# Am I the only one who went junking as a kid?



## dmmj (Jun 25, 2011)

It may have been called other things but I called it junking, basically me and my family (it was a family event) would pile into the car and drive around on trash night and look for what others threw away. We found some awesome stuff sometimes, often (what looked like) brand new furniture and other stuff just sitting there waiting for the trash man.


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## ascott (Jun 25, 2011)

"Dumpster diving" was the phrase along with "swooping"...yup, did it...but not with my folks. I still have a three piece asian cabinet, like 7 feet tall with the jewel inlays against the black laquer....I will have it forever.... I have not done it for some years....but that is not to say I would not "swoop" on a find if I ran past one


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## Angi (Jun 25, 2011)

Can't say that I have......but I did hang out and play at my uncles wrecking yard and look through cars for treasures. Don't think we ever found anything good


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## October (Jun 25, 2011)

As kids we did it out of necessity.  Now, I do it for fun, for the hunt. I love to refinish furniture and re-purpose things that would otherwise end up in a landfill. I love going to thrift stores too.


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## terryo (Jun 25, 2011)

Sunday night is a biggie here for junking. I mostly look for pretty planters...large pots etc. I have a veggie garden on one side of my house, but on the other side I like to plant a few tomato plants, and basil...parsley, in pretty pots...when I cook, I just have to go out the side door and pick some herbs. I have found some great pretty pots and have them all over my yard with flowers in them. I found a bunch of ornate iron fences, that I put on one side of my garden so the beans and squash (Italian long squash) have something to climb on, and they look so pretty too. There's some really RICH neighborhoods around here, and that's the place to look. Everything they throw out is practically brand new. Last Spring I saw a big ficus tree. My son and I drove home with it hanging out the window. It was beautiful and reached the ceiling. My son took it home and has it in his living room. "Junking" is fun!!


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## Zouave (Jun 25, 2011)

I got a 110 gallon TuffTank (stock tank) just last week. :thumbsup: Gonna turn it into an outdoor daytime enclosure. Bugger wouldn't fit in my trunk though. Luckily it was just around the corner but i probably looked pretty silly pushin this big black "bathtub" up the street on a dolly. lol


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## Laura (Jun 25, 2011)

my sister is in the Bay Area and they have certain days where you can put anything out on the curb for pickup . its free game.. she got a few nice things that way. its amazing what some people throw away,, and even more so what they keep!


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jun 26, 2011)

Absolutely! We go "curb shopping" from time to time, and have found some pretty cool things, including a 1954 Tweed Fender Deluxe guitar amp that only needed one new tube to work perfectly.

And, Zouave, a hint: make friends w/ the owner of a pickup truck!


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## Missy (Jun 26, 2011)

Yep been there done that and still doing it to this day


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## Terry Allan Hall (Jun 26, 2011)

It's sometimes mind-boggling what some folks throw away.


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## Jacqui (Jun 26, 2011)

We never did it as a family event, but I grew up checking out the curb as you drove along.  My favorite find is still my hottub I found at our village dump. I removed the parts, cover the outlet holes, buried it and have for years been enjoying it as my turtle pool.  It's a shame, they closed the small town dumps, they were awesome places to look thru.


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## Angi (Jun 26, 2011)

I didn't think it was legal to take or look though other peoples trash. People here do put stuff out quite often with free signs on them.I see it a lot right now with so many people moving


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## ChiKat (Jun 26, 2011)

I've never driven around with the intent of looking for things, but I have stopped before when something caught my eye.
I got a 20 gallon tank once and another time I found 2 baby gates- perfect to keep my dogs out of trouble 

My cousin went to her town's dump once and came back with a rattan papasan chair...the cushion freaks me out though...I would draw the line at taking something with fabric, blech, but she doesn't mind


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## JeffG (Jun 26, 2011)

Wow, I guess I'm weird. I would never take anything out of someone else's trash. I never even thought about it. Maybe I need to start paying more attention.


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## dmmj (Jun 26, 2011)

Angi said:


> I didn't think it was legal to take or look though other peoples trash. People here do put stuff out quite often with free signs on them.I see it a lot right now with so many people moving


In california at least once it is put on the street for pickup it is considered like public property. I know for awhile there the trash company was trying to get their cans classified as private so they could get after the homeless people who take the recyclables out of there.


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## terryo (Jun 26, 2011)

No Jeff, you're not weird. I don't know why, but I got hysterical laughing when I read your post. Maybe we're all weird and you're normal. I must be tired....I can't stop laughing. I thought I was the only one who went "garbage picking", and now I find that lots of people do it. David, you always start the most interesting threads. OMG!! I can't stop laughing..........


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## Zouave (Jun 26, 2011)

@Terry Allen - I'm actually considering getting a small pick up. lol

@terryo - Not garbage picking, recycling! :thumbsup:


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## ChiKat (Jun 27, 2011)

Exactly Zouave, it's better than ending up in a landfill!


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## SnakeyeZ (Jun 27, 2011)

Nope! But I'm one of the people that has to go out and clean up after our dumpster divers. I put my trash out early morning to avoid the hassle, lol.


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## dmmj (Jun 27, 2011)

SnakeyeZ said:


> Nope! But I'm one of the people that has to go out and clean up after our dumpster divers. I put my trash out early morning to avoid the hassle, lol.


Good junkers, dumpster divers keep it clean.


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## Zouave (Jun 27, 2011)

I often ring the bell to see if they would like me to cart off any of their other unwanted$.  Got lots of great books like that.


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