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Lets go dumpster diving!!!!

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hatrack71 said:
Hey Mark, it is the same here in Montana. It is actually an arrestable crime taking from the dump or people's trash. I see you are in Silverton. Man I used to :smoke: and go check out Silver Falls. Just beautiful in that neck of the woods. Where do you mostly go for gear- Portland or Salem?
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Salem? You're kidding, right? In the 6 or 7 years I have been keeping my eyes and ears open, I've only come across two really great deals--one I got (AR90's for $40) and one I missed (Rock Monitors for $50). There was never money in this town, and back in the day it was worse. Considering this was the State of the first 'Bottle Bill', I'm at a complete loss to explain the Police-Statish attitude about scrounging here. You would think keeping something out of the landfill/garbage burner was a good thing. Amazing--If there's a 2325 in the bin next time I'm out there, I have to leave it for the landfill. How idiotic is that?
 
The main reason is because there are so many psychos and nutjobs that go thru the trash for other purposes. Food, used feminine products and undergarments, personal financial and legal documents, etc...

Some states and counties are stricter than others.

koseltri said:
I'm at a complete loss to explain the Police-Statish attitude about scrounging here. You would think keeping something out of the landfill/garbage burner was a good thing. Amazing--If there's a 2325 in the bin next time I'm out there, I have to leave it for the landfill. How idiotic is that?
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Last week, I was given a Yamaha AX-570 amp by a friend. He'd found it in our mutually-owned trailer, where his son'd dumped it to have it recycled. It's almost mint and according to the previous owner it works. It's a monster amp (2 x 100 W!) so I'm interested in getting it going. Letting it air out for a while first though, it might've gotten a little moist.
 
+48V said:
Was dropping off/recycling an old Mitz TV this week at the dump and rescued this hefty gem from the evil jaws of the classic component crusher.

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First good sign was that everything powered and lit up just fine. But packing 125W...on first volume twist to 40% it appeared to have output issues. Didn't have time to really tinker and TS...but me thinks some new caps, yada yada and maybe she'll be good to go. With spare time later that evening I plugged up a source and started fiddling with the pots and switches. Turns out it was just a sticky tape switch muting the audio. ---She's now fully functional....:banana:

A little D5 and lube and this rig now has a very warm & happy home.
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Jeez! A beauty and thanks for saving this one from the landfill or crusher. What was the owner thinking??!!! :nono::tears:
 
Ohighway said:
I feel super lucky as I got a lot of stuff right -before- it went into the dumpster....
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20 minutes ago I walked across the street to help my elderly neighbor move a piece of furniture that is to be picked up by a charity thrift store. On the floor was a Marantz 1530 that was destined for the trash. Haven't tried it yet but she said that it works.
 
+48V said:
Was dropping off/recycling an old Mitz TV this week at the dump and rescued this hefty gem from the evil jaws of the classic component crusher.

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First good sign was that everything powered and lit up just fine. But packing 125W...on first volume twist to 40% it appeared to have output issues. Didn't have time to really tinker and TS...but me thinks some new caps, yada yada and maybe she'll be good to go. With spare time later that evening I plugged up a source and started fiddling with the pots and switches. Turns out it was just a sticky tape switch muting the audio. ---She's now fully functional....:banana:

A little D5 and lube and this rig now has a very warm & happy home.
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:jawdrop:

Wow. That's an awesome find! :thmbsp:

This thread is crazy...I am living vicariously through all of you that have had these amazing scores. I'm not a particularly handy person so I'm not the kind of guy who is confident enough to pick up an old piece of gear and be able to get it back to working condition. But I always hold out hope that someday I'll find something worthwhile at the dump or the Goodwill that is cheap or free, and in working condition. I do hunt for LPs a lot at those places and have had some luck, but that's a lot less risky than the gear.

Hats off to all you dumpster divers! :thmbsp:
 
Haven't been dumpster diving, but I did find some nice equipment at the curb, like a high end cassette player, can't remember the name tho.

Found a Lafayette LA224 tube integrated, works, kinda??

Found speakers that I left behind, as they were small trashy pieces of poop.

Looking for that mint vintage tube piece, but when.

Just keep looking . . .
 
Honestly I think anyone who will throw away audio equipment that isn't just that horrible cheap BPC didn't ever deserve to own it in the first place. And it's usually the people who bought it new - what, you spend $800 or more on something and then years later go "Ah, it's probably worth nothing now". How selfish to just throw stuff in the garbage, I'd at least say the people donating them are much more generous than the ones just pitching it in the trash - consider how many pieces were destroyed this way that no one had a chance to get that are now permanently just a pile of scrap metal. Just sickening what people will throw away...
 
trhee said:
The main reason is because there are so many psychos and nutjobs that go thru the trash for other purposes. Food, used feminine products and undergarments, personal financial and legal documents, etc...

Some states and counties are stricter than others.
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I was referring to the local transfer station. The electronics recycling is a bin (a large box sitting on the blacktop, no more) all its own. Stupid. If you wanted to go thru the trash, you'd have to jump into the pit.
 
It is amazing what people will through out. I stopped at a garage/house sale and they had a dumpster in front of the house. I poked around in it before going inside. There was an 8-track in the house and not much else. I asked about the dumpster and she said I could go diving.

I pulled out some tube testing equipment and some other things. Then I looked at what they were selling in the garage. Nothing worth while. Saw some little microphones on a table outside. The guy said they were from a R2R. I asked where it was and he said it was thrown in dumpster, but somebody already took it. So I asked about any tapes. He didn't think they were thrown out yet and we went inside and there was a box of tapes on the floor. Gave him $5 and went on my way.

Apparently, people had been dumpster diving all day. They could have made more money on dumpster contents than what they were selling. I guess their dad did tv/radio repair in the basement.
 
Let's resurrect this thread. I think it's time. A thrift went out of business by me this week, just closed its doors. The dumpster outside today was loaded with lp's and at least three huge maggy consoles. I went to get my gutting tools but by the time I got back the dumpster was gone. Too late for me but I hope somebody got something good.

The latest free curbside scroe was a Sherwood s-7900.
 
I found a National NC-60 shortwave radio in the trash at a computer repair shop a couple years ago. It's still sitting around, and I don't even know if it works...because when I plug it in and turn it on, the (original) caps are going to go up in smoke. :no:

It's still nice to look at...
 
I've always been a curb-shopper/dumpster diver though now I call myself a post-consumer consumer. Things ave changed a lot since the days of leaving gear on the curb for somebody to grab. Now you can't leave anything and it must either be donated to Goodwill/etc or dropped off at a recycling center. There are only a couple recyclers who accept e-waste and I've considered applying for a job there to help them sort the e-waste but never followed through.

While recycling is good, high metal prices have made it far too easy to simply scrap out old gear for copper/steel/etc instead of reselling it to collectors.
 
gonzothegreat said:
I've always been a curb-shopper/dumpster diver though now I call myself a post-consumer consumer. Things ave changed a lot since the days of leaving gear on the curb for somebody to grab. Now you can't leave anything and it must either be donated to Goodwill/etc or dropped off at a recycling center. There are only a couple recyclers who accept e-waste and I've considered applying for a job there to help them sort the e-waste but never followed through.

While recycling is good, high metal prices have made it far too easy to simply scrap out old gear for copper/steel/etc instead of reselling it to collectors.
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I have been foing it for years. Thanks to you I have a way to make it sound respectable as a post-consumer consumer.
 
Gee, all that driving around at almost $4.00 a gallon? Might as well go buy something new.lol
 
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