Reply #305: i used to do this and fix up/sell scrounged stuff for extra $$$

[pitohui]

i wouldn't tell strangers that stuff was dumpster dived but friends knew, some of them even saved me stuff instead of tossing it

with craigslist/freecycle more people expect to get stuff free just to haul it away but occasionally i still stumble on something worth taking home for my own use

unfortunately these days the dumpster are compactors so there is no getting anything from them -- the only goodies i can "pick" are stuff put out on trash day in front of people's houses and this can be awkward (some people don't mind and even prefer if you take the stuff, some people might be a little weirded to see you pick their trash tho)

i never "pick" after dark or in a secretive manner, i think that's more likely to cause someone to freak out or even call the cops on you

also i always try to leave the "picked" trash as neat or neater than when i found it

finally, when in doubt, i toss it in the vehicle and take it home to evaluate, if i decide it's no good and can't be fixed after all, i can throw it away, but once i leave it behind, it's gone

finally make your decision on whether the stuff is worth selling/keeping within 3 days, and then toss if the decision is negative, don't store crap that you don't have a plan for!