You know me, I just can’t stop looking in and around dumpsters. I have, however limited myself to only one dumpster per day, and one circle around the apartment dumpsters per week. My method seems to be working because my “free to me’s” just keep on coming!
Last week I did however have a “creepy” experience, no I didn’t come upon the man in the dumpster like I did earlier in the year. You can read all about my friendly encounter in “Le Comprehensive Guide to Dumpster Diving Part Un”.
I pulled up to my favorite dumpster, and this was sitting right outside of it. Of course, the first thought that went through my head was, “maybe I will find a head, or some creepy body part in there, not sure I want to open it”.
Well, I did anyhow, and I did find something really CREEPY!!!! Tons of baby pictures, old baby pictures. Now who would do this? And what sort of sicko would think about the sicko that threw these out, then throw them into her van because the frames were really cool.
MOI!
But this was the weirdest part, there was a big accordion file folder, stuffed with photos, assumably of the same person, I didn’t look at all of them, it is was like looking through someone’s personal files, and well, I do have my standards. But here is the weirdest part, someone had set the thing on fire, then maybe changed their mind and put it out. It was all charred on the edges, and some of the pictures were all stuck together. Then they had thrown the whole lot into this really nice CEDAR lined chest. I thought about looking up the guy in the pictures and telling him I found his pictures. (There was some kind of award from High School with his name on it. It was local). But then I thought that would be even creepier. Maybe he threw them in there, maybe his ex-wife or girlfriend did. Who knows why people throw out the things they throw out. But one thing is for sure, they do not want a phone call from me saying I found their stuff that they just threw out and would they like it back? O.K. too creepy.
And just to keep things interesting, here is the rest of the loot I scored this week from just a few dumpster dives:
This uber cool desk with a plank top!
This mirror with a lovely sticker collection……
And just today……This headboard and footboard, that I am thinking will make a very nice bench….
Hope your pickings were good this week too. (and you didn’t find anything creepier than what I found…..)
Whoa! Waaaay creepy! Je ne comprend pas!
Have fun with your “redouxs!”
Kl
LOL! You truly are brave! I am sending this post to my husband who says I am becoming obsessed with looking for furniture and now he’ll see how bad it can get 😉
Yikes!! Can’t imagine coming across the remnants of some one’s life… charred, no less! Never a dull moment for you, Karen! So far I’m still a big ZERO in the dumpster diving dept, but I continue to be optimistic. 🙂
xo Heidi
ha ha! it is creepy! don’t you feel sorta bad getting rid of things like that- i know i do. i do it, but i always feel a little bad. 🙂
I think it’s kinda sad, not so much creepy. I like getting things back to people, so I might actually contact the person and see if they want them. I spent 30 years looking for a man whose class ring I found in 1977, so I like that sort of thing. But GAD ! The great things you find ! I wanna do dumpsters with YOU ! Awesome, terrific goodies !! Can’t wait to see what you do with them !
I agree. It’s sad not creepy. You don’t know the story behind the things. I would try to contact someone to return their items. The baby pictures are not that old. Someone may have put them in the trash to be mean.
One of these days I hope to find something awesome or creepy like you! You’re the best diving diva I know!
Debbie
I had some great findings this week but thank goodness nothing creepy! Ewwww! (i would have still grabbed it as well) You Go Girl!!!
Tami
That is pretty creepy! Wonder what the story behind all that is?!
Creepy, yes! But awesome find. And, I will never judge le funky lady, for I, too, am a dumpster trash to treasure diver. I found some shutters and an old desk that I will be transforming soon. Happy dumpstering!!!! I love your work!
your trash is soo cool. I want to trash dig with you. Is that what you call it? Whatever.
I had this happen once too. I just couldn’t bring myself to throw the other person’s pictures away. They were baby pictures….big ones and lots of them from different kids. So……I googled the name on the back and ended up finding one of the people on FB. I wrote her and never heard back, she was only in high school. After I “attempted’ I felt better about sending them on.
I can get rid of just about anything ……. except my family photos. 🙂
–Katie
That does it. I’m gonna find me a dumpster to stalk.
~Bliss~
That’s so funny!
That IS creepy–and sad. : (
I hate seeing all those really old B&W and tin types in thrift stores, antiquing and flea marketing. Don’t their families care–??
BUT–you are one lucky girl to find all these free projects! My luck tends towards DEALS–not dumpsters (no good ones around).
Catherine
Not creepy, but our best score so far. The husband picked up from the curb a 50 inch plasma tv…and it works!! It’s an older model so it’s not super skinny, but who cares! and who would throw out a working plasma tv? It’s going downstairs in the play room. The girls just got the ultimate wii tv!.
Happy dumpster diving.
wow. you find the best trash. I wish we had diveable dumpsters around here!
As long as there were no actual body parts, you’re good! And I don’t even think that would make you stop dumpster diving!
Kelly
CREEPY is right. My first thought was a lover scorned, for sure. Just think, if you do track the guy down maybe you two would end up on Dr. Phil talking about his shattered love and his thankfulness for your dumpster diving. LOL
Wow, that’s pretty amazing and strange and awesome. Huh, I have never actually gone dumpster diving. I wouldn’t even know where to start!
Oh that is creepy, but makes me sad too. I hate when I am at a flea market/Goodwill and find an album full of family photos. The other finds, not as creepy!
Behind my office is a storage unit. Occasionally they have a tenant who doesn’t keep up with rent and they empty the unit into the dumpsters. Sad for non rent payers, but happy for me!! Most of the time it’s things that are not trash, but maybe not worth hunting people down for… Once there was over 100 books!! But this one box contained some old pictures and newspaper clippings about a MIA soldier in WWII. A social security card, old report cards, military medals, and even someone’s ashes!! There were names from a town not far away and some people I work with recognized them… Long story short, a co-worker and I called and asked around and tracked down until we found the daughter of the man and she was SO THRILLED that we found that box! She didn’t know where it had gotten put and was very sad to know the storage unit company had just thrown it away. So glad I got to help someone out like that!! 🙂
That’s so sad. Some people are just heartless.
That is so incredibly sweet of you to take the time and trouble to track someone down. I’m sure that meant a lot to them. Reading that just made my day.