I was hitting my usual route behind the bakery on 5th Street last Tuesday. Found a box of day-old croissants and got too excited stuffing them into a black bag. The bag caught on a rusty pipe and split right down the middle, scattering pastries across the gravel. I spent 20 minutes picking croissant flakes out of broken glass and old receipt paper. In the end I salvaged maybe 8 of the 15 croissants, but they tasted like alley dust anyway. Has anyone else had a score get ruined by a cheap garbage bag? That's the last time I grab ones from the dollar store.
I was digging behind there last Tuesday looking for canvas scraps and found a box of like 40 unopened tubes of oil paint from the 90s. The store closed down and just threw everything out, but those paints still mixed up fine. Has anyone else stumbled on a score that looked like trash but ended up being legit art supplies?
I spotted a beat-up couch on the curb last month and almost walked past it. Out of habit I felt inside the cushions and found $43 in crumpled bills and some loose change. Ever since that day I always give furniture a full pat-down before hauling it off. Anyone else ever find cash or random stuff hidden in curbside furniture?
Last month I found a box of roughly 30 almost-new picture frames behind the dumpster at the Oakwood Apartments off Highway 12. They were all different sizes but still had the plastic wrap on. I grabbed them all and used them to frame prints I had sitting in a drawer for years. Now I check that complex every Tuesday after trash day because they always have something good. Has anyone else found a weirdly specific spot that keeps giving?
I spotted this old metal desk lamp sitting next to a trash pile on Elm Street in Portland 3 months ago. It looked pretty beat up with a bent shade and a frayed cord, so I almost kept walking. But I grabbed it, replaced the cord for like 8 bucks, and now it's the best task light in my workshop. Anybody else find something that looked rough but cleaned up really well?
He said they toss perfectly good filing cabinets and desk chairs all the time, and I found a $300 steelcase chair on my second try. Anyone else have a hidden spot like that?
Last Tuesday in Cleveland, a guy named Dave watched me drag out an old brass floor lamp and said I was just adding to the pile of junk nobody wants. He argued that most dumpster finds end up back in the trash within a month, but I've sold three pieces from that same lot already. Do you think it's still worth saving stuff if most of it just cycles through your garage for a while before hitting the curb again?
I keep a running count in my phone notes. Number 100 was a busted office chair and a bag of half-eaten fast food. Felt kind of let down honestly. I was hoping for something cool like a working lamp or a vintage game console. Anyone else track their finds or am I just weird?
I was walking my dog past this office building and saw a busted desk chair sticking out, but underneath was this old brass lamp with a green glass shade. Cleaned it up with some vinegar and it works perfectly, even has the original pull chain. Has anyone else found old lamps or lights that just needed a little cleaning to look brand new?
I was grabbing cardboard behind the CVS on 5th street last Thursday and spotted this box with maybe 30 bottles of vitamin D and magnesium. Checked the expiration dates and they were all good for another 8 months lmao. My wife thought I was nuts bringing it home but we saved like $150 easy. Anyone else find pharmacy stuff that's still totally fine?
I saw this really nice looking love seat out on the curb down the street from my place in Denver last Tuesday. Looked clean, no stains, good condition. I was so excited I didn't think to look underneath or inside the cushions before loading it into my pickup. Got it home and as I'm carrying it down the basement steps, I hear this loud buzzing sound. Yeah, a whole nest of bees had set up shop inside the bottom cushion. Had to call an exterminator and drop $175 to get them removed. Now I always check anything fabric for bugs before I grab it. Anyone else ever bring home unwanted critters with your curb scores?
I had to choose between a beat-up solid oak dresser and a nearly perfect IKEA Malm set on the same curb. Went with the oak one despite the scratches and a broken drawer, and after $12 in wood glue and sandpaper it's been sitting in my living room for 3 years. Anyone else find that solid wood pieces are way more forgiving to fix than the cheap stuff?
I was dumpster diving behind a bakery in Portland last Saturday and spotted a KitchenAid mixer sitting on top of a trash bag. Looked almost new, just some flour dust. I grabbed it, brought it home, spent 20 minutes cleaning it, and it runs like a dream. Probably worth around $300 new. But then I got to thinking: this bakery might have had a deal with a local charity to pick up old equipment on Mondays. So by taking it Saturday night, did I steal from someone who needed it more? Or does the whole 'trash is trash' rule apply to businesses too? I've heard stories of stores intentionally denting boxes before tossing them to prevent dumpster divers. What do you all think: is commercial dumpster diving fair game, or should we leave business trash alone?
Picked up this beat-up bookshelf off someone's lawn last Saturday, looked like stained pine from the street. After sanding down the top layer to fix a water ring, I found gorgeous walnut grain underneath. Has anyone else scored furniture that turned out to be way higher quality than it looked?
I was driving home last Tuesday and spotted this De'Longhi machine sitting next to a trash bin on SE Hawthorne. It had a note taped to it saying 'turns on but no steam', so I figured why not. Took it home and spent about 20 minutes descaling the boiler with vinegar and it works perfect now. Anyone else ever picked up something that just needed a simple fix?
My neighbor Bob who does photography on the side told me to just buy a cheap light meter from a thrift shop instead of a new one. I found a Sekonic at Goodwill for $8 and it worked perfectly. Tested it against his pro model and the readings were almost identical. Has anyone else found camera gear in the bins that actually worked?