One man's trash...

Tradarcher

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Creedmoor, NC
...is another man's treasure. I went to the dump Saturday to drop my household trash off. I tossed my recycle in the bins and decided to check out what's in the metal and wood and other non household dumpsters. I'm no dumpster diver but I am nosey about what people toss out. I'm checking out the stuff I think I can weld to make something useful but nothing worth diving in after. There were a few gas grills that I thought had enough life to take to the hunt club, a wheeled garden cart that looked like it could have been used at the hunt club to haul off deer guts. Upon closer inspection of the garden cart I spy the little gem below. Now, I want this thing but I wasn't going over the railing and risk falling in and hurting myself. It was probably not allowed anyway and one of the two workers would have certainly called me on it. I looked around a voila! Someone has fashioned a "tool" with a long handle and a hook on the end and left it close by.

This thing is massive. I can't believe someone tossed it.
For the record I have only taken a dive for one other thing. Last spring I had a guy retrieve a Jon boat seat in perfect shape that matched two I already had.

At the large county dump there used to be a clan of dumpster divers that used to run up to your truck before you even made it to the dumpster. Some of the things they took were real garbage but I am sure they got some gems too. After a while it got so bad that they kicked them all out and woldn't let them back.

Anybody else got some gems at the dump?

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nice find !!

With the price of steel/scrap they keep a tight eye on the metal bin.. 1 way only..

But, i've seen so much waste thrown away.. 1 day I saw an alum. truck box twords the bottom, granted i couldn't see the whole thing, but 2 sides and the top looked almost new...
 
The one thing that is consistent at the "convenience centers, and at the County dump here in this county is .....Everyone works there has a stash daily of stuff they are taking home. So if I see something do I ask, nope, I just get it. Only once has something been said to me, and my reply was a simple" And the little pile out beside your truck is going back in the metal pile? I got in, and left.

There is a lot of stuff thrown away at the places that could be used as is and not need recycled, but oh well.

Nah, I ain't beyond a little swim every now and then
 
Was at the dump earlier this year, and found about 2 dozen boxes of brand new cabinet (like kitchen) doors. My friend and I grabbed as many as possible before the woman driving the dozer chased us off.

When I lived in Utah, I found a small trailer frame that I got the guy to load onto my trailer. Took it home, made up a bed for it, and towed it around with my 3 wheeler as my yard trailer. I was surprised that the tires actually held air (for about 2 weeks at a time before I had to re-air them).
 
Nobody likes to take me with them to the dump cause it seems that I always ending up going home with more than I came with. I dont have hardly anything that wasnt somebody elses trash first.
 
upnover said:
The one thing that is consistent at the "convenience centers, and at the County dump here in this county is .....Everyone works there has a stash daily of stuff they are taking home.
Click to expand...
Do you go to the one on 18? That's the one I use, and just a couple weeks ago, I pulled a 20" kids bike out, with 2 flat tires, and a jumped chain...5 minutes of work at home, and it's fine...figure someone will want it down the line...
oh, and I also snagged some cool national Geographics from the 60s to read & snag the cool old car ads out of...from the mixed paper bin...
 
Maybe I should go at busier hours, I go to the one on 18 and the one on 126 every once in a while and they always watch me. It's hard to sneak anything out of the bins, but sometimes possible. There's always all kinds of good junk in there.
 
I always just ask. If you are polite they usually say ok if there is no one there. I grabbed once without asking and they were pissed. Typically I pick up bed frames so I have some cheap crappy angle around for small projects. I have also gotten lawn mower, air compressor, bikes. Everything worked when I got it home.
 
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