gold in there. I double checked that spot before I sold it and before the movers came.

So always check that area if you come upon an older upright piano.

 

[smokeythecat]

Hate to admit it, but nothing.

 

[goldenwonderbear]

Love that cat--not found in dumpster...........h

 

[fistfulladirt]

Love that cat--not found in dumpster...........h

that cat has not missed a meal!

 

[Madmox]

Though I don’t generally make a habit of dumpster diving I did find this a few months ago hanging out of someone’s garbage can. Kind of an interesting story. I was driving to work one morning about 5am and I see someone’s knocked over garbage can. (Which isn’t wholly unlikely since I live in the woods and the bears just work their way down the road at night pillaging one can to the next, spreading crap everywhere.) I can see the arm peeking out the top with the dial indicator on it. Because I am an inquisitive fellow this thing plagued me. I could not, for the life of me, figure out what it was...
So driving home I saw the trash man had come and left my mystery item beside the garbage can. Still wondering what it was I went home, later that night, the Fiancé and I went out to get some drinks at the local tap house and on the way home I was telling her the story of this mystery item and that I couldn’t figure out what it was. So we get to the garbage can and it’s still sitting there so I stop and tell her to go check it out and see if she can tell me what it is. Well she, half Crocked, jumps out of the car runs over to it. Grabs it, and comes running back toward the car hollering at me to open the back! She throws it in the car and she jumps back in telling me she has no idea what it is. So, I get it home and I am doing some research to try and figure out what it is. I can see it’s all machined and has a dial indicator but am literally getting nowhere with what it’s use is. I can read the brand, Ultra Tec. Made in Santa Ana California. At this point it’s like a challenge because it’s all precision and my machinists spirit loves precision things.

Researching the company they generally make sanding products and one of their primary products is a machine to grind fiber optic lines for splicing. But I know that can’t be right because it’s too old. So I start asking around at work and showing it to people and it turns out, a coworker knew exactly what it is. It is a lapidary machine used for grinding the facets into diamonds and gemstones. The company still makes them, and an analog grinding machine will cost you about 5 grand! So that’s my best find in a garbage can.

 

[luke_00]

1960’s Supro Valco Chicago 51 1616T tube amp!!! It was moldy and smelt terrible but cleaned up great and it worked! I messed around with it and played a couple CCR songs then sold on eBay for $590!!!

 

[ToddsPoint]

I'll catch hell for this but here goes. In the late 80's/early 90's the Feds changed the way semi drivers were licensed. We ALL had to be retested, written only. I was going to have to take the basic test, air brake test, haz mat test, and double trailer test. Yikes! I had an idea. I went to the drivers license office after dark and hit their dumpster. I found stacks of CDL tests that were previously taken AND graded. Questions were computer generated and not all the same, but close enough to figure out their methods. I studied these tests and went and took my tests. I aced all of them. The guy that gave me the tests said he never saw anyone finish the test that fast. Yuk Yuk!

I gave up trucking when my employer went under and ended back in the machine shop. I no longer have a CDL. Gary

 

[A2coins]

Boxes of silverware and candle holders serving bowls pitchers

 

[zombie]

Last summer driving to work at 5:30 am passing through a small village with really nice houses I see a small air compressor next to the garbage cans. Spun back to it, threw it into the trunk to check it out later as it was raining quite heavily. I get to work and bring it in to see if its any good. Nothing wrong with it at all, it still had air in it. Looked pretty new and was in great shape. Checked online and its worth about $250 CDN. The week before I was in the States and picked up a cheap $50 Harbour Freight air compressor that wasn't really very good but still worth what I paid for it. Sold it online for $75 CDN and kept the found one.

 

[Toecutter]

found a block of stainless steal at the bottom of a factory clean out dumster took it straight to the Scrap yard they gave me 225$ for it...

 

[Mauricio]

I found online needadumpsterrent.com. NEED A DUMPSTER is dedicated to managing and disposing of our clients trash in a responsible and professional manner.

 

[fistfulladirt]

I found online needadumpsterrent.com. NEED A DUMPSTER is dedicated to managing and disposing of our clients trash in a responsible and professional manner.

Does your company allow diving?

 

[bowwinkles]

Found a young girl who had tried to dump a waist can and dropped it inside and climbed in to retrieve it and could not get out. I heard her calling and investigated and helped her out along with the can. Very hard to put a value on that.

 

[fistfulladirt]

Found a young girl who had tried to dump a waist can and dropped it inside and climbed in to retrieve it and could not get out. I heard her calling and investigated and helped her out along with the can. Very hard to put a value on that.

A waist can, you mean cellulite?

 

[bowwinkles]

A waist can, you mean cellulite?

Sorry, I meant waste can as in trash can.

 

[Six S]

Opened the top of the paper recycling bin one day and saw all these comic books, so I grabbed the ones I could reach without falling in. Maybe should have went all in as some were decent like the Amazing Spider-Man #300 and some issues right before that one.

 

[Thrift-O-Nomics]

So far my best dumpster find was a new Keurig and Toshiba microwave. I'm still a newbie in the DD game.