padlock
Senior Member
5 weeks ago I found an ATT blackberry in a trash can I took it home charged it and put my sim in and worked great. sold it on CL 2 hr later for $90
Dumpster Diving Finds
- Thread starter SueLue80
- Start date
SueLue80
Elite Member
Wow!!Was actually at the scrap yard where IBM threw out a new case of LCD displays, I did buy them from the scrap yard boss (because I wanted more calls) and sold them in the same day for over 10 times what I paid each.
Cool!
bobabbey
Senior Member
That's treasure hunting! I like it!
I found a 5 HP chipper shredder in the dump that needed a minor engine repair. Voila! fixed and working like a champ!
I sometimes come home with more than I took to throw away.
I found a 5 HP chipper shredder in the dump that needed a minor engine repair. Voila! fixed and working like a champ!
I sometimes come home with more than I took to throw away.
SueLue80
Elite Member
xltcowboy
Full Member
I was driving down the alley at mom's house last week and saw some interesting stuff hanging out of a dumpster. Well the treasure hunter in me kicked in...Ha! I found 3 nice necklaces, 2 gold, one silver. Don't know if they are real but 2 of them say 925 on them. Also found 2 motorola walkie talkies. I thought to myself " I'll use these when my buddy and I go metal detecting", because sometimes at a school we will be pretty far apart. Well only one of them worked. But, i haven't given up on fixing the other one.
There are only two Louis M. Nichols in the SS database. I think the one you found was born in May 1928, and died Jan. 1, 1987. His last residence was in Virginia, but he received his SSN while living in Oregon. The other possible match was born in 1905, and died in Missouri in 1996. I think it's probably the first one because a Bible would be more likely given as a gift to a teenager, perhaps at first communion.
If the person is still alive, he wouldn't be listed in the SS database.
If the person is still alive, he wouldn't be listed in the SS database.
jgrasty7
New Member
I used to be in apartment maintenance as well. Most of our furniture, our gas grill, our vacuum, a fishing pole, our wheel barrow, an old chest, and a new set of golf clubs came from the apartments. The old chest was full of old keepsakes including an old Bible and a book titled something like "The Rights of a Citizen of the United State" which was signed to someone in the late 1800's. There were also a bunch of old dance cards from VMI and Virginia tech from the 1930's.
At my old Apartment complex I was throwing some trash away and noticed a Nice 10 speed bike next to the garbage, I looked at it and both tires were flat and the chain was just hanging. I took it back to the apartment put the chain back on and for the hell of it filled the tires to see if they would hold. Guess what everything worked perfect. Tires were just inflated and needed air. So I got a New bike for FREE. lol
Marcucco
Forum Supporter
My brother and I had a morning paper route as kids (mid 60's) so we got first crack at all the cans in the neighborhood.
Dad ended up having to lay down the law after the first month. Anything we dragged home had to pass inspection.
By then we already had 2 TV sets (each) 8 bikes, 20 baby-coach wheels (for soapbox racers) a couple dozen miss-matched roller skates and we were carrying pliers and screwdrivers in our newspaper bags.
One day my brother found an old safe deposit box that looked empty.
That afternoon he was loading it up with his "army men" when he found a small leather wallet wedged in the back. There was a $5 gold piece in the it.
Dad explained to my brother that he should return it, so he did.
All he got for his honesty was "Thanks kid".
Later that year I found a gold and onyx signet ring and a silver band in a jewelry box.
I was tempted to keep my mouth shut, but this was the 60's and my life was basically "Leave it to Beaver" with Italian subtitles.
I copped to the find and again, Dad said bring it back.
The owner congratulated me on my honesty and told me I could keep the rings.
My brother was more pissed about me getting to keep the rings then he was about losing the coin.
Dad ended up having to lay down the law after the first month. Anything we dragged home had to pass inspection.
By then we already had 2 TV sets (each) 8 bikes, 20 baby-coach wheels (for soapbox racers) a couple dozen miss-matched roller skates and we were carrying pliers and screwdrivers in our newspaper bags.
One day my brother found an old safe deposit box that looked empty.
That afternoon he was loading it up with his "army men" when he found a small leather wallet wedged in the back. There was a $5 gold piece in the it.
Dad explained to my brother that he should return it, so he did.
All he got for his honesty was "Thanks kid".
Later that year I found a gold and onyx signet ring and a silver band in a jewelry box.
I was tempted to keep my mouth shut, but this was the 60's and my life was basically "Leave it to Beaver" with Italian subtitles.
I copped to the find and again, Dad said bring it back.
The owner congratulated me on my honesty and told me I could keep the rings.
My brother was more pissed about me getting to keep the rings then he was about losing the coin.
SueLue80
Elite Member
I don't think he's still alive...the apartment it came from was only occupied by one lady.....she passed away and the family just took the "valuables" and threw everything else away
Does that data base include the service numbers? I have it...it was written in the Bible
.....357-74-99blindskillz
New Member
If you pick up a copy of the Navy Times they usually have some advertising in the back that offer services to track down prior sailors for free. If the member has passed away you might be able to find the ships he was on, how long he served etc.
I don't think he's still alive...the apartment it came from was only occupied by one lady.....she passed away and the family just took the "valuables" and threw everything else away
Does that data base include the service numbers? I have it...it was written in the Bible
No, only the info I gave you above, plus the SSN.
fire medic 160
Full Member
I worked as a maintenece man at a 16 unit apartment complex. I was lucky enough to start with a new owner and he was cleaning out the non-payers. The ones he got to leave were unreal, their reply to getting their stuff was crazy, it was always throw it out (I cleaned up what they really said). I got first dibs on quite a bit of good usable items. The rest was sold dirt cheap so the owner could recoup some cost.
Everybody has so much "stuff" it's incredible!
There's alot of websites for free stuff, for instance
http://www.freenapkin.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl
and you can do some "curbside" shopping at
http://www.freecycle.org/
There's alot of websites for free stuff, for instance
http://www.freenapkin.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl
and you can do some "curbside" shopping at
http://www.freecycle.org/
fleetsailor
New Member
The Navy Patch
The patch you found is one given to a guy in boat camp as a tempory rank. Each boat camp company had company petty officers from third class (one stripe) to first class, like you have.
Fleetsailor, USN RET
The patch you found is one given to a guy in boat camp as a tempory rank. Each boat camp company had company petty officers from third class (one stripe) to first class, like you have.
Fleetsailor, USN RET
dan
Elite Member
I had a buddy who owned his own garbage collection company in an exclusive part of Atlanta. He furnished his entire house from "junk" that rich folks threw away. Including a pool table!
IntoIt
Elite Member
Yea its funny how that is. I have a friend that has disposable income and buys a new spa every 2 years and I get his old one if I want it for free.
I have to haul it or I can advertise it and make a profit but he insist on the latest model. So now he has video DVD with surround sound ect.
I`ll just wait till it gets dirty then it will be mine.
What kind of BOAT CAMP did you go to? (jk)
Digger Dan
Elite Member
I have not been on a good dumpster dive in years. In another post I mentioned that my parents owned an antique shop when I was growing up, so I was exposed to garage and estate sales and selling stuff at the flea market.
We lived in an old Victorian house in an equally old neighborhood which was a three block radius of senior citizens, this reason is why I know so much about W.W.II, Korea and even to an extent W.W.I, These men would see my brother and I out playing army and give us helmets to keep and even an old set of field radios, we were in heaven.
In my teens when these people would pass away their kids would come, rent a dumpster and throw out almost everything, put the house up for sale and leave town.
Of course this would leave all the stuff that was thrown out free for the taking and we would go through everything, it was unbelievable, my brother and I would spend hours going through this stuff, we would find war medals, uniforms dog tags and my brother once found a Luger. He still teases me with it to this day, and his kids ask “so uncle how did you miss finding that luger in the dumpster when you were a kid” I usually turn red in the face and tell them how their dad stole it from me…..
My parents later got into it and my moms still calls every once in a while to tell me about a good find. It was pretty fun to grow up being a treasure hunter and having your parents enjoy it with you. Even though my brother stole my Luger!!!
We lived in an old Victorian house in an equally old neighborhood which was a three block radius of senior citizens, this reason is why I know so much about W.W.II, Korea and even to an extent W.W.I, These men would see my brother and I out playing army and give us helmets to keep and even an old set of field radios, we were in heaven.
In my teens when these people would pass away their kids would come, rent a dumpster and throw out almost everything, put the house up for sale and leave town.
Of course this would leave all the stuff that was thrown out free for the taking and we would go through everything, it was unbelievable, my brother and I would spend hours going through this stuff, we would find war medals, uniforms dog tags and my brother once found a Luger. He still teases me with it to this day, and his kids ask “so uncle how did you miss finding that luger in the dumpster when you were a kid” I usually turn red in the face and tell them how their dad stole it from me…..
My parents later got into it and my moms still calls every once in a while to tell me about a good find. It was pretty fun to grow up being a treasure hunter and having your parents enjoy it with you. Even though my brother stole my Luger!!!
eddy1V
Senior Member
i could write a whole book on this subject. i used to work for a skip company ,(here in the uk they r known as skips) i was supposed to pick up the skips and take them to the recycling plant,
i spent more time pulling over in a layby, and goin thro the skips if i thought there was something worth having,
the stuff i had over the 2 years i was working there was unreal.
i got some real treasures.
i spent more time pulling over in a layby, and goin thro the skips if i thought there was something worth having,
the stuff i had over the 2 years i was working there was unreal.
i got some real treasures.
