What is your best dumpster find?

trdking

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2015
5,139
7,923
Fullerton CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
About six years ago, the olé lady and I went to Smith's on a Sunday morning and all the refrigerated shelves were empty. I asked an employee what was going on and he said the system for the refrigerators went out during the night. Because of liability issues, they couldn't even give the food away.
I grabbed the olé lady and ran for the truck and headed for the dumpsters around back. There was one large dumpster and a small dumpster full of food. There was 5 or 6 shopping carts full of dairy products. We filled the back of my truck with over 75 one pound packages of bacon, over 30 Butter ball and Jenny O turkeys, over 50 smoked hams, several large Lloyds bbq rib packages, tons of steaks and roasts, and a shopping cart full of fancy cheeses.
I gave about 2/3rds of it away to my neighbors and didn't have to buy meat for over 2 years afterwards. I filled a small dorm fridge plus the dairy drawer in my kitchen fridge, and then some just with cheese.
That, my friends, was my best dumpster dive!

There ain't nothing wrong with that kinda LOVE!
 

trdking

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2015
5,139
7,923
Fullerton CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I make a daily run into town at the local dump to check the metal scrap dumpster. I've got lots of good material for welding. Last week, the town medical community center must have tossed out a whole bunch of metal bed frames. All nice straight angle iron lengths for lots of building projects. That stuff is pretty spendy when bought at the steel plant.


That metal bed frame has more uses than a roll of Duct tape!
 

FFFPatriot

Sr. Member
Feb 21, 2017
311
482
Montana
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug II, 4 Kidde brand smoke detectors, and 1 carbon monoxide detector I bought from Home Depot (can't remember the brand).
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
20170621_220348.jpg

I found a workout bench with some of those bed frames and a trailer axle in the dumpster that I'm building a small trailer with to pull behind my moto tractor. Bed frames will be used as rails for sides as well as the deck that I welded from those frames.
 

FFFPatriot

Sr. Member
Feb 21, 2017
311
482
Montana
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug II, 4 Kidde brand smoke detectors, and 1 carbon monoxide detector I bought from Home Depot (can't remember the brand).
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
There ain't nothing wrong with that kinda LOVE!

True that! I had a grin on my face from ear to ear with every bite and a happy full belly with all them eats!
 

OP
OP
Getter

Getter

Jr. Member
Jun 3, 2017
73
113
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That happened at my local walmart this winter, power outage. I asked a manager about it. he had been up all night with other employees. They had refrigerated semi trucks behind the store and saved everything. nobody got anything.

Would not of got it anyway, if it was not an old store, they likely have a compacter.
 

OP
OP
Getter

Getter

Jr. Member
Jun 3, 2017
73
113
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
View attachment 1464502

I found a workout bench with some of those bed frames and a trailer axle in the dumpster that I'm building a small trailer with to pull behind my moto tractor. Bed frames will be used as rails for sides as well as the deck that I welded from those frames.

I build recumbent bicycles with some parts salvaged from dumpster bike and other finds.

The local cable company has a 40 yard dumpster with a crapload of copper and other metals, but I left it alone, don't like jail this time of year :) Would ask about it but the building is gated and not public.
 

FFFPatriot

Sr. Member
Feb 21, 2017
311
482
Montana
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug II, 4 Kidde brand smoke detectors, and 1 carbon monoxide detector I bought from Home Depot (can't remember the brand).
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
That copper probably funds the after work beers and the cable companies Christmas parties.
 

trdking

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2015
5,139
7,923
Fullerton CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That copper probably funds the after work beers and the cable companies Christmas parties.
I have never seen a cable company electrical HVAC or plumbing contractor chuck a piece of bronze Goooold!
 

FFFPatriot

Sr. Member
Feb 21, 2017
311
482
Montana
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug II, 4 Kidde brand smoke detectors, and 1 carbon monoxide detector I bought from Home Depot (can't remember the brand).
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Here's a picture of my dumpster dive trailer. All but the expanded metal and axle/ tires are from my dumpster dives to build my trailer that pulls behind my Rokon.
 

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old_chase

Jr. Member
Aug 21, 2017
35
54
Sumner, MI
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Found a mtn bike out by the road for trash once
Cables were all askew and it was hideous bright greens

Took it home anyways, looked at it, cables just needed reattached
I painted it camo, bought a good seat and had a public land hunting bike that I didn't care what happened to it
Over the years I had to replace one wheel.

Def a good score
 

Holy.Diver

Newbie
Dec 20, 2017
1
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Best find ever for me was about 3 months ago valued at $4400 was 5 BRAND NEW, im talking sealed in plastic smartphones (3x Galaxy Note 8's 64 GB & 2x iPhone 7's 128 GB). No ****ing joke, I eventually decided that a rogue employee was attempting to rip off the company and figured it was a smart idea to put the phones in a box covered up in the dumpster, sadly for them I got there first... karma's a ***** haha. Other high value/cool finds were an iPad 2 Air (was a display unit, mint condition otherwise) Sold for $200 next day, a Yamaha DXS 12" powered subwoofer (slight box damage, but $700 new).
 

lookingharder

Sr. Member
Feb 27, 2015
433
753
Virginia
Detector(s) used
Whites Coin Master. Garrett AT Gold, Garrett Ace 350
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
(kind of long winded on this one) I took my trash to our local dumpsters ( we have them scattered across our county) one morning on my way to work. There was a LARGE black trash bag laying next to the dumpster,( A lot of people miss the dumpster and don't pick up there stuff) I grabbed the bag to throw it in the dumpster and just about pulled my shoulder out of socket. I looked in the bag and saw a bunch of "shinny" stuff so I just threw it in the back of my truck and headed to work. After it got daylight I walked out to see what was in the bag. I like to fell out, I was 3/4 full (close to 40 lbs.) of silver flat ware, tea sets, serving dishes and other silver items. I immediately put it IN the truck. When I got home I called the sheriff dept and reported what I found because I knew it had to be stolen. A deputy came by and took picture and said he would see if any of it was reported stolen. After a week he called me back and said Congratulation, it's your. I started to research the items. Just to name a couple items, 2 of the platters where worth $400 each. The tea set was valued at $600. There was one silver plate that was a trophy from a 1951 golf tournament. I tried to trace the name on the trophy to no avail. If I had to guess the total value of everything in the bag it would probably be around 5 grand. haven't topped that yet
 

RTR

Gold Member
Nov 21, 2017
8,180
32,469
Smith Mt. Lake Va.
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Liberator
Falcon MD-20
***********
Blue Bowl
Angus MacKirk sluice
Miller Table
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I found 2 women in a dumpster:dontknow:
 

lookingharder

Sr. Member
Feb 27, 2015
433
753
Virginia
Detector(s) used
Whites Coin Master. Garrett AT Gold, Garrett Ace 350
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hope you threw them back. Probably defective, the reason they where in there to start with. Probably didn't like guys who medal detected, fished, hunted, worked on old cars, woodworker, prospectors, likes hot spicy food, drank beer, enjoyed Kentucky bourbon, fine cigars, snored, had gas, left whiskers in the bathroom sink. just a guess.
 

3cylbill

Hero Member
Jul 2, 2015
844
1,424
s.tier NY
Detector(s) used
TESORO, MINELAB, WHITES , GARRETT
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
had one that just wouldn't take the garbage out , just dumped in the garage , couldn't park the car anymore. I mean how much can one man take ?
 

nomad 11

Bronze Member
Nov 21, 2009
2,455
2,489
nomads land
Detector(s) used
any tector i can get my hands on
About six years ago, the olé lady and I went to Smith's on a Sunday morning and all the refrigerated shelves were empty. I asked an employee what was going on and he said the system for the refrigerators went out during the night. Because of liability issues, they couldn't even give the food away.
I grabbed the olé lady and ran for the truck and headed for the dumpsters around back. There was one large dumpster and a small dumpster full of food. There was 5 or 6 shopping carts full of dairy products. We filled the back of my truck with over 75 one pound packages of bacon, over 30 Butter ball and Jenny O turkeys, over 50 smoked hams, several large Lloyds bbq rib packages, tons of steaks and roasts, and a shopping cart full of fancy cheeses.
I gave about 2/3rds of it away to my neighbors and didn't have to buy meat for over 2 years afterwards. I filled a small dorm fridge plus the dairy drawer in my kitchen fridge, and then some just with cheese.
That, my friends, was my best dumpster dive!

yummmmmmmmmmmmmm !
 

nomad 11

Bronze Member
Nov 21, 2009
2,455
2,489
nomads land
Detector(s) used
any tector i can get my hands on
Best find ever for me was about 3 months ago valued at $4400 was 5 BRAND NEW, im talking sealed in plastic smartphones (3x Galaxy Note 8's 64 GB & 2x iPhone 7's 128 GB). No ****ing joke, I eventually decided that a rogue employee was attempting to rip off the company and figured it was a smart idea to put the phones in a box covered up in the dumpster, sadly for them I got there first... karma's a ***** haha. Other high value/cool finds were an iPad 2 Air (was a display unit, mint condition otherwise) Sold for $200 next day, a Yamaha DXS 12" powered subwoofer (slight box damage, but $700 new).

what else is your fellow man for. who ever threw that stuff in the dumpster if they got caught how much jail time would they have gotten ? and a police record too ! now they get another chance to try it again.
 

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