/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>dumpster diving for golf balls
>ignoring the local driving range
>2012

>>270848
i want some pro v1s breh

jesus this board is slow

I once went to a state office and found a mini-fridge, then sold it on craigslist for $50. that was my first time diving, I'd be wary of going to a state office again, it seen like it might be easier for them to press charges if they wanted to.

stay away from Recycling dumpsters. I know someone who was arrested and convicted for grabbing computer parts from GE's Recycling

Yes, as some posters say, taking someone's refuse is, to a certain extent, theft.

Note this interesting recent article on the booming business in Cardboard theft. Yeah, CARDBOARD.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/07/inside-surprisingly-lucrative-world-cardbo
ard-theft/2761/

To return to the thread's main concern: I found the best places to dumpster dive is outside (bad) apartment complexes. The residents are usually on some sort of government assistance, and have absolutely no concept of thrift or value. They therefore throw out the most marvelous things.
I once scored a full projection TV, never mind the host of old PCs.

>>270865
>>270865
>>270865
>>270846
there is a massive recycling center/garbage disposal centre right next to where i live, really high barbed wire fences and cameras fucking everywhere, I see no point in protecting junk.

>>271116
It has something to do with "pollution" and "proper disposal", but I'm with you.

>>271116
It's not junk. It's money. Recycling is a business.

You can score some really nice furniture from businesses remodeling. One of my friends scored two big magazine racks where he keeps his collection of comic books. They were solid wood and in perfect condition.
But in hindsight, they probably just had those magazine racks sitting outside because they were moving things around.

Not "dumpster diving" in the traditional sense but I've volunteered to clean out old items for businesses before. Basically I work for free in exchange for keeping the loot.

I've made as little as a few hundred and one job netted me around $3k. If you're willing to do some manual labor, Craigslist is your best friend.

i went for the first time two weeks back. i got a bag of bread from jimmy john's after they closed and put it in my freezer. i just defrosted a loaf today, tasted great. i definitely want to continue doing it!

I used to go to the dumpster of the local staples and pull out new office/computer chairs. there were usually minor things wrong with them, like they wouldn't go up and down smoothly or something.

Friend of mine and I got high and thus we needed food. Wanted pizza but they were closed, so we drove behind the building and checked they dumpster. Nothing :/

My cousin works at a hospital and they are constantly throwing out perfectly good computers and furniture. They have to burn money to stay non-profit, so they replace them all the time. Could be worth checking out.

>>271133
This is actually a great idea!

also my uncle usually does this, going to shipyards and such and usually comes home with lots of stuff. few of the things he got was an acetylene/oxygen welder with size T or K tanks, and one drill column that is in eccellent condition. And this one was quite old so it didn't have the safety mechanism that has to be engaged in order for it to work.

>>271532
8/10

>>271129
This.

Not the same thing, but my uncle used to be a part of a business a few years ago that would handle recycling for companies that had to get rid of large amounts of hardware. The company went under, and being one of the higher ups in the company, he got to take his pick of whatever he wanted to take home. He ended up with a basket full of perfectly good Blackberries, about 20-30 digital cameras, countless Apple computers, a small chunk of PC's, and a few Blade Servers from a trading company. Speed Trading companies need cutting edge speed so that they can make trades where a fraction of a second could be the difference between a profit and a loss, so he got some really nice, perfectly good servers that were only being gotten rid of because they weren't the fastest models out there. Anyway it's not really dumpster diving, but he gave me one of the servers (which I might make a thread about asking you guys what I should do with it) and it's the best "garbage picking" deal I've ever gotten.

I've been "dumpster" diving in those electronic recycle bins for the past week or so. This is just about everything I have gotten.

>>272714
bag included? cool

>>272721
That bag was just sitting inside the bin for some reason. /a/ seemed to like the bag quite a bit.

Grocery store dumpsters can offer a lot of free food. Stores throw out expired food on the day it expires, but usually the actual inside is perfectly fit for consumption. Avoid anything dairy and check the bread for mold and you should be golden. Usually the best things are frozen goods like vegetables, pizzas, even ice cream. They usually throw out food just before closing too. Watch out for security cameras though

>>272714
Is there a group that puts out said bins?
Do they list their locations online anywhere? I could go for some free, old consoles.

>>272747
The bin I normally go to is just blue and it says RECYCLE on it. Then it has stuff about recycling old electronics on it. I'll check for a name or something the next time I go. The best places to find them are around Walmarts, Fred Meyers, and Electronic stores.

>>272755
Good to know. Thanks, and any more info would be welcome, too!

>>270865
Don't these fucks know the 3 R's of recycling, one of which is RE-USE.

I grapped a shitty desktop from my college when they had one of those bins, wasn't sure if I was stealing or not, was a bit worried since it was INSIDE the school, my bro and I each grabbed one and just walked out, no one gave a fuck apparently.

Actually came in handy since a few months later my desktop just up and died, so I had a backup at least.

>>272760
I've only gone in the middle of the day so lots of people drive by so I go fairly quick. If anyone stops and asks what you are doing just be super polite and tell them you are reusing things that are just going to be scrapped. Also don't look super suspicious or else more people will slow down or stop, if you see someone start to slow down I normally just slowly lower thing that i have grabbed out back into the bin so it looks like I'm putting thing in there.

I stick to the local neighborhoods looking for furniture people have tossed. I want to start diving at big name stores so bad, though, but I'm scared as balls to do it.

>>270846
I work at Staples Office Supplies, and on typical load days (saturdays for us) they'll get rid of the trash. Go there periodically and look. If it's been nice weather, they may have thrown out file cabinets, desks, etc. and hopefully haven't been ruined by the rain.
If you actually dumpster dive, there's usually bags of trash, lots of foam or damaged goods, like ethernet wire, software, binders etc.

Just make friends with the IA there and tell him to text you when they throw stuff out. IDK it may be like this with every store.

>>273629
I'm too afraid to go to actual stores and dumpster dive after having the cops yell at me last time I tried.

bump, more!

i go and take bread from the near by albertsons every week
(garlic beard, donuts, cakes, raspberry pies, muffins and qusonts)

theres this place near my friends house, basically a strip mall. they have one recycle bin out back that is almost always full of engineering textbooks. I have no idea where these come from as there is no engineering school around there. considering taking a ton and selling them

>>273634
>>273618

Protip: Don't do it during the day

Bakeries are great, especially ones that pride themselves on the freshest products. By the end of the day you might be able to find a good bag full of barely-stale deliciousness.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to make it look like you're meant to be there?

How about wearing a high-vis vest, protective gloves and a dust mask so it doesn't look like you've just wandered off the street. I think the only people who you'd raise any suspicions with would be security guards who've worked there a while and know it's unusual for anyone to be in one of the dumpsters.

>>273767
well dumpster diving isn't illegal in most places
its legal here and I have had security pop up and ask me what the fuck am I doing I just say treasure hunting and to take it easy there wont be a huge mess one guard lol we spoke for a bit he asked me why I would do something like this told him it was a hobby and that most the stuff ill find it a new home or donate it make stuff with it eat it etc etc

I'm interested in this... When I lived in Boston a bunch of people I knew would dive through dumpsters at MIT, Harvard, BU... Beginning of summer when student were moving out they would find tons of good shit; CPUs, monitors, printers, furniture, clothes... A lot of it in really good condition, too. I guess if your family has enough cash to pay for that level of education a 2 year old laptop is as easy to throw away as a used tampon...

There used to be a really good pizza place in Brookline, MA (The Upper Crust)... After closing the would place all their unsold pizza in closed boxes right on top of their dumpsters... That shit would sometimes still be warm...

come on ppl
tips on good places to go
or
tricks like looking like your putting things away when you are really taking them

>>271133

Is it just craigslist or are there other ways to make connections with this? My friend's uncle does it for banks, and he and I used to work with him. It was pretty shitty, because we had to clean up everything and even do like a maid service.

I'm wondering because I'm unemployed, my friend hates his job and is constantly getting injured, and I'd like him to work with me (since he can drive and I never got my license).

Is it lucrative?

I worked at a Home Depot in college. Most of the ones I've been to lock their dumpsters but this one does not. If you were to hit it weekly for a couple years, you'd have enough to build a small house.

No secret that they take the shit lumber thats been left and throw it on top hoping someone will buy it. However, after they have about an entire bundle of shit, they just bundle it, remove it from the system and throw it in the dumpster. You can get an entire bundle of ugly, chipped, or bowed framing lumber if you come on the right day. (Good luck getting it out of the dumpster though.) Same goes for any type of construction material with cosmetic damage.

It's also a goldmine for scrap metal. They throw away entire shelves that have any damage (liability issues).

The display models of everything goes in the trash after it has been sprayed with orange spray paint (Home Depot's policy).

Plants are also very abundant. Any plant that doesn't look great is throw away. At the end of the season all plants are sent back or thrown.

If you want junk food look up the location of local vending companies. I used to throw away pounds a day of expired chips and candy bars from the machines after route drivers came back for the day.

alright people
i was just talking with my sis from cali and she (and many others)
dive all the time and one of the more helpful things she told me was that if you come across a bin that is locked you should have a pair of plyers to remove the linch pin from the hinges holding the lid on to help you get whatever is inside BUT dont forget to put the pins back when you are done

come on, someone has to know somthing or have an idea or even tips/tricks here

>>274725
Fuck - what do you want, a diagram? Look in some dumpsters and if there's anything good in there, take it out. Thats all there is to it.

>>274730
i was hoping someone might know more
or post good VS bad places to go or try

>>274738
It all depends, bro. Go out and look yourself. It's fucking dumpster diving. It's not a uniform thing.

>>273796
>This
Usually college students attending major universities aren't from the area, so they move away every semester.They also don't often pay for their own tuition because they're still suckling on mom/dads teat. They don't buy all their fruniture, clothing, vehicles, pay the rent ect. You can often find just about anything in a dumpster on or near campus. I used to live near three major universities and my friends would score laptops, desktops, fruniture, flat screen tvs, bags- just anything. Oftentimes its in near new condition. Don't get too greedy though because campus security can be dicks.
>some other good places include: sporting good stores(mentioned,) grocery stores, electronics outlets, army surplus stores, book stores, wal-mart(often locked,) clothing stores- just think of what you need and go to the store that has it. It's that simple.

Hell, it so awesome to live in countries where trash is sorted. In Russia dumpster diving is really nasty, since organic and non-organic trash goes in the same bin. But on the other hand there is kind of tradition - to leave things that can be reused by someone on the side of the bin, or just near it. And police don't give a damn about people digging through trash. Worst that could happen is fight with hobo (seriously, once I had to beat the crap out of one of them with an old inkjet printer).

>>272723
WHO THE FUCK THROWS OUT AZUMANGA THEMED BAG ANYWAYS

>>273759
Textbooks are only worth anything if you can find a student whose required to buy that specific textbook. And the textbook industry is almost a racket, in that I've had classes using the tenth edition of a book. By making new editions that are marginally better or have new problems, the publishing companies ensure that a lot of schools buy a lot of replacement books.

But then the old editions are nearly worthless.

>>270849
why would they throw those away

>>270846
>i was wondering if anyone has ever gone to dick's sporting goods? i was hoping i could find some golf balls or something.
Wait... You want to go to a place called dick's to find balls. Really?

>>275155
Fifth grade humor. Grow up.

>>270846
ITT: More dirty hippies who muck about in dumpsters.
Stay classy, /diy/

>>273930

I actually got started with my uncle. The company he works for would sometimes close an office down (new ownership + recession bad for struggling office locations) and they would tell him to throw most of the stuff out. Only exceptions were very expensive items. He didn't want anything since he makes a great salary and I cut his work time in half by helping him out.

Between that and networking with people, I do pretty good. I've even done two hoarders' homes. Those are interesting; lots of trash but sometimes good salvageable stuff.
Pay attention to closing stores too. A movie rental store closed down a few months ago and I got the shelving for free along with some other stuff. They were already in debt several grand and needed to be out of the building that day. I saved them storage and moving fees. Ended up taking their remaining Blu-ray, DVD, and game inventory (about 80 items iirc) for $100.

Be nice, courteous, and don't act like a shady fuck and you can get great deals.

Just go on craigslist free ads, people throwing away useful shit all the time.

I was thinking of making a thread like this. Dumpster diving used to be all the rage here.

I went once and found a curling iron from Sally's Beauty Supply with the cord cut, but still bundled up. I didn't hit up any grocery stores but I still would like to.

dumpster diver here, been doing it for years
find you an industrial area near you thats off the beaten path, bring a friend! walkie talkies are GREAT! look out for security cameras!
ALSO look for small strip malls. just park your car and walk behind them, when on foot you dont look as suspicious. i've found computers, drill presses, tools, lamps, TVs, material for couches. just 3 months ago i found a spa chair behind a salon, brought it home it didn't work, pulled out my old handy dandy fluke meter and the plug was bad, went to lowes 5 bucks for a new 120 male plug BAM! cleaned it up, told my old lady, she talked to her friends, sold it for 300 bucks CASH! chairs go NEW for 1000. Vacuums are easy to fix and sell as well. shelving and racks can be collected and scrapped over time, broken ceiling fan's motors can be taken out and sold seperate for extra on top of the scrap, WATER FOUNTAINS (YES THE ONES YOU HAD IN SCHOOL) take those apart as well as fridges, typical fridge brings 20 bucks, car batteries bring about 10-15 (scrap mind you) IF you go to your scrap yard when they are not busy, talk to someone (who speaks english) ask them where the "good stuff is" in what ever you bring them, they will tell you how to get the most out of it vs scrapping as steel.

>>272714
Sweet where did you find the electronics ?

>>276230
Read the thread completely before posting.

Whole Foods distribution centers. That is all. Defenses are heavy though.

What are the laws on this in England?

Best find I had was a table football table worth about 200 quid in a dumpster outside someone's house. Was obvious they were in, so asked them first - told us to help ourselves and how much it was worth, fucking spotless condition, not a mark on it. Apparently they were just redecorating and didn't have space for it any more.

>What are the laws on this in England?

This is illegal everywhere because it's
>trespassing
>stealing
>willful destruction of property

dumpster divers are human rats, stay the fuck out of my dumpsters.

>bbbbut its just garbage

IT'S MY FUCKING GARBAGE. And I sometimes shift through it myself to get the recyclables/good stuff at my own discretion. I pay for the dumpster, I pay for it to be emptied, stay the fuck out of it. I don't give a fuck what your opinion is on it. You are a filthy criminal and you are making a mess.

>>276440
>This is illegal everywhere
No it isnt.

>>276440
I steal your garbage and take a shit in your dumpster. Enjoy that while you're sifting through things you already threw away to 'get the good stuff'

>>276440
>This is illegal everywhere because it's

Many places have laws that basically state that when you put trash on the curb for pickup it is no longer your property and anyone can come alone and take it. This comes from cases where celebritys' trash have been pillaged for sensationalist crap to make headlines.

>>276451
correct. most municipalities in the US consider garbage at the curb or in dumpsters part of the common domain, and thus it is available for anyone to examine or take.

I used to live in a very wealthy neighborhood in Northern Virginia (my neighbors were senators and the like) and you would not believe the things that would show up outside on trash day. I once came across a complete dining set that was obviously worth thousands but unfortunately lacked the transportation to get it from one side of the neighborhood to the other. Also found lots of flat screen TVs, desktops, shelves, couches, and other top-quality furniture. And the thrift stores there were absolutely amazing because things would get donated in barely-used condition.

tl;dr look for rich areas, find their "trash", profit.