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Forum Thread

You threw away what?!

237 50 June 21, 2012 at 05:05 PM in Finance
I decided to put my log book on this forum so you can all see the crazy amount of free stuff in good condition that I find while walking my dogs at night in NYC. My girlfriend and I recently moved into a new apartment on the Upper East Side and we had been noticing how much brand new (or antique) stuff is left out on the curb.

So for fun (and because we are both as cheap as they come), we started grabbing stuff that is in good condition. Either we use it, try to sell it, or give it away.

Oh, and keep in mind, bottles and cans have a $0.05 deposit on them so we return those.

We just started keeping track, here is what we have so far:

6/18 - 18 books, 1 milk crate, 4 deposit cans ($0.20)
6/19 - Aero-Swiss Humidifier (Valued over $100), Keurig Coffee Machine ($120), Small Dust Buster, Best Fitness Leg Developer (Over $100), 11 deposit cans ($0.55)
6/20 - 7 deposit cans ($0.35)
6/21 - 37 bottle deposit cans (took the dogs on a long walk this afternoon) ($1.85)

That's the last four days, I'll update this as we get new finds.

Anyone else do this either out of necessity or as a hobby?

Stephen

Check out the new blog @ http://youthrewawaywhat.wordpress.com ... my site where all I do is talk about garbage!

Community Wiki

Last Edited by stephenNYC July 30, 2012 at 06:41 PM
Here is the master list of all of our finds to date! It also includes what has sold, the upcycle projects and any other benefits we have gotten from our trash!

Found:

TOTAL: 8 milk crates
TOTAL: 635 My Coke Reward Points
  • 18 books
  • Aero-Swiss Humidifier
  • Keurig Coffee Machine
  • Small Dust Buster
  • Best Fitness Leg Developer
  • Giorgio Armani Sunglasses Case
  • June issue of Backpacker Magazine
  • Verizon Phone charger
  • 7 dresser drawers
  • 2 Wilson Titanium Tennis Rackets
  • Large Kitchen Garbage can
  • Michael's Arts and Crafts drawers
  • A crochet purse
  • Shannon Hand-Crafted Lead Crystal Cake Plate and Server
  • Cooks Panini-Maker
  • 3 Magazines -- Elle, Cosmo, and Glamour
  • 2 Picture frames in their original plastic
  • Film Quarterly magazines from the 1960s and 70s
  • CAT5e Ethernet Cable
  • DesignForLiving Water Bottle
  • Broyhill Nightstand
  • Cheese Grater
  • NIB Wilson Titanium Tennis Balls
  • Some eating utensils
  • Two Hard Rock Cafe Glasses, NIB
  • 254 my coke rewards points.
  • Black and Decker mixer
  • Frying pan
  • Lemonade pitcher
  • Coffee table
  • HP1040 Fax Machine
  • HP Floppy Drive & Smart Card Reader
  • Dell Keyboard
  • BodyBlade Classic 4
  • Bake King Cupcake Pan
  • Step stool
  • United States Annotated Code Chapters 28 (Federal Rules of Evidence) and 42 (Public Health and Welfare), 2001 edition with the 2012 supplements.
  • A Trash Can
  • Laundry Basket
  • Kelty Kids Ridgeline Backpack
  • Budweiser Billiard Cue
  • HP Toner
  • CAT 3 Cable
  • Holmes AccuTemp Window Fan
  • "The Naked Nude Nude" screen print art
  • HP OfficeJet Pro K850
  • 2 Electronics Stands
  • Laptop Desk with Built in Fan
  • Signed Artist Proof, Fragment by Arline Sherman
  • Small screwdriver set
  • Players Image Alignment Golf MIRROR Training Aid
  • 2 Family & Friends CPR Training Kits with Manikins
  • Pantone Color Tint Selector by Pantone Library of Color
  • 3 Books on Woodworking
  • 10Base-T Concentrator
  • A bunch of cedar shoe-horns
  • S-Video Cable


Upcycled:
  • Two dresser drawers into kitchen shelving
  • Film Quarterly Magazines into Art for wall

Converted to Cash:
  • HP1040 Fax Machine, Recalled for $100 rebate. Used to buy new printer
  • Bottle Deposit Returns: $16.30
  • HP Toner and HP1040 Ink Cart, HP OfficeJet Carts/Toner (11) -- $26 @ Staples
  • BodyBlade Classic 4 -- $68 via Ebay
  • Michael's Storage Drawers -- $25 via Ebay
  • Air-O-Swiss Humidifier -- $25 via Ebay
  • Both Wilson Tennis Rackets -- $27 via Ebay
  • Kelty Kids Backpack -- $36 via Ebay

380 Comments

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Joined Jun 2012
Trash Connoisseur
> bubble2 237 Posts
50 Reputation
Original Poster
stephenNYC
06-22-2012 at 09:32 AM.
06-22-2012 at 09:32 AM.
Quote from Scampsters :
You have great decorating ideas you should have your own TV show on TLC and start your own line of furnishings at JC Penney
Haha, well given that every TV show out now ends in either Wars, Hunters, Stars or Kings (Storage Wars, Storage Hunters, Auction Kings, Auction Hunters, Craft Wars, Parking Wars, Pawn Stars, Trucking Wars, Hauling Wars.... blah blah list goes on) I was going to start filming our adventures and called it Dumpster Hunter Star Wars. Should be a real hit on A&E

Quote from Ryu-bom :
You live in the Upper East Side and resorts to picking up cans....:yuck:
Hey, I live in a rent-stablized apartment and I'm in between jobs. Why the hell not?
Reply
Last edited by stephenNYC June 22, 2012 at 09:33 AM.
Joined Jan 2006
L8: Grand Teacher
> bubble2 3,711 Posts
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FeedMeAlmonds
06-22-2012 at 09:35 AM.
06-22-2012 at 09:35 AM.
Quote from shhaggy :
Imagine getting prime cuts of meat or expensive fish because it was out of the fridge too long
Sounds like a sickdeal.
Reply
Joined Mar 2009
Schrödinger's Frog
> bubble2 19,435 Posts
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Frogstar
06-22-2012 at 09:38 AM.
06-22-2012 at 09:38 AM.
Quote from stephenNYC :
Hey, I live in a rent-stablized apartment and I'm in between jobs. Why the hell not?
There's something you should know about Ryu-bom... he's a massive tool.
Reply
Joined Jun 2012
Trash Connoisseur
> bubble2 237 Posts
50 Reputation
Original Poster
stephenNYC
06-22-2012 at 09:38 AM.
06-22-2012 at 09:38 AM.
Quote from jsean :
Sounds like a sickdeal.
Sounds like diarrhea.
Reply
Joined Jun 2012
Trash Connoisseur
> bubble2 237 Posts
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Original Poster
stephenNYC
06-22-2012 at 09:42 AM.
06-22-2012 at 09:42 AM.
Quote from Frogstar :
There's something you should know about Ryu-bom... he's a massive tool.
Understood
Reply
Joined Jun 2012
Trash Connoisseur
> bubble2 237 Posts
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Original Poster
stephenNYC
06-22-2012 at 09:54 AM.
06-22-2012 at 09:54 AM.
As requested, some pictures of our recent finds --- The Keurig, Aero-Swiss, and NIB Excercise equipment
Reply
Joined Jan 2004
Here's to the future
> bubble2 25,141 Posts
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Iaaaiws
06-22-2012 at 09:56 AM.
06-22-2012 at 09:56 AM.
Quote from stephenNYC :
As requested, some pictures of our recent finds --- The Keurig, Aero-Swiss, and NIB Excercise equipment
Wtf? You swiped somebody's UPS delivery? Doh
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Joined Jun 2012
Trash Connoisseur
> bubble2 237 Posts
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Original Poster
stephenNYC
06-22-2012 at 09:58 AM.
06-22-2012 at 09:58 AM.
Quote from Iaaaiws :
Wtf? You swiped somebody's UPS delivery? Doh

haha no -- the date on the packing slip was from 2010 and it was on a trash pile. I'm not that much of a douche Wink
Reply
Joined Jan 2004
Here's to the future
> bubble2 25,141 Posts
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Iaaaiws
06-22-2012 at 10:02 AM.
06-22-2012 at 10:02 AM.
Quote from stephenNYC :
haha no -- the date on the packing slip was from 2010 and it was on a trash pile. I'm not that much of a douche Wink
Too bad. That would open your possible findings to a whole new level.
Reply
Joined Jun 2012
Trash Connoisseur
> bubble2 237 Posts
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Original Poster
stephenNYC
06-22-2012 at 10:05 AM.
06-22-2012 at 10:05 AM.
Quote from Iaaaiws :
Too bad. That would open your possible findings to a whole new level.
hahaha. if I don't get this job I interviewed for last week... I may have to take drastic measures.
Reply
Joined Jun 2005
L6: Laser Lotus
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shhaggy
06-22-2012 at 10:13 AM.
06-22-2012 at 10:13 AM.
Quote from stephenNYC :
Yeah that is a pretty big movement that isn't only isolated to NYC. It is all over the country. Grocery Stores also throw stuff out that has "expired" but still has a good amount of time before it actually goes bad. I haven't partaken in that idea yet... I'm a little picky about the freshness of my food laugh out loud
Yea but places like NYC takes it to a new level because of the abundance of high end restaurants that dump much higher quality food. There's a big difference between getting a few loaves of bread from a Stop and Shop and getting a slab of sushi grade yellowtail.
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Joined Jul 2004
Master Of Scamps
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Scampsters
06-22-2012 at 10:30 AM.
06-22-2012 at 10:30 AM.
Probably some of the wealthiest social famillies in high society newyork were also some of the most frugal. You dont get to have lots of money by pissing it awayWink
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Joined Jun 2005
L6: Laser Lotus
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shhaggy
06-22-2012 at 11:16 AM.
06-22-2012 at 11:16 AM.
Quote from Scampsters :
Probably some of the wealthiest social famillies in high society newyork were also some of the most frugal. You dont get to have lots of money by pissing it awayWink
Frugality is a little different. I know a ton of people that would look for the best deal they could possibly find on certain things. Most of them wouldn't touch food that's getting thrown away though. They'd happily shop relentlessly for the best deal they could find on a filet or on high quality fish, but not take from a restaurant where they don't know how it's been handled.

The only thing freegan like that I ever do is get stuff from a bakery at a huge discount. Most of them will move the day's bread and bagels and sometimes even muffins at a huge discount because they make them fresh every day. But they're still in a bin when I get them. It's not like I'm buying raw food that is being dumped because it's been sitting out. That's a little iffy for me.
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Joined May 2006
Boating
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Piccaboo
06-22-2012 at 06:32 PM.
06-22-2012 at 06:32 PM.
Quote from shhaggy :
Frugality is a little different. I know a ton of people that would look for the best deal they could possibly find on certain things. Most of them wouldn't touch food that's getting thrown away though. They'd happily shop relentlessly for the best deal they could find on a filet or on high quality fish, but not take from a restaurant where they don't know how it's been handled.

The only thing freegan like that I ever do is get stuff from a bakery at a huge discount. Most of them will move the day's bread and bagels and sometimes even muffins at a huge discount because they make them fresh every day. But they're still in a bin when I get them. It's not like I'm buying raw food that is being dumped because it's been sitting out. That's a little iffy for me.

You can do that at food stores where I live; if you know what time to go into the food store at night time. Ground Beef is ground daily, and what doesn't sell, the price is reduced by 8pm that evening to an unbelievable discount to get rid of it. If you take it home and make meatballs, meatloaf, and other things with it and freeze it - you are good to go. Same with breads, bagels, and the like - they have fresh one's in the bakery department - and again - after a certain time in the evening - those get heavily discounted to move them before the next day - they want fresh for the next day.

No need to go to a restaurant to do this, you need to know the food stores policies around where I live to get the best deals like this. Some of us know the secrets, others have no clue at all.
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Joined Jun 2012
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> bubble2 237 Posts
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Original Poster
stephenNYC
06-22-2012 at 09:55 PM.
06-22-2012 at 09:55 PM.
Tonight's finds:
37 Bottles ($1.85)
3 My Coke Rewards Caps
1 kitchen utensil drawer organizer made of bamboo
and my personal favorite of the night -- a brand new Giorgio Armani Sunglasses Case (Pic below)
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