Joined Jun 2012
Trash Connoisseur
Forum Thread
You threw away what?!
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://youthrewawaywha
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://youthrewawaywha
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
Upcycled:
Converted to Cash:
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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From our efforts, we've picked up 254 my coke rewards points. What do you all think is the most effective use of them from a cost/benefit/point perspective? I had been "saving up" for the free case - they cost 250 points, and I figured we'd get $0.60 in bottle deposits and another 10 MCR points, making the true cost more like 240 points. WWSDD?
Personally - I would save them up until Christmas time. Last year they had awesome deals on gift cards to Best Buy., Home Depot, Subway. They also had free twelve packs for 30pts! You will want to create a deal alert for my coke rewards so that you don't miss out. Some of the gift cards were limited in supply.
I had a simliar couch. was in decent shape.. I posted it on CL as a freebee. Some single mom with 4 kids and no furniture claimed it.. It was a pita to drive it down to the ghetto and haul it up the stairs, but she really appreciated it.. made me feel good.
You can watch for the "Wanted' area in CL as well when you are expecting to upgrade furniture soon.
what would you like to talk about? id rather not just be applauded on finds. too boring
Anyways, whats the normal reaction of people who see you going through random thrown out stuff? Any interesting conversations or encounters?
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Anyways, whats the normal reaction of people who see you going through random thrown out stuff? Any interesting conversations or encounters?
On the other hand, I do get really embarrassed for some reason when I am digging through the garbage in our building and I hear a neighbor coming down the hall. I guess part of it is that these are people I see regularly, it is their stuff I'm digging through, and it does generate a bit of an anxious response from me still. I generally have some stuff on close enough to just act like I'm at the garbage can sorting my own recycling. I pull that off well enough that I don't think anyone suspects me of doing my usual
The only actual conversation I've had is the one with the Guatamalan guy who was collecting bottles. I talked about it in an earlier post
On the other hand, I do get really embarrassed for some reason when I am digging through the garbage in our building and I hear a neighbor coming down the hall. I guess part of it is that these are people I see regularly, it is their stuff I'm digging through, and it does generate a bit of an anxious response from me still. I generally have some stuff on close enough to just act like I'm at the garbage can sorting my own recycling. I pull that off well enough that I don't think anyone suspects me of doing my usual
The only actual conversation I've had is the one with the Guatamalan guy who was collecting bottles. I talked about it in an earlier post
I don't think I can express how jealous I am of you right now Jace!!! We really need a printer and I've been being really stingy about going to buy one, just crossing my fingers we will find one in the trash. The other alternative is that I've got like $30 in Amazon gift cards from Swag Bucks I could put towards one, but I'm going to trust the garbage gods for a few more days before I give in. Congrats on your find
I am sensing a moderator warning in his future
I started reading your blog, very interesting stuff. Have you ever checked out the Ikea Hackers site? I've picked up some neat ideas from that site and even if you don't have Ikea items laying around waiting to be hacked, you can often find what you need on Craigslist or Freecycle.org or even just modify something you already have to do a similar project.
http://www.ikeahackers
Soda caps, bassinette (which was absolutely gorgeous and fantastic condition) metal objects (which are easily salvageable) furniture (I stay away from upholstery)
I've got the hubby and kids involved, and they will joke with me, if hubby sees a drink with some left in he will always ask me if I want it....ugh
I carry a folded up reuseable grocery bag with me at all times along with gloves and hand sanitizer. When I plan ahead I'll have a ziplock baggie with wipes in it.
I am a major germaphobe and yes, there have been times I get the dry heaves.
There's money to be made in them there piles of garbage.
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Noun:
1.A mythical, cave-dwelling being depicted in folklore as either a giant or a dwarf, typically having a very ugly appearance.
2.The action of trolling for fish.
Verb:
Fish by trailing a baited line along behind a boat: "we trolled for mackerel".