The Fine Art of Urban Scavenging

Let’s face it folks, these are tough times for just about everybody –But that doesn’t mean you can’t have awesome stuff in your house or dorm room! By being observant of your surroundings, you can find some pretty interesting things lying about. And the best part? It’s free!

Scavenging is an art, plain and simple. I shall, in this article, provide some advice regarding this most splendid pastime. But what, exactly, constitutes “scavenging” you might ask? Well, I’m glad you asked! Scavenging consists of permanently borrowing things that someone else either doesn’t care enough about to keep in a safe place, or that said person has, to the best of your knowledge, abandoned to a cruel fate. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and all that.

Dear readers, please note that I emphasize “to the best of your knowledge” because scavenging is most definitely NOT stealing! The difference between the two is quite obvious to even an un-seasoned scavenger. As a basic rule of thumb, if the object in question is systematically discarded, has been in a clear state of abandonment for quite some time, or is otherwise in any state of obvious peril, it is your duty, good readers, your simple duty to society –and to your pocketbook– to rescue it, restore its use, and save some money!

Now before you get excited and run off snatching various objects throughout your neighborhood and causing general mayhem, it may benefit you to consider this: some things are good to take if you can find them, and some aren’t. Here are a few examples:

(Original Pics Courtesy of: “Dumneazu” I encountered this blog while searching for the pics and it fit right in. It is quite interesting; check it out if you feel it.)

GOOD TO GRAB:

• Desk Chairs: (Check to make sure that there isn’t anything particularly nasty in the fabric before you grab it!)
• Shelving: Assuming the shelves aren’t broken beyond repair, this is usually a simple grab. Easy to clean and rarely stained with anything, you can even repaint them if they aren’t the color you prefer!
• Tables (any kind): Let’s face it, if you want to throw a party that’s legit, you sometimes need to bring out an extra table. Never underestimate the need for surfaces to put stuff on. As long as it isn’t broken beyond repair, there’s usually a use for it! Tables that fold up are especially useful.
• Picture Frames:Why go to the store and pay for a frame when you can FIND one that fits the picture? The only down side with this one is, you have to FIND it. If it doesn’t have backing, you can easily make some out of wood or cardboard.
• Sporting Goods: A soccer ball that can easily be re-inflated? No problem. A soccer ball that’s already inflated? Even better! Still, It may not be a good idea to take just anything. As a general rule, items that can have their use easily restored (inflatable) or that are in decent shape and have nothing apparently wrong with them (golf clubs, tennis rackets, etc.) are a good choice. Items whose use could backfire (skis, skateboards, and fishing rods) should be looked on with more scrutiny.
• Musical Instruments: I’ve seen people throw out perfectly good musical instruments. Why? Not because they can’t be played, but because the person doing the throwing out has either given up trying to play them or doesn’t feel like going to the trouble of fixing a very small detail about them that currently makes them unplayable. (I once saw a perfectly good acoustic guitar thrown out just because one of the strings was broken!) Point is, if you’re considering taking up an instrument and don’t have the dough to get started, this one’s for you!
• Movies/Video Games: Yes, people really do throw these out! And many times, they’re just fine for watching or playing! Even if the disk appears to be a bit scratched, it’s always worth a try!
• Books: This one’s pretty simple. Unless the pages are totally missing, badly stained, or torn to shreds, there isn’t too much that can keep you from reading them!  Textbooks can be valuable too, even if the bookstore says they aren’t.
• Textbooks/Notes: Believe it or not, people have actually been lucky enough to find notes for the classes they were about to take in the upcoming semester! Hold on to that giddy feeling you just got. It’s one of the joys of living!

Books Found In Budapest By Roma

• Random Commodities: Colognes (Once found a full Davidoff Cool Water), Paintings, Fire Bowls, Grills (avoid gas grills, however…don’t blow yourself up), French Press Coffee Makers….You name it, and somebody ungrateful has probably thrown it out.

BAD TO GRAB:

• Mattresses: (the reason for this should be obvious!) You don’t want none of that.
• Sheets and Comforters: See above.
• Mirrors: If they are in one piece, great. But make sure they are! These are often thrown out because they are cracked. Simple as that. If you try to hang one up or even just lean it against the wall, you may be unpleasantly surprised when it comes crashing down in two or more pieces (I say this from personal experience!) If you do take one, make sure you have a way to transport it so it doesn’t crack on the way back! You can hurt yourself!
• Clothing: Unless it’s something really unique, still in the wrapping, or in really good shape, there’s usually a very good reason someone threw it out instead of donating it. No, seriously.
• Kitchen Appliances: Would you really feel safe plugging in a ten-year-old microwave that someone else threw out, and which is probably a fire hazard? Me neither. It’s best to play it safe and avoid this one.
• Electric Pencil Sharpeners: These can be dangerous, as it’s not always clear whether they’ll work. Also, they often have a dull blade and aren’t any good for sharpening anything anyway.

This Is Just Trash

CAUTIONARY NOTES/ITEMS WITH  VARIABLE SUCCESS:

• Lamps: Sometimes, people get rid of their desk or floor lamps because they just don’t want them any more, even though they work just fine! But the down side is, you don’t know whether the lamp works or not until you take it somewhere and plug it in to find out (assuming it has a light bulb! If not, you have to find one of those, too!)
• Rugs: Again, you run into the same problem here that you do with anything made out of cloth or fabric. If someone’s throwing out a rug, it’s probably because it’s stained with something that won’t come out. It is possible to get very lucky and find something nice though!
• Couches: (same reason as above, and also because it might be infested with critters of some sort.)  However, sometimes when people move they don’t have the capacity to move their couch;  offer to help them move some of their other stuff and they may just gift you the remaining couch.
• Electronics: These are often thrown out when they stop working. Also, certain items such as computers can be hazardous or even contain poisons. But if the item appears to be in working order, or if you feel like you can fix it or use some of its components, give it a shot! It’s always worth it if you can!
• Bicycles: These are often either abandoned because of serious damage that makes them unable to be ridden or because key components of them have already been stolen. Sometimes you can fix them, sometimes not. You have to be careful when riding these, as you never can be sure what will happen (A friend of mine once found a bike in a dumpster downtown and had the rusty bike chain break on him when he was at high speed! We should have oiled it first.)
• Street Signs: Obviously, taking these from their proper place is illegal. However, sometimes in a storm those “proper places” are knocked over and are set aside by road workers for replacement at a later date. If you’re lucky enough to find a sign that’s by the side of the road after a storm, it can give your dorm room that edgy “urban rebel” touch. Just make sure someone doesn’t see you blatantly running around with it, or you might get stopped by the police!
• Other Misc. Objects: You really never know what treasures you can find. I’ve found all sorts of things: a music stand lying in the road, a brand-new bicycle seat on a street corner, a “No Parking” sign behind some bushes, and even a perfectly good stereo. Might I add that under the right circumstances, even a compound microscope is a possibility? ;) The possibilities are as endless as your imagination (and perhaps even beyond that!)

ON THE SUBJECT OF PREPARATION:

Herein lies some general advice regarding preparatory actions for those who wish to become an Artful Urban Scavenger:

1. KNOW THE SCHEDULE: Is the trash being taken out? Good. Know the time and day of the week when it’s brought out, in what parts of town, and what time it will be picked up.
2. WORK SYSTEMATICALLY: If you see an object that you cannot grab right off, have a plan of attack. Make a mental note of the location and consider the object a “target”. Return later with a vehicle, tools to disassemble the object, or any other means of transporting the object that are necessary. Having a schedule in mind can also be helpful in this instance as you want to be sure the object will still be there when you return!
3. CHOOSE WISELY: A large part of finding the things you want to find lies in looking where you ought to look. A dumpster full of construction debris isn’t likely to contain the textbooks you’ll need for next semester. I’m just saying.
4. SEIZE OPPORTUNITY: Is it the end of exam week, with a campus move-out imminent? Perhaps there is a yard or garage sale in town? Did you notice that a nearby store is about to close? Did your best friend just comment that he/she is moving and has “way too much stuff“? All of these are wondrous opportunities to cop what others drop. Go get ‘em, champ.

Scavenging is a marvelous hobby. And most marvelous of all, when you’ve gotten your hands on a few interesting trinkets, you can relate to others the grandiose tales of how you came to own them. Tales of magic, of mystery, of danger, excitement, bravery, romance! . . . –Ok, but seriously. It’s safe to say that once you’ve got some experience under your belt, unbelievably hilarious stories will abound. And those who hear of them might even join you!

And now, dear readers, I leave you to your endeavors. Anything goes! Just remember to carefully gauge the situation and consider whether going after the object in question is going to be worth it! And above all, have fun!

Happy hunting! ;D

P.S. And make sure the people who paid for their “cool” stuff know that YOU DIDN’T! :D

Tags: chairs, cheap furniture, free, free stuff, furniture, Games, intstruments, scavenging, side of the road, thrown out

Category: Conquering Boredom, Dorm Rooms, Other, Saving, Skills