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We've all heard the term "Dumpster Diving", but who here has actually partaken in this malodorous-sounding activity? If so, post your best haul. Yes, i consider fining an old couch on the side of the road and hauling it off for one's own use to be Dumpster-Diving as well.

My boyfriend and his ex (my other roomy) used to scavenge New Orleans's Garden District during November and May, and they say they found all sorts of goodies cast off by the local college kids by the truckload. In fact, I can see an old '60s-style fluorescent lamp they salvaged three years ago right now

BTW This thread was inspired by that big juicy pile of 'refuse' just down my street I intend to raid...

P.S. Once I found a fully functional 10-speed bike, a Super Soaker CPS-2000, and a shitload of Legos when I was 18...

Although I'm pretty sure it's illegal here in CA, I used to do it semi-frequently a few years ago (when I was 15-16, and didn't really have any money to spend on stuff). Nabbed a perfectly good bike tire pump and a bunch of other stuff.

It's like a thrift shop, just cheaper

Used to do it in Cali when I lived there, used to get all sorts of really nice stuff, it's amazing what kind of perfectly good stuff people pitch.

Up here the best things I've found so far:

534GB M/O archive unit, working, with 14 disks
2 9GB tape archive units, worth $225 each, working
Box of laptops (at the time borderline crap, now considered pure crap)
4 huge motors valued at $400 (new) each, working
A bunch of lab equipment and metal samples (including the much desputed fuel pellet)
And a crapload of other stuff.

I still dumpster dive when I can, and I scavenge the local illegal dumpsites, I frequently find salvagable stuff there too.

Funny you posted this question. Recently I got an email at the place Im temping for. Someone actually wanted to know if they could get any technical support for the server they found in a dumpster.

I dont recall ever dumpster diving, but when I was in 6th grade there was a dump a few miles away. Sometimes people would lose stuff on the way there on the road in front of my house. I found a skateboard and some playboys once.

WAGH! That Sucked! I just had the Reverse Oz Effect happen (basically instead of everyone seemingly disappearing from view and everything going dead silent, suddenly people and cars start appearing from doors and around street corners), and I didn't find a DAMN thing in that Trash Pile except a dresser with drawers (and I can't carry that off by myself) anyway...

Better Luck Next Time...

I may be a student but even i have standards!

I've never dumpster dived per se, but I did grow up next to a mine which had a huge scrap dump, which made for a *great* playground for kids, with all that rusty sharp metal. In addition to all the fun industrial equipment, people would also dump their old TVs, cars, etc.. which were fun to smash with either steel pipes with huge nuts on the end (ie. a mace) or metal ball bearings shot from sling shots.

I helped someone furnish his apartment once driving around looking for furniture on the side of the road.

2000AD wrote:I may be a student but even i have standards!

indeed, I am the same way. After all if someone threw it away it is most likely because it is garbage.

Death from the Sea wrote:

2000AD wrote:I may be a student but even i have standards!

indeed, I am the same way. After all if someone threw it away it is most likely because it is garbage.

Or maybe they threw it away cause they bought a new(insert item name here) and its still working fine.

Would if I could.

I wouldn't furnish my house with something I found in a dump, but I might fix it up and sell it to someone to cash. They might not even know it's form a dump.

I'd be careful about furniture, the stories I've heard about lice and worse...

I live in backwoods Tennessee, what do you think?

Actually, no, although I do haul stuff off to the land fill quite often. And yes, you do see some VERY strange stuff...

Death from the Sea wrote:

2000AD wrote:I may be a student but even i have standards!

indeed, I am the same way. After all if someone threw it away it is most likely because it is garbage.

Or they threw it away becuase they're to damn lazy to take it back to California with them.
Seriously, the things that get left behind at universities is mind boggling. I got the office chair that I still use three years ago, I don't know what it would cost new (which it practically was) but I'd estimate $200.

Students should definitely consider taking a job cleaning halls of residence over the summer. My friend picked up three microwaves, four toasters, two toastee makers and a telly.

I also use a bookshelf we found lying in the street - none of the ones Argis sell are the right height for under my window.

I used to dumpster dive all the time when I was younger. There was a dumpster not 100ft (no, you're trying to go metric) 30 meters from my house. It wsa a good dumpster too, no maggots or stinky garbage, but a lot of salvagable junk. Then the apartment complex owners put in that compactor...

I could swear I just posted here....

anyway. There isn't a single piece of furniture in my house I did not obtain by dumpster diving! I have kind of a retro look going on. It's a great way to get free furniture! You may want to lysol it real good (If the fabric can take it) Or it may need some sprucing up (In the case of tables and such) but worth the price, IMHO. Plus, if you live near the weel to dos in your town, you can get some SICK stuff off the side of the road! (Sick good, not sick sick...)