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I’ve found some pretty cool things over the years that others have left by the curb. In fact, when I was living in SOHO, my entire dining room was decorated with furniture I found on the street, because in that neighborhood, the wealthy are always purchasing the new in favor of the hardly-tattered-at-all old.
My brother is the undisputed King of the dumpster dive. In his large apartment in East Hampton, Mass, you won’t find a single piece of furniture that wasn’t confiscated from someone else’s trash. And you wouldn’t know it if I hadn’t just tipped you off! He’s got some pretty cool stuff, including a darn-good knock-off of that famous Noguchi coffee table.
But nothing he owns comes close to the score I read about some weeks ago in the Times. Did anyone else see this wild “only in New York” story?
…one March morning four years ago, Elizabeth Gibson was on her way to get coffee, as usual, when she spotted a large and colorful abstract canvas nestled between two big garbage bags in front of the Alexandria, an apartment building on the northwest corner of Broadway and 72nd Street in Manhattan.
So Gibson takes the painting home and three years later discovers it’s not trash at all, rather a Rufino Tamayo painting from the 1970s that was stolen 20 years ago and never recovered!
The painting’s value? Oh, how about $1 million (said with my pinky by my mouth, a la Dr. Evil). Now, if you go read the whole article you’ll discover how Gibson finally figured out she had picked up a famous, stolen painting and how it made its way to its owners and then, of course, Sotheby’s. Long story short, Gibson got a $15,000 reward and a whole lot of publicity.
So… what’s the coolest thing YOU’VE ever found in the trash?
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My grandfather used to have tons of stuff he picked up at the landfill. He died a few years ago and we are now in the process of hauling it all back off. So far there has been a few Japanese and Civil War swords, a few coins, land deeds from the late 1800’s and a piece of paper saying someone was the daughter of a Confederate veteran.
posted by Derek on 11-12-2007 at 9:05 am
I once found the hood ornament to a mack truck inside an actual dumpster!! It was great. Probably the coolest thing I have ever found in the trash, and belive me I’ve looked. Also, once, me and my brothers found a very large goldfish. This may not seem that interesting but at the time we were like three, four , and five in age, so it was like gold to us. I should probably note that the fish was also found in a dumpster.
posted by Gilbert on 11-12-2007 at 9:08 am
We were very sheltered growing up, and weren’t allowed to have any video games, or watch select Nickelodeon shows, VH1 or MTV (”The M,” as my dad called it.)
We moved to a new town in a really small house, and then bought a much larger fixer-upper down the block. My sister and I were riding our bikes past our newly purchased and soon to be moved into house, when we noticed a box next to their garbage. Not surprising, since they were getting ready to move. Inside it, however- the original Nintendo system, with all sorts of games and accessories. I’m not sure how we got all that back to our house on our bikes, but we did.
We hid it in our room, but knowing my parents (we jokingly call my mom “CIA” to this day) we knew it wouldn’t be a secret we could keep. Plus, we had one TV. So we wrote out an elaborate 18-point presentation of reasons we should keep the Nintendo system (which was severely outdated at the time, my friends all had Nintendo64 and I think PlayStation by that time, if it tells you how old it was.) Some of the reasons included “It will improve our hand-eye coordination” and “it is at no cost to you!”
After what seemed like hours, my parents agreed we could keep it, but couldn’t use it until we moved into our new house. Eventually my dad became addicted to watching us play video games and we got a bunch more systems, still outdated, but it excited us.
I’m still not allowed to watch “The M” when I’m at home though… and I’m 22.
posted by Kelly J on 11-12-2007 at 10:54 am
I’ve been a picker-upper for years. One year we’d moved and lived for months without a sofa. We were passing through a small town about 40 miles from home when I spotted the most hideous yellow floral wing back sofa on the side of the road. But it was spotlessly clean and it was free. To their horror, I made my children get out and sit on the sofa until I came back with rope, (in case someone else wanted it? right.) We tied that ugly thing to the roof of my 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis and drove back into Champaign, IL, looking not unlike my heroes, the Clampetts. Of course there was no way myself and two children could get that thing up the rickety outside staircase and around the tight corner so I had to leave it tied to my car for a few hours while I phoned as many people as I could think of until a few begrudgingly came over to help. It WAS the ugliest sofa ever, but man, was it comfy, and being a wingback, you could sleep sitting up. I still live in Champaign, and being a university town, it’s a very transient community. People put perfectly good stuff to the curb every moving season. I did score a nice Ethan Allen bench (like for a foyer or something). I gave it to a friend, since I had no room for it. My very favorite kitchen bowl came out of the trash. I could keep going on but I won’t. Hopefully someday I’ll find a million-dollar piece of art but I won’t hold my breath!
posted by bettycat on 11-12-2007 at 11:30 am
As a library employee, I laughed out loud when I came across a very real book called “The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving” by John Hoffman. It was published in 1993 then republished in 1999. It sounds like your friend is already an expert, but some beginners might like this book!
posted by Alyson on 11-12-2007 at 11:46 am
I got both of my Rottweilers from a trash can some one had tryed to get rid of them when they were puppys
posted by Justin on 11-12-2007 at 12:43 pm
Who lives in a college town? Best dumpster diving stragegy:
1.Find out where the good students with rich parents live.
2. Drive by their dumpsters every June
3. Collect at will.
We’ve got a chair in our kitchen we rescued from the dumpster, we’ve passed on a TV stand and a coffee table to other needy appartments courtesy of the dumpster and my now-married roomate has a rocking chair that was rescued from the dumpster abyss.
posted by Ashley on 11-12-2007 at 12:52 pm
Not that great a find, but…
Was holding an outdoor birthday party for my hubby 2 years ago. I was thinking I needed to buy some more outdoor chairs.
While I was out for my morning walk, I discovered 4 white resin chairs which would be perfect.
I speed walk home, get the car and put all 4 of them in the back…with the back open. Upon going up the hill to my house, 2 fall out. I continue on…then run back and get the 2 chairs from the street.
The kicker??? These chairs were in front of the house I grew up in from age 0-6. And I still have them and use them in the summer 2 years later!
posted by Beth on 11-12-2007 at 2:26 pm
Here is a note for all you dumpster divers and other looking for stuff at the curb. If you join freecycle through the Yahoo groups you will be sent “curb alerts’ via e-mails. I would suggest asking for the notices being sent as a group of 25 (maybe twice a day) otherwise you will be sent 100’s of e-mails a day.
posted by Owen on 11-12-2007 at 8:38 pm
Alyson,
I own that book. It was purchased from Loompanics before they went under, sadly.
posted by PintofStout on 11-13-2007 at 9:06 am
The greatest thing my husband ever found dumpster diving is a 14karat gold and diamond mothers ring the week of mothers day. A complete bedroom in a bag with an oriental and maracan theme. With sheets, bed skirt, pillow cases, square pillow cases, 3 decorative pilows, throw blanket, and much much more.
posted by Elizabeth on 10-2-2008 at 11:44 am
But the best thing that has ever been found, was a 21 inch High Def. LCD TV/ Monitor. A brand new backpack full of flashlights and batteries.
posted by Elizabeth on 10-2-2008 at 11:46 am