I just dragged an old busted washing machine to the curb and went in the house to call the trash company for a special pickup and some guys in a truck drove by and snatched it already. Earlier this summer I set some lawnmower remains down and they got scooped up after 20 minutes. That kind of stuff being taken doesn't surprise me because I used to be in the scrap metal business and I know the prices of scrap have sky rocketed but some of the stuff folks are taking has me stumped. My neighbor put down a beat up office chair that had a big rip in the cushion and some old guy in a van jumped out and took it. Once I dragged a box of smelly old books from my garage that the neighbor's cat sprayed,they were crawling with bugs when I set them down but I saw some woman pull up and shove them into the backseat of her car. You think there's been a huge increase in trash pickers because of the economy? Does any of your junk get taken before the trash man shows up? If someone on your street has a huge pile of stuff set down for trash do cars drive by real slow eyeballing it?

I just dragged an old busted washing machine to the curb and went in the house to call the trash company for a special pickup and some guys in a truck drove by and snatched it already. Earlier this summer I set some lawnmower remains down and they got scooped up after 20 minutes. That kind of stuff being taken doesn't surprise me because I used to be in the scrap metal business and I know the prices of scrap have sky rocketed but some of the stuff folks are taking has me stumped. My neighbor put down a beat up office chair that had a big rip in the cushion and some old guy in a van jumped out and took it. Once I dragged a box of smelly old books from my garage that the neighbor's cat sprayed,they were crawling with bugs when I set them down but I saw some woman pull up and shove them into the backseat of her car. You think there's been a huge increase in trash pickers because of the economy? Does any of your junk get taken before the trash man shows up? If someone on your street has a huge pile of stuff set down for trash do cars drive by real slow eyeballing it?

Yep. that happens where I live too!!! I guess the saying "One mans trash is another man's treasure"! rings true LOL!!! :D I admit even I do it. If I see a doll or a stuffed animal tossed out I feel sorry for the poor thing and bring it home. (as long as it isn't really filthy or anything)! I got a big teddy bear that was in perfect shape but missing an eye, and a perfectly good Ariel doll from The little mermaid. They could have been donated to Goodwill or sold in a yard sale. Not tossed on the street! :(

LOL @ the neighbors cat sprayed on the books!!! :lol: :D

Yep. that happens where I live too!!! I guess the saying "One mans trash is another man's treasure"! rings true LOL!!! :D I admit even I do it. If I see a doll or a stuffed animal tossed out I feel sorry for the poor thing and bring it home. (as long as it isn't really filthy or anything)! I got a big teddy bear that was in perfect shape but missing an eye, and a perfectly good Ariel doll from The little mermaid. They could have been donated to Goodwill or sold in a yard sale. Not tossed on the street! :(

I Agree! On Garbage Day I cruise neighborhood streets looking for discarded Coca Cola (Products) Cartons. I tear off the flap with the coupon, when I get home I log on to Coca Cola's website and key in the code on those coupons. When I get enough points I redeem them for toys, which are then donated to various charities at Christmastime. One year I received almost $2,000.00 in merchandise, all but but five items (A Coke Truck, A Belt Buckle, A Pop Bottle Opener, a DVD Set (The First Season of Happy Days and a DVD of the Movie Firehouse Dog were donated to charity. I turned the Belt Buckle and the Bottle Opener into Christmas Tree Ornaments. :tree:

I would do that myself on occasion. One month a year we would have " Spring Clean-up " in my neighborhood where people are allowed to put anything down for trash. I got all kinds of stuff, a big box of baseball cards, a bunch of vhs movies and an 8ft slate pool table, (I had help getting that.)

My grandfather's house is on the market for $40K and the realtors told my dad that if he didn't clean the house at this time, they would. So...they did, but my surviving aunts got what was important...the harmonium and the pics of my grandpa.

Realtors don't want that ****...but where my grandfather lived is in Garfield Heights and I feel that it's now a redneck 'burb...so many garbage pickers!

But if the house is still up for sale...I may get my friends to help me buy the house. I'll be seeing most of them next week, and maybe we can brainstorm in buying back that house...I know it'll be at least $40K to fix it up...but as long as there's no mummies living in the basement...I'll be fine!

Here, people throw out working computers, televisions (up to 35inches), DVD players, printers and working portable stereos.They get a new one, wrap up the cord on the old one, and place it gently outside next to the curb with a sign that says "I Work! I'm Free!"

http://i.imgur.com/spdks8T.jpg (http://lunapic.com>)

If I find a perfectly good toy lying on the curc I'll pick it up, then donate it to the Salvation Army.

oh yeah they do that here too...but here you need to buy a license and wear a pickers badge or you can get a fine.

There is a man in our neighborhood who comes around in his pick-up on trash day. He collects metal. One time I threw out a wooden plant stand and then saw it for sale in his garage sale! :lol: But that's ok. Anytime I want to get rid of something we just put it out on the side of the road and almost every time somebody comes along and picks it up! Recycling I guess?:D

oh yeah they do that here too...but here you need to buy a license and wear a pickers badge or you can get a fine.

Welcome to the boards!:wave:

You know what they say!!

One persons trash is anothers gold!!

Welcome to the boards!:wave:

Hey There & Hippie Tuesday:)

Mega Thankies for the welcome....I have been around since 2008 on and off...okay mostly off...LOL....but I really appreciate it:)

When i used to work at a apartment, a resident left Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in the trash chute room and i took it home because i had never heard it before. I had heard a few songs on there before by The Bee Gees but i had never heard the whole soundtrack. It's a pretty good soundtrack and i like the album pictures inside of John Travolta. I finally saw the movie last summer for the first time and i liked it. I feel sorry for homeless people that have to pick through trash cans so they can get food. That's so nasty.

When i used to work at a apartment, a resident left Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in the trash chute room and i took it home because i had never heard it before. I had heard a few songs on there before by The Bee Gees but i had never heard the whole soundtrack. It's a pretty good soundtrack and i like the album pictures inside of John Travolta. I finally saw the movie last summer for the first time and i liked it. I feel sorry for homeless people that have to pick through trash cans so they can get food. That's so nasty.


When I was a teenager I knew a guy that became homeless because his mom threw him out of the house. The first night he built a little house out of cardboard boxes and tried to sleep in the woods behind a target store but he could hear animals clawing on the outside of the cardboard. He then went to a bread company and found one of their trucks unlocked and slept in there for a couple of nights. He was only homeless for a few days and then begged his mom to let him have his room back. I wouldn't pick in the garbage for food but I would try to get some from warehouses before they threw it away.

Being homeless is so terrible and it's really a shame that we live in a world that has too many homeless people and nothing is being done by people in power to get rid of homeless problem. Only way homeless problem will end is if jobs stop discriminating against homeless people because they need jobs. They also need housing and nothing is being done to give them housing.