Has anybody salvaged any treasures that other people have thrown away?

Question

I wanted to ask this because i have been doing it since i was a kid. The patio blocks on my patio, and a few lawn oraments in my yard were salvaged from other peoples yards. I recently found a 3 burner char broil gas grill that needed an ignitor that i just fixed.

Answer 1

I am also an opportunist of others discards. I have picked up numerous mowers, fixed them and sold them. Many many other items. Usually there is nothing major wrong with things that, I suppose they found it was easier to buy new than to fix.

Remember, another mans trash is usually my treasure.

Answer 2

Are you kidding? When I was a kid we had "Spring Cleanup Day" in the city that I lived in, where you could put anything out for trash no matter how big.
My mother and her friend would make 3 or 4 trips all around the city picking things up, and of course I grew up learning how to do it too! I still scrounge 'cause I live near a college, it's great in the spring when the college students graduate, they throw so much out.
My big disappointment was a couple of months ago I didn't get a beatiful free-standing yard swing someone put to the curb. A thunderstorm was coming and I couldn't get back with the pick-up truck before it started.

Answer 3

My little brother use to go up to homes and offer to help older people clean out their garages or attics and he said he would do it for free if he could keep anything they did not want.

He was VERY honest about it. If he found something really worth a lot of money he would tell them and offer to help them sell it online. If is was just average stuff or old toys or whatever he would just let them look through it and then take whatever boxes and stuff they didn't want.

A lot went to the dump and the rest he resold online. Sometimes the people didn't care that an old toy was worth money they just said "Take It" because they were so happy to get their garage cleaned.

He would also go around the Univerisity when school was ending for the year during finals week and collect the stuff that college students didn't want to drag home... a lot of good stuff and a lot of things like mini fridges and cinderblocks that he would sell to students in the Fall of the start of the next college year.

Smart Guy !! He paid for a lot of his college doing these things.

Answer 4

recently I got a sewing machine the rubbish in the rubbish I have been looking to buy but could not find one anywhere, I was looking for a swing for a doll and today I found it. But the best thing I ever got from the trash was Wendy's cups with the points on the side for free air fare. I got so many of them that I got round trip air fare for 10 people yes I trashed picked for the points and I would do it again. You know one mans trash can really be another persons treasures. Take what you want when you see it why not right. They do not want it or else they would not throw it out! hope you find lots of goot stuff.

Answer 5

Yes many times. I like to go thu old flea markets, and accassionally the Goodwill ( I also donate to the Good will old stuff I no longer need.) We can not go though the trash dumpsters here as it is illegal and I would not anyway. But I have accumalated old stuff people were getting rid of in flea markets, and yard sales such as old painitngs, tools, even old porclin pole knobs which used to be used for telegraph/telephone wires, and old cermic electrical supplies .
Some of my furniture or favorites came from Individuals who were just getting rid of them. I brought from an auction an old solid wooden desk(double secretatry type which weighs over 150 lbs. for 125 bucks with two chairs, all real old. I was offered 125 for the chairs before I left the place. I think the other bidders thought
I would pay hundreds for them and they stopped bidding, got mad when I brought the three for 125. I love the auctions, and markets, yard sales but don't have the time.
I know a guy who pays a 1000 ayear subscription for membership in a company which keeps him up to date weekly or as prices change on the price they'll pay and the real value of dishes, such as china plates, saucers, cups, he buys there things from yard sales and flea markets for aliving and does over 60 grand a year doing it.
He also goes to where they auction off the contents of rental buildens people have abandoned full of furniture of didn't have the money to pay a 35 dollars rent and lost everything in them which is bad.
I know the owner of one metal building rental business who makes a killing off of these metal rentals in which people don';t pay the rent. he isn't supposed to but he takes a look and already knows the value of them and bids them him self at the sheriffs auction. I know of one rental building where the contents unseen went for 25 dollars because when the sheriff open the door for a few minutes all you could see was old filthy pee stained looking mattresses and bed clothing, cheap particle board furniture. Some one took a chance on $25 and ended up with a new motorcycle. plus a ton of expensive sears tools hidden behind the mattresses.
So when you see someone digging into a dumpster, it may be the needed, but it could be the wealthy too.
I am trying to find an old car now for restoring. If I can find an old bottle with Genie in it and get my three wishes I'll go back to 1920 and steal one:)
Any with an unwanted genie contact me.:)

Answer 6

Oh Yes! I have no pride! My kids and grands laugh at me. If I see something salvageable in or around the dumpster, that I think someone else could use, I bring it home, sometimes the item is still in perfect condition, sometimes it just needs to be cleaned up. I love garage sales, yard sales,the flea market , Goodwill, Salvation Army stores. There's usually someone who can really use the stuff, sometimes, I keep it for myself.

Answer 7

For sure... all the time! It's fun too. One man's rubbish is another man's treasure.

There was an article in the Montreal Gazette newspaper once about a university professor whose complete home is furnished with salvaged treasures...

Answer 8

As they say, "Somebodies Trash is Somebodies Treasure", Its amazing what some people will throw away..... I say if you can find a use for it and its not just becoming a pile of trash in your own home or yard, Why Not collect it??? Why pay for something if you can get it for free, or close to it?

Answer 9

Oh my goodness yes! A friends and I did this so much we had garage sales all the time. Eventually we worked our way up to a resale store. It was awesome! but, both of us moved 4 months ago and we had to close the store down, now neither of us have a trash buddy! bummer!

Answer 10

All the time...lamps, rugs, soccer ball, furniture-mirrored hall table most recently. My main problem now is that I have a little two-seat car, so I'm limited as to what I can pick up!