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We love to go through street garbage in cities, especially when we visit NYC.
We avoid the gross food rash bags and mainly just grab stuff that’s left out to be picked up. We’ve found amazing stuff: art, lamps, clothes, rugs, household goods.But does anyone actually dumpster dive on a regular basis?
I’d love to hear where you go and what your method is.
Any issues with property owners? -
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I don’t do dumpster diving exactly but I scour curbside collections (where people throw out their bulky trash).
I collect about 30 to 40 items per week for resale. I do it in a single day usually on a Sunday afternoon or a Monday morning before work. This is the majority of my sourcing.
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I don’t go dumpster diving however people leave all kinds of things out on the curb on trash day. I’ve gotten shelving for my eBay storage, furniture for my office and even the occasional eBay inventory item just by driving through my neighborhood. I’ve been very tempted to try going to dumpsters behind retail strip malls to see if I can score free boxes and packaging. I follow a guy that goes by the name Craigslist Hunter on YouTube, he actually did a dumpster diving video last week: https://youtu.be/-ioklciRR1M
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We live in a condo community with over 900 condos. There is a large dumpster at the end of our street that gets emptied twice a week and that is often times not enough. People leave great stuff there all the time. Coffee makers, vacuum cleaners, art, furniture, microwaves, tvs, dog kennels, area rugs, shoes, luggage and the list goes on. They will often times set stuff off to the side because they know it’s still good and they must feel guilty throwing it away. I have harvested dozens of items there and sold them on craigslist. Last week I picked up a mini fridge brought it home cleaned it up, took some photos listed it on craigs list and it sold the next day for $75.00. Cha-ching! We actual call walking up to the dumpster with the dog “checking the trap”. 🙂
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Watching Dumpster Diving videos is a guilty pleasure of mine, too. “Mom the eBayer” is fun to watch on YouTube. She sources exclusively from the trash in Chicago and also donates a lot of usable items to others in need. Her positive attitude is infectious.
Once when looking for a clean shipping box behind a beauty supply store, I happened upon four designer sport coats just draped over the boxes in the dumpster. Two Calvin Klein, one Ralph Lauren and one Robert Graham. All were size 52 long, perfectly clean and in mint condition. I made about $400 from that trash pick.
Why were they there? Maybe someone from the beauty supply broke up with her boyfriend and threw out his clothes?
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I don’t do any dumpster diving, but have found amazing pieces at the “free house” at our local dump. I’ve found and sold signed studio art pottery, original signed art by listed artists, architectural salvage, designer purses, shoes, antique books, persian rugs, antique sheet music, and more. One of my favorite sources for sure!
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I used to trash pick when I lived in an apartment in Birmingham, Al. It was in a “nice” neighborhood, so people threw away nice things. I kept most of it; I was just starting out and needed “stuff” for my place.
I got a set of ceramic cooking pots that were made in France, bolts of designer fabric, liquor (!!!), and a solid mahogany Victorian vanity table. The table wasn’t politely set next to the dumpster, either. It was *in* the dumpster, and I totally climbed in and pulled it out. The table wouldn’t fit in my car, so I dragged it across the apartment complex and up 3 flights of stairs. I eventually brought it to a furniture restorer to have a new mirror cut for it, and the receptionist offered me $1000 for it on the spot. I declined; I liked it too much. I’ve had it almost 20 years now, and I’ve moved it twice across the country. 🙂
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My favorite activity is driving alleys for finds. I don’t really go into the trash cans so much as grab things I see in plain view, left by the trash or peeking out of the can. I have different alley “routes.” One by a local college where both students and professors live has produced everything from a US Military grade bio hazard mask and an authentic campaign poster of Mandela running for President in South Africa. Another route of affluent townhouses produces electronics, toys and games, clothing and knick knacks – once even a vintage gold watch. Of course these kind of treasures are eureka finds and happen maybe once every few months.
I can only go driving the alleys on the weekends. Wonder what I miss during the week.
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This sounds like true scavenging like what Martin does in Montreal: https://garbagefinds.com/
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Found out this week that one of my thrift stores throws away stuff that doesn’t sell or they don’t want to put out in the dumpster in back. I asked if I could just come Take what they didn’t want but for some reason they can’t do that. ? But I can go through the trash after they close. ?
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I wouldn’t want someone going through my trash, but I have picked up stuff from the curb when I lived in LA. We had our 50’s shop and found 2 great sofas on the curb that we had recovered and sold for hundreds of dollars a piece. I was donating to a Goodwill truck once that had a “junk pile” and commented on 2 vintage Tonka firetrunks and they let me have them–I sold them for a couple of hundred bucks.
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Martin has recent post that describes the harassment that he’s begun to get from police.
Seems like people are starting to recognize him. I guess he’s becoming “that dude who goes through out trash”.I understand why people wouldn’t want someone going through their trash at the end of the driveway. But then again, it seems insane that people consistently through away incredible, valuable, useful stuff.
The fact that a person cant even call for a donation pickup makes me pro-scavenger.
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I dumpster dive for boxes. Most are new. Bath and body works have great small boxes, t jMax another good source.
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I started sourcing all the items in my store by dumpster diving. I have since moved mostly to sourcing from thrifts and the occasional estate sale, but I still dive once in a while. I usually only stick to retail dumpsters, I avoid residential due to people’s fears of id theft. Some of my finds include a new in box rifle scope from a D ick’s sporting goods dumpster, 15-20 high end hair care products from a beauty supply dumpster, a high end Japanese shintoku knife from a cooking store, tax software and office supplies, vitamins and supplements, and tons of clothes from a franchise clothing chain store in my area. I also occasionally do my food shopping from the dumpster, usually only in the winter months. Doughnut scores are always a good place to score a bag full of doughnuts. I source from Dunkin Doughnuts and Krispy Cream several times a year when I get a craving for doughnuts.
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Any issues with security when going behind a retail store? I would think they would have 24 hour security.
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I think the biggest challenge with dumpster diving is that going through the trash goes against social norms and as a result is viewed as taboo. Also, like Jay said, people leave some great stuff out on the curb which is why dumpster diving is a thing in the first place. Heck, my neighbor two doors down left a nice gas grill out on the curb on trash day last week and I really wanted to go take a look at it but he was out working in his yard and I was not sure how he would react.
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That’s so true about the social norms. I sometimes dumpster dive for shipping materials. I told my husband he would probably be embarassed if I showed up in the local news, “Doctor’s wife arrested for dumpster diving.” He seemed to think that would be mild compared to some of my antics. LOL besides, he brags about all of his thrifted neckties, etc.
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I’ve looked into this before but the main problem with diving in my area is most big companies have caught on and now have the compactor trash cans or have their trash in areas with no trespassing signs. Most residents just throw their trash in their bins and unless its outside you can’t go into the trash can itself. I have picked up stuff on the side of the road next to cans before but I am usually quick about it because people can be weird about their trash.
My local auction guy tho does have a dumpster next to his building and each Saturday I will jump in after the auction to “find boxes” and I have pulled some cool stuff out that he just thinks is junk.
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Hey Jay this one is for you. I went up to “check the trap” the other day and someone had left a nice stainless steel coffee maker with carafe. I brought it home, gave it a little cleaning, fired it up and it worked like a champ. I started doing some research on it trying to decide if it was more valuable as a whole unit or would I be better off parting it out. Turns out there was a recall on it and after a couple of phone calls the company was sending me a prepaid shipping label to send it back and will be sending me a check for $99.90 for my trouble….cha-Ching! Is this a great country or what? lol
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I’m enjoying all the dumpster diving stories! I love to find “treasures” on the sides of roads that people have thrown out, but I am still too chicken to crawl in the dumpster LOL! I have tried at different places in my town, but I never find anything good. I think 2017 is going to be my year of experimental dumpster diving.
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Last year when I was looking for boxes, I came across two vintage metal patio chairs in the dumpster. I planned on fixing them up for sale and finally just listed them… $60 to a very happy local pickup. He was glad I didn’t work on them, because he planned on painting them.
It a very special sale when you’ve paid absolutely nothing for something.
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A cautionary tale..
A buy things on eBay often, because I’m kinda cheap:) . I bought a crib mobile on eBay for my baby bed a few years ago. When I opened the box, there was black flaky stuff inside the box and all over the mobile. Gross, but I can handle it- I’ll just clean it off.. Until more gross flaky stuff kept coming out of it.. So I got the screwdriver and opened it up. Evidently at some point it had been infested with roaches and the inside was covered in.. ugh- I dunno, like roach.. dander? There were two dead roaches still inside. My guess is the seller had wiped it down, and didn’t realize the nastiness inside, since it probably came from a dumpster. So beware!
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My local thrift store is my favorite place to dumpster dive. They chuck things that don’t sell in a month or so because they just don’t have the space, and it is easier to sell things to a national market on Ebay than the local market in the small town where I live.
I also often find things to sell at my local recycling center, which is where I get all of my boxes and packing materials. It amazes me how many people just leave non-recyclable things there because they are too lazy to make a trip to the thrift shop to drop things off.
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I’ve never purposely gone out dumpster diving but I always look in the dumpster where I work before I put the trash in. I got a nice sewing mannequin, and I had been looking for one to take clothing photos with(came from a wedding dress shop). Ask and ye shall receive, lol. My husband got a really nice kitty condo sitting by the dumpster where he works. Like new. They sell the same one at Petsmart for $99. My cats LOVE it. He has also pulled a bike from that dumpster and some old 60s office chairs. We sometimes find things in the dumpster in the alley behind our own house. Bikes, garage sale leftovers. Just sitting on the top or next to the bin. Found a huge box of old sheet music and a really beautiful vintage coat with bakelite buttons.
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Here in northern NJ I find most stores have enclosed compactors so diving is out of the question. When I was in my teens Columbia house cd club had one of their warehouses near my house we used to right there on our bikes. I have almost every CD from the 1980s! I remember we used to grab so much of the stuff and go home and switch out all of the broken jewel cases and cds for the good ones. Fun times.
There are a few towns near me that have bulk pickup once per month I put a reminder on my calendar and drive around before work. It is amazing what people throw out. Sometimes I pause and can’t believe what I see. Some of the great stuff I found are:
I vintage lego set complete from 1989 sold for $400 and I pelican hard case i sold for $150
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My little trash experiment for the Something From Nothing Challenge sure has me curious what else my neighbors throw away. Already sold 3 of the items on Facebook and there is nothing like the thrill of having somebody else pay you cash for something that you grabbed out of the trash for free a few days earlier.
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Ordinances prohibit diving in my area, but I still curb pick. One time a neighbor down the street came out and took down my license for looking through stuff on the street! Nothing came of it. If the police had come, I’m sure I would have been okay as I lived in the neighborhood and it was piled on the public curb, a good distance from the entry of any homes.
I dive for boxes and bubble wrap, and seek permission if I see an employee. Pier One in my area doesn’t mind as long as you ask and don’t make a mess.
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I’m sitting in the First Class lounge at Logan international airport reading about dumpster diving! Too funny…I lucked into a free(almost) trip to Italy! It’s a story for another day, but my town has a “take it or leave it” shed. I go to the dump every day, and swing by the shed. I probably find 3 or 4 items a week to list.. best finds have been 3 boxes of legos, sold for 300 dollars, a 1902 mandolin sold for 60, and tons of 10 dollar items.. there are dozens of people who scavenge daily there, you just have to be lucky and be there when no one else has picked before you.
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My wife and I used to manage a self storage facility and I made so much money off the dumpster!!! We had people that would come look for scrap metal, they would come in the middle of the afternoon and I never had an issue with it. I would check the dumpster first thing each morning. I found a coin collection, electronics, more Christmas items than I care to remember, furniture, and a lot of nice clothes. Some that I still wear today. No one ever asked me if they could go through it but I never saw an issue. A lot of the storage managers for smaller facilities don’t want the hassle of cleaning out “junk” other people leave behind. Everyone should go talk to there local company and just ask them to call you and you will come clean the whole unit out if there is stuff left behind. No they won’t call you for trash but you might be amazed!!! A lot of facilities are run by middle aged women who physically can’t move that beautiful dresser or chair and would love for you to come take it away for them.
I have tons of stories of stuff I got for free and sold. Sometime I will have to tell you guys about the x-ray machine I got for free and sold for $1300. -
Those of you who dumpster dive…I admire you. I’m nervous to do this for fear of being seen and or maybe get in trouble. Is there a law against doing this? Is it okay for instance to drive behind malls looking for discarded merchandise? Can you get in trouble for it? And what’s the best time to go? I want to gather info before I attempt this.
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For years I would drive the 40 miles or so to silicon valley to dumpster dive. I would hit Apple, Atari and a few game companies. My best haul ever was years ago when Apple upgraded the Mac to the Fat Mac. I found hundreds of the old Mac OS chip sets that were discarded during the upgrade. Somebody had come up with special hardware that would let you run Mac software on the Atari, but you would need the Mac chip set for it. I made about $7,000 total from them in trade and sales. One trick I use to do was to check the papers for hi tech companies that were closing and having an auction. I would check their dumpsters often before and after the auction. Many times they would just go through and dump all the drawers in the offices desks and such. I found lots of test gear, jars of coins, and office supplies. I only occasionally dumpster dive now, most companies have compactors or security and cameras. One interesting note, when Atari was downsizing, I actually was able to get written permission to dive there dumpsters.
-Steve
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Love finding this thread. I’m a big fan of Martin’s…been doing this for years but a little differently since the area I’m in is pretty rural. No dumpsters nearby, but I’m in the middle of about 3 townships with varied trash schedules and I do curb shopping probably on a weekly basis while driving around running errands. I have not bought a mower, a gas trimmer, or lawn furniture for years.
I take a break during the colder months and when things get overwhelming. The last couple month’s finds included a beautiful resin wicker love seat, a set of brass fireplace tools, a small fire safe, 2 more gas trimmers, some random yard stuff, a vintage Motorola “brick” with the chargers, some vintage soda crates full of 78 records that went back out to the curb (kept the crates), and a larger glass patio table that was on my “curbside wish list”.
I have a set of Mikasa stoneware (service for 8, with butter dish etc.) that I am still in the process of sorting through found mid-summer. Thinking of listing it in pieces of 4 or 8, serving pieces separate? or Craigslist?
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Curb piles are one of my favorite sources of inventory! As long as it looks like a move out or a clean out (and not a bedbug infestation or something), I’ll stop and look. I have actually gone dumpster diving quite a bit in the past, but now I just stick with curbs for the most part. My favorite dumpster was actually the dumpster at the junky thrift store near us. They put Walmart junk in the store but throw out the true vintage stuff. I found so much inventory in there! Unfortunately a heavy smoker started using that dumpster for his/her ashes and butts also, so I gave up looking. I guess my tips would be to look in the dumpsters of thrift stores and also to look around college areas during the move out weekend. Lots of valuable stuff gets tossed then.
I’m always amazed at the beautiful vintage items Martin saves from the landfill. I love his blog.
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JAY, when we went to pick up our kids at college at the end of the year last year I wanted to dumpster dive soooo badly. There were mega garbage cans filled way over the top. One was just boxes! I couldn’t believe what people threw away. We weren’t able to grab anything because our car was full to the brim… and our college kids were begging us to not. Lol.
Edgar and I have trolled the garbage bins behind stores but we are a little hesitant to pull the trigger and get out of our car. Would it be considered stealing?? Or is it fair game?-
It’s a gray area for sure. If the dumpsters are on someone’s private property, then it’s more a matter of trespassing. Sometimes commercial stores dont want people scrounging behind their stores. Sometimes private individuals dont want people scrounging in their garbage.
But ultimately trash is fair game. The biggest hurdle is mainly the getting over the social stigma of going through garbage.
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Rhianna, unless your area has an ordinance specifically prohibiting diving, it’s fair game. It could be considered trespassing if there is a “no trespassing” sign up though. Your best bet is to call the local police non-emergency number and ask them if it’s legal in your area. Apartments around the college at move out time are really fun! Those kids throw out literally everything from clothes to computers to holiday decorations to furniture. I guess mom and dad will just buy them more so they don’t care. Last year I found the best stuff around the Greek housing. Those sorority girls threw out a ton of brand-new and like-new nice stuff. I didn’t look in the actual dumpsters, but at all the boxes and bins piled up around the outside of the dumpster. Even yard sales around the college at move-out time can be lucrative if you don’t want to actually dumpster dive.
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I started dumpster diving at an early age when I discovered all of the neat stuff my elementary school threw out at the end of each school year. A few years ago I managed a warehouse space, many of the younger tenants would go and dive the dumpster behind the nearby major chain grocery store. They always found lots of decent produce, fruits and vegetables. The best thing was the desert pies and cakes that looked almost new. Many years ago, living in the San Francisco Area, I would drive 1 or 2 times a week down to the Santa Clara Area and dive the dumpsters at Apple, Atari and a few other computer companies. I literary made thousands of dollars selling the stuff I dived. Now days, most hi-tech companies use compactors and also have several cameras. One trick I learned back then was to check the papers for companies that went out of business and were having a big auction. Many of the companies just emptied the drawers of the office desks and workstations in to the trash. Many times I would find small jars full of coins, all kinds of small electronics and many equipment manuals. I still look inside when I see a big dumpster, but seldom do i jump in, although I do grab books out of the book dumpster at the local recycle center.
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