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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2009 2:44:19 GMT
This week is what has come to be known as "hippie Christmas" in and around our neighborhood particularly around the university area. As the semester comes to an end and graduation this past weekend ,the students pack up and leave for the summer. And,they throw away all manner of reusable good "stuff". Everything from brooms to computer scanners,bicycles with minor breaks,easily repaired,battery packs,unopened boxes of rice and pasta,cleaning supplies barely used,furniture,books,DVD players,clothes...(Bixa,you could probably find more than one camera),potted house plants,rugs...
Some have yard sales and then toss what they don't sell but the overwhelming majority of them just put out to curb all this stuff.
All one has to do is drive around the area near the universities and I've heard that the dumpsters behind the dormitories are laiden with goodies.
I once found a really good quality futon still in the original plastic packaging.
Such excess,it's mind boggling.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2009 5:09:13 GMT
I wish we had that here! But there are so many official ragpickers here... and unofficial ragpickers... that anything you put outside disappears within 15 minutes if it has any imaginable utility.
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Post by bjd on May 15, 2009 12:26:23 GMT
That happens in Canadian cities with universities too nowadays. Partly because the associations like St Vincent de Paul or the Salvation Army refuse to pick things up any longer, even if it's good furniture.
My son and his girlfriend furnished a lot of their flat in Ottawa with stuff off the street. They even found a plastic bag with 4 white cushions in it -- packed to keep them clean. I guess they will be giving stuff away or leaving it on the curb when they leave.
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Post by Jazz on May 15, 2009 17:09:01 GMT
That happens in Canadian cities with universities too nowadays. Partly because the associations like St Vincent de Paul or the Salvation Army refuse to pick things up any longer, even if it's good furniture. Yes, it does happen in Toronto and not only with universities at a certain time of the year. 'How to get rid of stuff' has become so convoluted and irritating, often involving needing access to a car to take items to a certain place, often an hour's drive away! Also, certain things can only go out on certain days in certain containers etc. However, I am most annoyed at St. Vincent de Paul and the Sally Ann with this new refusal to pick up policy. Therefore, long hours are spent trying to figure out how to give away for free some perfectly good items. There has to be a better way of efficiently and inexpensively redistributing the wealth. I am, as most people are, too busy to spend so much time running off to individualized centres at far ends of the city, hiring people to help me lift various items to put into the car etc. Thus, I do the simplest. Many of the 'prize' items, I simply put outside at the edge of my front garden and they are gone by morning. As Kerouac says, often within 15 minutes. I have been doing this for years and it is the best way for me. There is a subculture that exists of people who habitually do their favorite rounds and know where to find 'the good stuff'. (not necessarily 'poor' people). There is a senior's home two blocks from me that is my regular depository for books that I will not need in my library and plants that I have neither the room nor the light to winter over in my home. (I have probably built most of their library and their plant collection). But, this seems a good and simple way to share. My mother lived there for a few years and was a very active and loved member. I just like to think that the item is going to a place where it will be needed or enjoyed. |
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Post by bixaorellana on May 15, 2009 19:44:47 GMT
Jazz, I'm embarrassed to say it never occurred to me to share good extras with a seniors' home. What a great idea!
I had a friend in New Orleans who used to set up "counters" with concrete blocks and planks. He'd attractively arrange his discards there and make a prominent sign asking people to please take what they'd like. This was great, because passersby felt free to browse and not as though they were garbage picking.
Casimira & I have ridden shotgun with each other on more than one occasion, shrieking "Junkpile!" whenever we saw a promising hoard of discards on the sidewalk.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2009 10:41:47 GMT
Thank goodness I have a very small car although,because it is a convertible I long ago out of desperation discovered, if I put the top down, I can fit an incredible amount of stuff in it. Yesterday evening being the last day of the month (of the last semester as well),the curbside pickings were beyond belief. I did manage to show some restraint at a certain point ,however difficult as it was.
I did bring home a gorgeous pale green wicker chair, a box of very clean,nicely folded matelaise spreads and pillow shams,a beautiful rug,more kitchen utensils (a huge marble mortar and pestle!)and various other sundries.Oh, and more books,for other people of course.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2009 13:08:55 GMT
Mom: "What did you do with all of that good stuff I bought you at the beginning of the semester?"
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Post by Kimby on Jun 2, 2009 4:37:29 GMT
Why don't they use craigslist.com to sell their stuff to others in their vicinity instead of throwing it away? Or freecycle.com to give away stuff?
We scored two nice wicker headboards while we were in Florida, that had been left out for the trash, and also bought a nice used canoe on craigslist.com
We used to shop the thrift stores and consignment stores, but the selection has gotten worse and the prices higher in recent years.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2009 13:29:23 GMT
kimby,I strongly suspect that these people,mostly young university students couldn't be bothered to put items on Craig's List,granted some probably do. We're talking about a rather upper class ,privileged class of individuals.
This morning, out walking the dog, I got four Hunter Douglas wooden blinds in perfect condition,I had to go back with the car to retrieve.All they need is the hardware to mount and a wiping down.
A lady I know who's a property manager for some apartments around the university told me they wait until the very last minute to vacate the rental. I know she has scored really big over the years in her job.She also told me the deplorable condition some of the apartments are left in, so you know they don't even care about getting their deposit back. I would never rent a property to undergraduate student unless I knew them personally.
Some of the microwaves and toaster ovens would make your skin crawl.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2009 17:06:35 GMT
When I was working for a student travel agency, one morning at the end of the school year one of the students said "Anybody who can drive me to the airport can keep the car."
One of my colleagues did and got a free car.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 3, 2009 23:27:33 GMT
Ha ~~ reminds me of some German guests I had years ago. They were a really lovely couple and the guy was the son of an actress and also scion of an industrialist family. I didn't know this when we were discussing cars & he said that he'd never bought a car because his mother gave him her old ones. His girlfriend later told me that mom's "old cars" were things like Jaguars.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2010 11:13:51 GMT
It's that time of year again...all the University students leaving and putting out to curbside all their stuff.
Last evening while on a walk,I spied one such pile. It included a perfectly good Black & Decker brand electrical drill set,still in the case,with the numerous bits .
Also, two bottles of vodka,unopened,one Kettel One,another Grey Goose.
I will be keeping my eyes open in the upcoming days for more goodies.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 27, 2010 20:24:18 GMT
Can anyone use this thread to brag about scored freebies acquired anywhere? I have something about which I'm dying to gloat, but don't want to bloat the board with a redundant thread.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2010 22:55:24 GMT
Can anyone use this thread to brag about scored freebies acquired anywhere? I have something about which I'm dying to gloat, but don't want to bloat the board with a redundant thread. By all means yes!! Didn't intend for it to be just about finds here...would love to hear from whomever about their scores off the street or wherever. |
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Post by bixaorellana on May 28, 2010 1:19:14 GMT
Oh boy ~~ this is a story about finding happiness in my own back yard. For many a long year I have wanted a metate and mano. The reason I don't have one is because I never could justify buying something that large, that weighs at least 30 pounds, and for which I truly do not have a use. But they're so great looking! Here are some for sale. The rolling pin looking things on the left are the manos. They're rolled on the metate to grind stuff. That's dried corn on some of them, so the customer can give the grinding a try. not my photo --><-- definitely not meAnyway, there is a cleared place at the end of my landlord's construction junk berm. Lo and behold I spied a metate setting there the other day. The following day I saw my landlord and while we were chatting, I asked about it. He said, "It's just there. It's been kicking around here for ages. Do you want it?" Does pork make good tacos?! Of course I wanted it. In the process of cleaning it, I wanted to grind some salt on it to make sure I was cleaning down into the pores. Since I don't have a mano (yet), I used the tejolote (lava rock pestle) from my molcajete (lava rock mortar), but sideways. Wow -- it powdered the salt in an instant. |
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Post by Kimby on May 28, 2010 14:09:52 GMT
This week is what has come to be known as "hippie Christmas" in and around our neighborhood particularly around the university area. As the semester comes to an end and graduation this past weekend ,the students pack up and leave for the summer. And,they throw away all manner of reusable good "stuff". Same thing happens around the University of Wisconsin in Madison, near where my parents live. Only the City of Madison in its "wisdom" passed a law making it illegal to pick through someone else's trash set out at the curb. Ostensibly this was because the trash pickers/treasure seekers were leaving such a strewn-about mess that the garbage hauling company complained. The (double) waste is appalling. According to my parents, the city got an earful about the waste, and the ill-advised law may be changed. |
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2010 22:19:51 GMT
There is a certain etiquette that us 'rag pickers' so to speak, follow when happing on these 'gold mines'. I always make sure I don't ransack and leave a huge mess behind for the sanitation men,who have earned my highest regard and respect over the years. I have even chastised people who I see rummaging through piles. They give us a bad name  Some really good friends of ours had to move from an apartment that they had been in for over twenty years,major pack rats,hoarders. They had over 40-50 bags of stuff put out to curbside. People tore the bags open,ransacked,left crap lying in all directions. Really bad form... |
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Post by patricklondon on May 29, 2010 13:01:42 GMT
IIRC, there's one day a month in some countries (or is it some places in Germany?) where it's established practice to put stuff out for other people to take if they want.
And something like it can happen on Queen's Day in the Netherlands, though I think more people may be selling stuff, like a gigantic car boot sale, which is what we would do in the UK - it's a regular/recognised way to raise some cash, either for impoverished landowners or as a charity event - a low fixed "rent" for the space, and the renters bring and sell their own stuff (and clear away at the end).
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Post by lola on May 29, 2010 15:26:59 GMT
This is so much my kind of Christmas: the anticipation, the hope you'll get something you like, but without worry about pleasing others.
I got back recently bringing my daughter home for the summer from Northfield MN ("Cows, Colleges, and Contentment"), so have a fresh sympathy for those young minds, worn out from finals and goodbye parties, having to evacuate the dorms quickly and mobilize.
I saw charity bins for discarded clothes in the dorm lobby.
One of my favorite streetside finds was an old oak ladderback rocking chair, Ozarks classic, weathered grey and in pieces. I sanded down to good wood and tung oiled, took it to a repair shop to tighten, and now it's a beauty.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2010 17:32:57 GMT
Lola,while I can sympathize to some degree with the student's end of the semester stress,angst,whatever,I cannot in any way, forgive the level of excess waste that I have seen displayed on a year after year basis. (I really need to take a picture to demonstrate my point).
It is so indicative to me of spoiled,overindulged,entitled,whatever alphabet generation they are now referred to.
I'm sure your daughter was taught differently, knowing you and your sensibilities,sensitivities, from this forum.
I'm sorry to come on so strong with this...do not mean to offend. I have to say that the vast majority of the students I am referring to are of very affluent backgrounds and my experience with over many,many years has not always been very positive I'm afraid...
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Post by lola on May 30, 2010 0:00:18 GMT
Yes, for sure Casimira. I hate waste and consumerism.
This particular college is 40% Lutheran, Norwegian influenced, and 50% Minnesotan, so lavish excess isn't in the genetic structure. My girl's big discard was a bent frame folding chair she'd duct taped and rebroken, and she was willing to see what could be done to keep it going even longer.
I'm in the lunatic fringe around here for washing and reusing aluminum foil and ziplock bags.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2010 13:25:46 GMT
Tonight should prove to be a good night to go out and scavenge,the last night of the month right after graduation.I probably should get out there pretty soon. I will definitely take pics!!
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2010 14:05:08 GMT
There are so many ragpickers now in Paris, it is almost frightening. As soon as the concierges take out the trash (no more than one hour before pick-up time), the ragpickers are in them, checking out everything and removing old extension cords, broken appliances, clothing, pieces of lumber -- anything that can possibly be reused.
It's good that fewer items are being wasted, but it certainly indicates that a lot of people are in dire straits.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 31, 2010 15:37:31 GMT
Right around the corner from the first apartment I had in Oaxaca, there was a depository for garbage. I think it was for the garbage trucks to empty out without having to go all the way to the dump, so they could continue their rounds downtown.
The depository was a large garage-type space. I used to take my garbage over there instead of waiting for the garbage truck. There was always a huge mound of reeking garbage on the back wall, with several people -- mostly little kids -- picking over it. As soon as someone appeared at the door with trash, someone from inside would dart out to be the first to claim the "treasure". This is particularly horrible when you remember that in this country people don't flush their toilet paper, but put it in the trash.
It's stuff like that which can really put self-pity in proportion.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2010 17:02:15 GMT
Yes,you're right on that Bixa,oh so right. Recently, in NYC saw similar scenarios...people looking for food to eat out of garbage cans,bags. Definitely puts things in perspective when one sees that in one of the world's richest countries.
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Post by hwinpp on Jun 2, 2010 9:06:01 GMT
Now that Patrick has jogged my memory, yes, in Germany we have a day devoted to 'Sperrmuell". Pickings are slim though as the stuff is usually second hand and you have to get up early in the morning to get the good stuff.
What's left is then taken away by the municipal rubbish service by the early afternoon.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2010 11:59:50 GMT
I went out cruising around early yesterday morning around the neighborhood near the campuses. Most of the piles had been picked over or were sodden from the rain we got over the weekend. In other words,I was too late...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2010 0:11:58 GMT
OK,last night I saw this pile,I wish I had caught some of the other ones earlier in the week. Lots of reusable stuff here...I did take one item  ,had to refrain from too much. The young lady was still bringing stuff out and I had to go be somewhere  . I asked her whether or not everything was still in working order and she assured me,yes.     |
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,had to refrain from too much. The young lady was still bringing stuff out and I had to go be somewhere 
. I asked her whether or not everything was still in working order and she assured me,yes.