isn't amazing what the neighbors will carry off if you leave it by the curb? - Page 4

[Literate]

I went trash picking last week and it was the BEST. My friend got a great plastic playhouse for the yard. I got a Lego table, tricycle, chimenea, those expensive tomato towers, etc.

[SusanInItaly]

I just got a big Little Tikes playhouse in awesome shape, a Radio Flyer 2 seater wagon w/cupholders, LMAO and 2 play chairs for the playhouse. What a find!! This was all on Monday at the same house!! You should have seen me pushing the playhouse down the street to my house, LOL.

**edited to add that I actually asked the owners (who were watering their flowers) if they were throwing the stuff out because I just couldn't believe it!

[Ziggysmama]

We have inorganic rubbish collection here on the island every 2 years.
Last dump, we went around the island and picked up trailer load after trailer load off peoples discarded wood, furniture and bits and bobs.
We partner the handiest man in town took said furniture and remodeled, repainted and refurbished it and we sold them on at our local market as recylced furniture.
It allowed him to be able able to stay home with me and baby when he was a newborn to about 5 months. It was the best thing ever.
He also made our babys wardrobe and changing table out of wood people threw out. Actually looking around our house MOST of our furniture is recycled trash.
Thank goodness for people throwing things out!!!

[MommytoTwo]

I am always amazed too. We live on a cul-de-sac so I always think no one will see it, but someone always takes it! We have put out broken chairs, baby stuff that we no longer use, household stuff. People take anything! I am getting ready to put out a mirror and two stereo components and a brand new Schlage knob/lock in the box. Like a pp said, its so much easier than Freecycle.

[lexmas]

I have to go with, "most of my furniture is garbage picked" lol! Interestingly, we live in an upstairs apartment, and every time we throw something big out, the landlord (who lives downstairs) takes it! I feel like I should just move my stuff to the basement for him...

We've had some good finds though. Just last week DH found a dollhosue for DS, which was very fortunate because I had been eyeing them up online thinking about buying them!

[Pariah]

Originally Posted by MaggiesMom

Who knows- maybe they are working on some crazy art project.

As an artist...I LOVE all of you declutterers that leave goodies for trash pickers! Right now I'm looking for rusty or otherwise old/damaged fishing hooks...talk about random junk. I love reusing things that would otherwise be trashed in my various projects.

[Peony]

I never come upon good stuff, but I'd take it if I could!

Our last house we remodeled, I could not believe the stuff people took, I'm talking NASTY stuff. The house had been trashed by renters so we gutted it, we had ceiling fans that were literally black from smoke, I would put this stuff in the trash and people would pick through the trash and take it. We had a pile of carpet we took out, it was covered in dog pee and stunk of smoke, someone knocked on our door one day and wanted it. We got rid of toilets that I think hadn't been cleaned since they were put in 15 years before, the same way. I had two women get into a fight over an old dishwasher on the street. When we first bought the house, it is full of furniture still, not the good kind either, I drag two ok pieces outside, a guy stopped, asked if we had more, and then took everything single thing that was in the house, it took him four trips to do so. The best one was when we stuck out an old washing machine that leaked, I put a sign on it describing it's issues. Not even 2 minutes later a tractor picked it up. Yes, a tractor. I think he was doing road work in the area, drove by, stopped, backed up, and loaded up the washer in his bucket, it was highly entertaining to watch.

[Freedom~Mama]

Originally Posted by Irishmommy

We have special garbage days for stuff like that, and people drive around in trucks just to do that!!

I lived in Germany for a year and once a month or every few months there was a certain week that people would put out things they didn't want (even things like couches and mattresses) and anyone could take anything they wanted. I thought it was a neat idea and a great way to recycle things.