Garbage pickin' - free stuff

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The thread about garage sales and such was good. Can we take it a step further? I'm talking free stuff! We live close to the city, so this is could be easy for us. We have found that people in these so called "nice neighborhoods" charge too much for their garage sale stuff, but on the next garbage day, most will throw this stuff away, usually in boxes or garbage bags full of nice clothing right in their garbage. They usually put the stuff right next to the cans or on top. I wouldn't take it if it is more than 6 inches from touching the cans. Good stuff, some with tags still on. (I figure these clothes may not have perfectly matched their children's eyes!) If you go during the day, most people have shipped the children off to daycare to raise their children and they are off in the traffic jams leaving really early and coming home really late. Man, these neighborhood are like ghost town during the day! At any rate, there is very nice stuff out there and it can be lots of fun! Make sure it isn't against the law in your area, though, 1st! Happy trashin!

-- White trash power (no@no.org), January 23, 2002

Answers

My husband's hobby is repairing and reselling vacuum cleaners. We frequently pick up vacs that are out for trash. The nearby village has a junk pick up twice each year and we usually get about 50 each time. You'd be surprised at how many people don't know enough to change the paper bag.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), January 23, 2002.

There's a dumpster diving group on Usenet....I think it's alt.dumpster or something like that. Interesting group of people.

-- gita (gita@directcon.net), January 23, 2002.

Our local food bank gives away any perishables that are beyond human comsumption,but yet okay for pigs or chickens, like really stale bread or slightly rotted fruit. Also this same place gives away clothing given to them. You don't have to be low income to take any of the clothing, or food for animals. Another place to check for clothing is you local churches, many have clothing banks that giveaway free clothing. You just need to keep your ears and eyes open and ask around!

-- Jo in PA (farmerjo16666@pennswoods.net), January 23, 2002.

I have heard that college campuses or nearby apartment complexes are ripe for great stuff thrown away at the end of the semester. I'm going to check that out in May!

I had a neighbor who liked to Checkout what was put in the garbage the night before garbage day (when we lived in the city and HAD garbage pickup)It got to be a joke about who would get there first. All the houses in the "community" or neighborhood were built at the same time by the same builder and all had the same appliances that were VERY old. So as people upgraded, a couple of my neighbors would "strip" the appliances that were being replaced or outright take them to replace parts for the appliances they had--saved them at least $800 on a new washer and dryer! Why waste I always say.

My neighbor and I would always case out garbage day after a neighbor moved--Wow! I couldn't believe what I had to throw out that wouldn't fit in the moving VAN(s), trucks, u-haul, minivans that moved us across country.

I have funky-looking but in perfect condition 6 drawer dressers that I've kept in my basement to store fabric. Free organization!

Im trying to get up the nerve to ask the manager at walmart, etc.. for the over-the sell date deli meats to feed my chickens. Wish me luck! That's my frugal goal this month! Happy trashing.

Oh and you may want to check out the frugal moms forum--I think the "Cheap Thrills" section may have some dumpster diving folks on it especially:

http://www.frugal-moms.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?&forumid=12

or the main address: http://www.frugal-moms.com

But hurry--there will be a fee for joining this great forum after feb 1.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 23, 2002.


Much to the chagrin of my DH, I've raised both our boys to scan trash piles, especially on Big Trash day. Can't even begin to tell you the goodies we've found! When a visitor compliments us on a piece of furniture or what-have-you, I happily boast that we found it on the side of the road! DH says "will you PLEASE not keep telling people that you get our furniture out of people's garbage!!!"

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), January 23, 2002.


White...

Perhaps you should have some business cards made up along the lines of "We haul away your garage sale leftovers for FREE. XXX-XXXX." Then cruise upscale neighborhoods on garage sales days and just leave your business card behind.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 23, 2002.


Ohhh Shannon I just had to giggle at your post. Sounds like something my Pop would say to my Mom. And great idea Ken, may have to borrow that one. Kim

-- Kim in Indiana (kwcountrygirl@aol.com), January 23, 2002.

Here are three of my favorite finds: a like new lawnmower that I used for six years, a perfect wood storm door that I repainted and hung on the front door of my historic home (I wouldn't sell it for $500) and a huge pile of scrap copper that I resold for $14.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

My youngest son built a small trailer to tow behind his bike. He rides the neighborhood and collects Aluminium, Brass, and Copper. Mostly Aluminium, then takes it to the scrap yard. His average take is $45-50 per week.

-- Paul (treewizard@buffalo.com), January 24, 2002.

A couple of my favorite finds: a brand new heavy McDonald's sweatshirt that was evidently given out to employees and a rather naughty cookie jar without the top that we use as a planter. My husband used to be embarassed by my trash picking until he realized what good stuff was out there. Now he is a convert!

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), January 24, 2002.


My DH picked up a sofa and matching loveseat in Indy on "big trash day". The only thing wrong was the fabric in front of the arms had been torn up by a cat. He just tore off the fabric, made a template from the cardboard underneath and replaced it with a piece of scrap paneling. Nobody knows unless you tell them. He gave the loveseat to friends who fixed it the same way and we're still using that sofa. It looked like new when he fixed it up. So many people throw away sooooo much. It is hard to believe that can't even haul it or call to have it hauled to a thrift store. Oh, well, we're saving the environment--right 8-)!

-- Dena (ddew1962@earthlink.net), January 24, 2002.

What a great idea Ken! I'll tell you what, I have furnished our 8 room house with furniture, knick knacks, antiques and all kinds of stuff gotten at yard sales, from dumpsters, thrift stores, auctions and giveaways. I recently got a box of doilies (my favorite) at an auction for $3.00. In the bottom, much to my surprise, was a "Weller" vase that is worth $235.00. I recently got 2 cases of peaches from the local Kroger store, because they had only thumbnail size bruises on them, but weren't "fit" to sell. I told them I was feeding them to my pigs. (I don't have any pigs..yet!)Those peaches turned into 24 pints of the best peach preserves I've ever tasted. But let's not open "their" eyes too much to what they are doing or we won't get to have any fun anymore...right? Happy Diving, Harmony

-- Harmony (harmonyfarm57@hotmail.com), January 24, 2002.

Oh how I wish our town had this sort of thing. Here I have not seen dumpsters in the back of restaurants, Walmart or any other stores. They have them behind locked fences (which generally means to "keep out" in no uncertain terms).

The trash haulers here have small plastic trash cans on wheels and you are not allowed to go into someones yard to "pick" through their trash at all!!!!

*sigh*

Sure would be checking them out if they were here!!! There are two thrift stores here (Salvation Army and DAV) and neither of them ever have furniture. And the Salvation Army thrift store puts a sign up that they are not accepting clothes now. (This sign comes and goes.)

To me they should (or could) take the clothing and send them to another Salvation Army building (even in another city in the state) to be sold or given to the needy.

I just don't understand this place we live in now!!! (Mistake move!!)

-- quinn wolfe (wolfiequinn@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.


A lot of places have locked dumpsters not for fear of trash pickers so much as illegal trash dumping (they pay extra for those large dumpsters). Also, we all know how it is, someone doing something illegal on someone else's property gets hurt, then sues and wins. Not to mention the rise of identity theft from people going through the trash of office buildings (saw a news story describing that very situation a month or two ago). I would lock a dumpster too if I were a business!

It is also illegal in many places to steal recylables (usually aluminum cans) once they are placed in the trash company's containers on the curb. I don't know but it has to do with "cheating the company" or some such nonsense. I don't know about that, because in many places they charge you for recycling whether you do or not, so any recyclables they pick up and sell is icing on the cake. Recycling should be free!

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 25, 2002.


Have just gotta tell this story. My cousin Gertie's husband is 86 and is starting to have his senior moments (like running me out of their house with a baseball bat - but that's another story). They have been in their house since the 50s and bought new livingroom furniture at that time. Gertie's kids have been on her to let them buy her a new livingroom set, but her husband opposed it on the grounds what they had was still useable. So the kids have new delivered, with the arrangement the old would be hauled off. Her husband said no, their 50s stuff was still in excellent condition so he advertised it for $600. When anyone would call he would rave about it, but as soon they took one look they left. Both sets sat there for months. Finally the daughter said she knew someone needing any furniture for a starter apartment after a divorce. Gertie gave her $600, told her it give it to her friend, who would then buy the old furniture. Of course, afterwards her husband strutted around like a peacock as he had proven it was still worth something.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 25, 2002.


Ahhhhh! Bottomfeeding, one of lifes all time great simple pleasures. I've been dong it for years and consider myself good at it. I used to go to the local scrap yard and take ptos off the truck trannys and sell them for $45 or so. I'd usually pay less than $1/pto since I'd buy them for 12 cents/pound.

Another possibility is the local hardware stores. For several years ours PAID me $10/item to haul away the discarded appliances. A good week would bring me $150-$200. Some were easily repairable and that would bring in extra cash too. Then there were the snowblowers, tillers, lawnmowers and garden tractors I'd haul for free. I've got an IH Cub, an industrial duty tiller and a snowblower I just sold for $300 from that source, not to mention the tractor I gave to a buddy of mine 4 yrs ago he still uses in the summer.

Another great resource is the spring clean-up the towns around here have. The towns folks bring their appliances, bicycles, furniture etc to a central drop point and the town disposes of it for them. I picked up a 4 cylinder marine engine a while back, thinking the block would be worth something for its core value. Later went to see a buddy and he was telling me he was having a helluva time finding a replacement engine for his 22' Carver boat. He describes the engine and I sez, "I think I have one." He comes out to look and sure nuff, it was exactly what he needed. Cha ching! $300 and he was thrilled.

A while back someone need to get rid of their hot water solar system fast. They'd sold their house. The buyer wanted new shingles on the place so the solar system had to go. I took a day off from work, hired a helper for the day and took the solar system down, complete with controls, pumps etc. They paid me $200 for the removal and "disposal" of the 10 panel system. Its going up next summer on my place.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), January 25, 2002.


many municipalities have a bylaw that makes garbage picking a crime. They claim to be keeping peoples privacy. Anyway, barring that, I say it's a great idea. I've spent a lot of time walking back alley's in Vancouver, when I lived there. Furnishings, bicycle parts, you name it, for nothing. Also when times weren't so good, a dumpster provided heaps of good quality food to a commune that I was a part of. Also their is plenty to be found in the university/college districts, especially right when college kids get out for Christmas, spring break, or summer.

-- roberto pokachinni (pokachinni@yahoo.com), January 28, 2002.

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