dumpster diving

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dumpster diving

Submitted by chad360 on Sat, 06/21/2008 - 7:50pm.

So, yeah, on the Trader Joe's thread (what a silly name, it that like "Panama Jack"?), there was talk of dumpster diving, and other than reminding me of a funny episode of Ren & Stimpy, I had no recent connection (having spent alot of time d"-diving" as a bored youth growing up in the PacNW and not so much now that I'm older)...until last week!

I dunno, but cruising on the bicycle around I found all kinds of stuff (esp. at this pet store), and actually had to call a buddy with a truck so we could give stuff away...

...I was kinda blow away at what was in the dump-

-anybody have any "good scores" while dumpster diving lately?

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Sigh

Submitted by a.future.with.n... on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 2:24am.

I really didn't want to be the first on this really really deserving thread but here goes:

Best Dumpster Scores Recently:

A case of smoothie mix from Cash n Carry

A bag of Bleu Cheese from Trader Joes

Some bike fenders and a laundry hamper from Evergreen

Favorite Dumpster Scores:

From Trader Joe's:

A case of wine

An entire smoked salmon

25 packages of basil

20-30 packages of three different kinds of chevre

a huge bag of avocados

From Other Dumpsters:

200 bottles of Odwalla

A case of liqor

250 bottles of pyramid ale

10 bags of wine (that weird franzia stuff)

A log of smoked provolone

A milk crate full of oyster mushrooms

Another milk crate full of chantrelles

All the weird dear john letters and homemade porn and weird drawings and death certificates and cartons of cigarettes and mix cd's and random crap I've found.

I'm serious about the homemade porn. Watch where you throw that stuff, I have a knack for finding it.

okay, your turn.

$625,000 worth of computers,...

Submitted by chad360 on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 11:11am.

...a Cessna engine, an American bike frame, a Zodiac (un-inflated), a bunch of D&D stuff...

Have not had that many good finds in Oly., but now I'm gonna start looking =)

...oh, and lots of cardboard for sheet-mulching

The Thrift Store

Submitted by security_six on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 11:47am.

In Oak Harbor used to be good for stuff back about 8 years ago before they put a lock on it...

Books. Tons of books. Computer parts. Old beer signs, sleeping bags, a brand new air force extreme cold weater parka that fit me!, tons of quality clothes. Records, a WWII USMC machette, old cast iron cookware, and lots more I can't remember.

Marina dumpsters are great places at times too. In Seattle I was sitting on a friends boat and this person who was not a tenant drove up, and tossed some stuff in the dumpster including a vacuum cleaner. Well I knew someone who wanted a vacuum so I went up to see if it was any good. Wound up scoring two four packs of Guiness ale instead! That dumpster also provided many life jackets, some boat fenders, and some old, old, old mahagony.

Pulled a new propane tank and some boat cushions out of one in Swantown when I was there. Went up to throw away some trash and there it was...

Wish I could find a zodiac in the dumpster. I've heard those stories a few times...

dumpsters are my friend

Submitted by hazzardus waste on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 3:55pm.

I have found a 2000 year old coin from Jerusalem, gold, a gold watch,200 year old violin,silver rings,recently I found 50 viagra, an othmalascope (eye ear nose and throat thing)with all the attachments and power base from the 60's,Ad copy that an employee took from his office at a major ad co. basically puts down the clients and the customers and the ad co. itself. thinking of writing an tell all article about it because this is a ad co. worth 100's of millions and you should see this stuff. I've found just about everything but a dead human body in dumpsters and free boxes. It is one of my hobbies and a way not to pay money I don't have for stuff I need or can use. eat the rich the poor are skinny

All this talk about the

Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 3:59pm.

All this talk about the things saved from the dumpsters is fascinating. I have to wonder about the more fantastical things - such as the violin and Jerusalem coin. Could those items have been stolen and then ditched?

the coin...

Submitted by hazzardus waste on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 5:23pm.

the coin was wired to a piece of plywood art type thing that was all painted up and tossed out in a construction dumpster off of 4th. ave. where they were renovating a space the dumpster was full of construction trash and the painted board caught my eye. Also the coin was surrounded with 22 karat gold like a pendant.Altogether the coin and gold was worth about 40-50 bucks. So no I don't think it was stolen. People don't take the time to examine things when they toss stuff, it all just gets passed up in the rush to clean out/up things. Most folks just don't want to take the time to minutely go through stuff when they are tossing stuff. A lot of times my best stuff is found in apt. buildings when the slum lord tosses stuff. dead folks,people who leave and leave there stuff behind. Most don't take the time they just want to get the space ready for the next tenant be that commercial or residential. I am not surprised as to what I find any more, our society generates a hell of a lot of trash and there is a general disdain for scrounging in the trash so tons of stuff gets tossed. the violin I got 500 $ for and it needed major restoration, the shop I sold it to said when restored it would be worth a few thousand dollars. It was from 1850's Germany. I also find tons of stuff at thrift stores and yard sales. I have gotten so much stuff there that I started selling it on e-bay but they don't pay enough, I also sold stuff to most of the antique stores downtown. I wold say that I made about 5000$ from stuff I've scored over the last couple years or so. One of my best scores in terms of old stuff is 2 silver table spoons from 1721 I got at the american legion yard sale 2 years ago on the lacy boarder for 8$ apiece.At the time the weight of the silver was more than 16$ so I bought them, and for sure they didn't know what they were selling or how old they were. And I didn't either till I researched them. An internet search of these items I found that the value ranges from about 400 to 2000$ apiece on comparable ones. Like they say ones mans trash is another ones treasure. eat the rich the poor are skinny

I apartment is furnished with nothing but Dumpster Dive Prizes

Submitted by Laurian on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 6:32pm.

or as we called it in Seattle, Shopping at the Big Store.

Back in the early 90's on Capitol hill (and across the rest of the city I beleive) there was a weekend in August when you could put out nearly anything and the following Monday the City's Solid Waste came around and hauled it all away. For two summer nights everyone, and I mean everyone was out strolling through the biggest free flea market in the world. It was Anarchy at it's best. No Cops, no rules, no money, just people exchanging hellos and commodities.

The preceeding brings up the topic of commercialism. I can't knock anyone for making a little green from diverting usable stuff from the waste stream. I've even thought about how a dumpster diving business might work but then I think there's something a little off about making money on free stuff. Again, I'm not disparaging anyone, just sharing.

Gomi Day

Submitted by Rob Richards on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 6:34pm.

What you just described in Seattle is a national holiday in Japan. Big difference in cultures.

It's called "garbitrage"

Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 06/24/2008 - 9:32am.

...

I used to dumpster dive when I lived in San Francisco...

Submitted by The Original Yoda on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 11:24pm.

The Safe(Not)Way near the castro used to spray paint their produce so divers couldn't eat it.

Better than diving was just asking for kickdowns. You find out when the Alvarado Street Bakery or Odwalla delivers to the nearest place and watch the guy come out with the old bread or juice or whatever and ask politely for some old bread or juice returns. Look hungry and say you have a lot of people to feed (It helps if this is true).

Two or three times a week I was walking home with as much bread and bagels and juice, as I could carry.

I've heard of some folks, Freegans, in New York City who live off dumpsters alone.

Safeway

Submitted by a.future.with.n... on Tue, 06/24/2008 - 1:46am.

The Safeway in downtown was good until it's very last day. You just has to be sneaky coming and going.

There are some pretty alright dumpsters in town if you're ever interested in going. The real treat is making a trip up to Seattle. A lot has changed over the years but the trash is just as delicious.

I like ....

Submitted by hazzardus waste on Tue, 06/24/2008 - 2:16am.

clean trash, but I do eat dumpsred food even leftover scraps straight out of the trash bins on the street, but I really really like clean trash more than food trash. Also I feel that anyone that dumpsers food should pay it forward to the poor folk cuz alot of hipsters are taking food out of the mouths of the poor. If you you are a hipster please give at least 50 percent back to the poor by donating stuff to food not bombs os even your own free feed. too much is going out to hipsters trying to be hip. When it comes down to it hipsters are taking food from the poor. Hey your food budget should be paid by your rich parents and not by the hip slick and cool dumpster diving way you saw in that zine.. Also poor folk do not have cars so if the reasorces are there to get dumpster stuff then you should share eat the rich the poor are skinny

blog circle

Submitted by Sarah on Tue, 06/24/2008 - 2:31pm.

Olympia Dumpster Diving

cardboard for sheet mulching

Submitted by chad360 on Tue, 06/24/2008 - 3:02pm.

I want to be the King of Cardboard for Sheet-Mulching and have super-powers that benefit me with heightened awareness of all geo-locations where cardboard resources are to be found for my sheet-mulching exploits!

...and so with this awesome goal in mind, I willfully ingest this magical cocktail comprised of downtown elements to start my magical transformation:...

One gulp spring~water, 4 x doppio espresso con panna, 16 fluid ounces Fishtail, etc...

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