Best roadside ect. finds

[ironmountain]

nice finds!!!
I've found bicycles that I've fixed and given to neighborhood kids who don't have one or had a crappy one. golf clubs that my dad and I would keep to form junior sets for neighborhood kids (we used to hit up Salvation Army and GW too...back when you could get clubs for 10c each). We'd make a set, give it to a kid who didn't have one and take them golfing.

Haven't ever found much else... friend owns a ton of storage units and when his client just leaves stuff he calls me to take whatever I want. Unless it's filled with good stuff, then I just liquidate it for him. I've snagged upright wingback chairs, sofas, bed frames, futons etc... basic house/apt furniture people left behind. Works great for the deercamp/farmhouse.

 

[Bixel]

I havnt found much good out on the curb, last year I got a really nice mountain bike frame, the rims were sitting there beside it all bent up, sold the frame online for 75 bucks.

My parents live out in the country, and we have found some neat stuff dumped in the woods right beside out house. Best was a lawnmower that just needed a tune-up, it didnt start when I got it. I changed the oil, cleaned the carb(the reason it wouldnt start) replaced the spark plug, sharpened and balanced the blade, and sold it at our garage sale a month later for 125 bucks. I figure the lawnmower was only about 2 seasons old.

 

[Headhunter2]

I want to know how that Indian Maiden worked out for Surfaceone?

 

[surfaceone]

 

[temwood]

Many bikes and lawn mowers that only needed a cleaning and $5 in work...

 

[ecotramper412]

Not the most valuable, but the most interesting: A home made 8mm film from CampCroft in SC dating from summer 1942. The camp was a training facility for soldiers before they were deployed. I sent to to a museum/collector and it will hopefully be published online soon.

 

[ecotramper412]

Soldiers marching

 

[tigue710]

ORIGINAL: surfaceone

Lies!!!!

Ive found all kinds off good stuff... even as a kid living in apartments in a college town I got my first ten speed, a box of matchbox cars and a friend and I scored an electric guitar and amp, which worked!

Ive always been a complete scavenger, whether its curb side, yard sale, flea market or haggled down, (I have no shame in asking for discounts in any store, and usually get one),... I dont think I could begin to start listing the stuff Ive picked up...

In st Louis I used to make an extra couple hundred dollars a week cruisin the alleys on trash days for antique furniture... I hauled truck loads of the stuff

I work my f'in butt off for my money, and our society throws it all away...

 

[Bixel]

This next week, I will spend many nights cruising the streets on my bike searching the neighbourhood for good items being thrown out, since I live in a student neighbourhood, and the students are moving out within the next week or so.

Last years finds were a 2006 Specialized mountain bike frame, stainless steel bar fridge that was like new and some other odds and ends. Made a couple hundred bucks selling off everything. I have found that printers are something that get thrown out a lot by students, and they are easy to flip for 10-20 bucks a piece.

 

[ironmountain]

good list of ideas tigue and bix. I normally stop if I see something useable, fixable or sellable. Most of the time if it'll work for deer camp, i'll snag it.

There's one weekend a year I love. There's a local town that holds a rummage sale. Everyone does their sale on that weekend. all the stuff they get rid of goes to goodwill. I swing by and talk to my friend the store manager and he's very good about giving me a phone call when necessary. They literally have stuff packed to the ceiling in the sorting/warehouse room.

small GW rant. GW is almost never worth going to now. With their shopgoodwill auction site, they have to send pretty much anything of any value out to be auctioned. there used to be all kinds of cool fenton glassware and milkglass etc...now you see just pure junk clear glass.. I haven't seen a bottle get pushed through in ages and I used to get all kinds of stuff like pitchers from dairies long defunct and other goodies. The auction site is decent, except the ebay syndrome.

a: some of the stores put reserves on items...really? guess that's the new non-profit model. You can get stuff for a good price, just have to watch out for the shipping. many times you'll see an item calculated at 2x it's weight, plus a $ or % handling charge. And there's serious ebay fever there as far as overbidding on things go. I saw an epiphone les paul guitar that sells for 349 brand new go for over 500. insane. /end rant