I saw this really nice looking love seat out on the curb down the street from my place in Denver last Tuesday. Looked clean, no stains, good condition. I was so excited I didn't think to look underneath or inside the cushions before loading it into my pickup. Got it home and as I'm carrying it down the basement steps, I hear this loud buzzing sound. Yeah, a whole nest of bees had set up shop inside the bottom cushion. Had to call an exterminator and drop $175 to get them removed. Now I always check anything fabric for bugs before I grab it. Anyone else ever bring home unwanted critters with your curb scores?
I had to choose between a beat-up solid oak dresser and a nearly perfect IKEA Malm set on the same curb. Went with the oak one despite the scratches and a broken drawer, and after $12 in wood glue and sandpaper it's been sitting in my living room for 3 years. Anyone else find that solid wood pieces are way more forgiving to fix than the cheap stuff?
I was dumpster diving behind a bakery in Portland last Saturday and spotted a KitchenAid mixer sitting on top of a trash bag. Looked almost new, just some flour dust. I grabbed it, brought it home, spent 20 minutes cleaning it, and it runs like a dream. Probably worth around $300 new. But then I got to thinking: this bakery might have had a deal with a local charity to pick up old equipment on Mondays. So by taking it Saturday night, did I steal from someone who needed it more? Or does the whole 'trash is trash' rule apply to businesses too? I've heard stories of stores intentionally denting boxes before tossing them to prevent dumpster divers. What do you all think: is commercial dumpster diving fair game, or should we leave business trash alone?
Picked up this beat-up bookshelf off someone's lawn last Saturday, looked like stained pine from the street. After sanding down the top layer to fix a water ring, I found gorgeous walnut grain underneath. Has anyone else scored furniture that turned out to be way higher quality than it looked?
I was driving home last Tuesday and spotted this De'Longhi machine sitting next to a trash bin on SE Hawthorne. It had a note taped to it saying 'turns on but no steam', so I figured why not. Took it home and spent about 20 minutes descaling the boiler with vinegar and it works perfect now. Anyone else ever picked up something that just needed a simple fix?
My neighbor Bob who does photography on the side told me to just buy a cheap light meter from a thrift shop instead of a new one. I found a Sekonic at Goodwill for $8 and it worked perfectly. Tested it against his pro model and the readings were almost identical. Has anyone else found camera gear in the bins that actually worked?