Originally Posted by TiBikeGuy

I don't dumpster dive for food but for consumer products like electrical and electronic products, the occasional bicycle, bags, etc. When a new family moves in, they usually toss out all the electrical items that they don't need. I have picked up fans, cookers, lamps, computers, radios, playstation, kitchen stuff, etc.

Electrical fans are either thrown out when they are not working or when the plastic blades have broken off. So if the motor is burnt, I salvage the other parts to fix on those that are working but with broken blades, rusted cages, or blown fuses. Some items like blenders and coffee makers just needed to be cleaned to be usable again. I found some table lamps that I replaced the bulbs from my recycled stash and it is working.

A laundry shop had recently tossed out 2 huge boxes of unclaimed clothes. They are cleaned and in the clear plastic with the hangers. Kept those that I can wear, gave some away, sold some away and will donate the unsold ones to Salvation Army. Among the tossed items are Emporio Armani jacket,DKNY pants, Columbia rain gear,a few Italian silk ties.

Got a free vacuum which is not sucking, cleaned out the clogged vents and it is as powerful as new. Now, I have more electrical items than I can use, so I sell them after i repaired them.

Found a laptop with cracked LCD display, it is working so I just hooked it up to an external monitor and I used it for more than 3 years. I once picked up a dusty Ortleib waterproof trunk bag that just needed a wash. Sometimes bags are tossed out with hidden treasures in the many pockets. Things like cash, Parker pens, calculators, watches have been found inside.

Some time back, I came across some old furniture that was left by the dump site. Thought of recycling the chest of drawers, so I started to look through the old papers and clothes inside and found dollars in 10's and 50's even a single $1,000 note, some old jewellery ... nice Christmas present.

So you see, one man's trash can be another man's treasure.