Some interesting garbage-picked antiques, and a mini butter churn?!?

[cyberdigger]

In this area, the towns have "bulk pick-up" days when lots of people clean out their homes and load up the curb with all sorts of stuff.. some towns try to stop scavenging, some almost seem to encourage it.. either way, there's lots of "pickers" out on those occasions! Much of my apartment was furnished that way..[]
Nifty haul, Plummy!! I'd make sure your buddy covers for you while your out of town!

 

[toddrandolph]

Ah the joys of curb shopping. I have done it for many years and still do. Towns around here also have the once a year clean up days. I have found some incredible stuff over the years. However, competition is fierce, and you have to spend all day driving around if you want to get anything good. I only do a few towns now. The combination of high gas prices and the downturn in the antique market makes it rough on the trash pickers these days. I only very rarely find a dump to dig anymore so curb shopping during clean up days is the next best thing, actually, better because on average I find way better stuff on the curb than in dumps. Very few bottles though.

Plumbata: You need to monitor this site carefully and be sure you are there when someone is setting stuff out. My best finds have all come from talking to people as they are setting things to the curb and then being invitied to clean out basements, attics, etc. Just last year, I was able to clean out a basement of a big victorian house, including shelves full of crocks and jugs and highback beds, cupboards, etc. just from talking to the people as they were putting things out. I was once told that I could have anything I wanted out of a house of a 90 year old hoarder that was being torn down and piled to the ceiling with junk. I spent days in there and made thousands and kept a lot of really good stuff for myself. This sounds like the ultimate opportunity, play it carefully and don't be aggressive, sometimes people will let you in and other times they won't you just never know. I have found that most people are friendly and would rather see the stuff go to someone rather than the landfill. Often, though, they don't like digging through trash cans because of the mess that most people leave behind. Good luck and I look forward to more posts of good stuff you find in there.

 

[epackage]

Very cool story and stuff Plum, I have that same exact dictionary and I hate to use it because of it weight....[8D]

 

[JOETHECROW]

Wow,...A lot of great items there Stephen!....Way to go,...I hope it keeps producing for you.

 

[ob815]

I work for waste management and used to do residential pick/up it's amazing what people will throw out just because they don't want it any more, had a yard sale one year from stuff i had found and made $356.00 bucks, i work in the commercial trash pick/up division now and the finds are very slim compared to residential work but i think my wife is happier i'm not bringing stuff home everyday.
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[deacon_frost]

wow plummy those are some super cool finds, i like the little churn and 12 sided bowl the best...i would deff. hit that spot again, we have spring cleanup around here and this past year i finally got my wife to go along, (after she said it was embarrasing) and after that first day she was hooked and wanted to go every day after that (spring clean up is spread out over a week...diff parts of town on diff days) now if i could just get her to go digging[]

 

[bostaurus]

Germany has "junking day". It is twice a year and dates vary by town. It is a day to put out things that can't go in the trash. It was a given that folks would stop and take something if they could use it. As late as the 90's it was great. You could practically furnish a couple rooms of your house if you drove around enough. It wasn't just junk but antiques, sets of china, linens, etc.
Now you really have to be on the ball and, in general, pickings are not so good. For one thing folks now know they can get some money for those antiques. The other reason is that since Poland joined the EU they have a free border with Germany. Now the Polish vans start canvassing the neighborhood the night before junking day. Even our tiny village would have 3-4 different Polish plated vans patrolling all day on junking day. They take almost everything. Even took my old guitar that had been crushed in the move.
Did find a nice demijohn in our village. Hard to find bottles on junking day. A German friend told me that during the war they had been encouraged to clear basements and attics of metal and glass for the war effort. Glass found in basements now is probably put in the recycle. They are hardcore recyclers. We had 5 different recycle containers...and then our glass had to be separated into colors.

 

[toddrandolph]

Wow, that is fascinating that even Germany has junk days. I always thought of the Europeans being more frugal and not as wasteful as us Americans. I've been doing the once a year junk days here in Ohio for over 20 years. There have always been lots of pickers, even 20 years ago. There has always been, and still is, good antiques to be had, but in general the quality and quantity have both diminished over the years as basements attics and outbuildings get cleaned out. I start driving around at least a week before pickup, as people in the not so nice neighborhoods set stuff out very early and this is usually where the best antiques are found.

 

[SNDMNTBOY]

The sealermabob looks like a notary public seal. Mabe a unused one.

 

[milkglassbottles]

Hey, this is a public forum here! It is customary to properly edit photos as to not offend anyone as well as to protect he anonymity of others.

There, that's better!