LOL... congrats on your find!

Yeah, it was large-item pick up day in Austin a week or so ago. I got an adirondack chair and a ton of plastic nursery pots and 5 terra cotta pots. Hoo-ray!

I love my neighboor... He dumpster dives and goes to flea markets and finds all sorts of cool containers free for me.... got nice terra cotta plants, cast iron plant hanger, huge plastic container... I think it was for a large tree, now holding my 6 tomato plants....
Michelle

My co-workers bring me all of their pots, flats, etc. BUT, I think i need to drive through the rich subdivisions around here too - i love that analogy ref: gates costing more than other people's houses. I can relate - and you are right, most of them are not into thrifty, frugal, recycling, or anything else like it.

All of our richer communities are gated, so we can't drive through. Bummer. I hear they throw out some really great stuff.

bruggirl... it's ok, the middle class folks throw out more stuff- I do my best shopping most of the time in the little side street neighborhoods that sprang up in the 40's and 50's around here- I could make a killing if there was an aftermarket in particle board entertainment systems ;)

in fact, I stopped today, in the drizzle, to pick up a 6 ft long section of that wire shelving...

people throw out the damndest things!

Yes, they do throw out the damndest things. Just got some cool stuff that was being tossed by people who were moving.

Well, the other thing about gated communities is that even if you COULD get in, here's how the trash service works. Each homeowner leaves their trash up by their house - right adjacent to the garage (which, by the way, can NEVER be facing the street). The garbage truck backs into EACH driveway and picks up the trash. In other words, in the fancy neighborhoods, trash is NEVER put at the street. It is left by the house and the trash service backs up into each and every driveway to collect it. How do you like them apples!?!

Methinks china cat hit it pretty close, well at least for garage and yard sales. I find that the older neighborhoods have the best stuff while the new ones tend to be not so great. Of course it all depends on what you're looking for.

LTY, maybe in your neighborhood they do that, but here, it all goes out by the curb, gated or not. Our garbage service isn't about to back up into anyone's driveway to pick up garbage. Your community must hire its own private company. We don't do that here, because we'd be paying twice for garbage service, since it's included in the taxes. Of course, rich people wouldn't mind paying more I guess.

Here in Jacksonville, garbage collection service IS included in our property taxes. However, in Jacksonville, in the gated community of Deerwood Country Club, the driveway method is EXACTLY what is done. I don't know if it is a private service paid for through the homeowner association dues or what, but garbage is never, ever put at the street. Maybe the homeowners are paying twice. The collection service truck backs into each and every driveway to collect garbage. So it is done here (and may be also in your area in some exclusive communities) even though the service is included in property taxes.

In Deerwood, as no garage can face the street, all garages face the side. Which necessitates a curved driveway. Which almost always results in a privacy fence. Which is where the garbage is put.

One last thing - no, I DON'T live in Deerwood! Haha! (I WISH!)

I think people who run Neighborhood Associations must all be control freaks who have found their special heaven! LOL

I don't want to live in a country club. Been there, done that. I own my property, and I say what happens there. Well, of course, there are city laws about maintenance, etc., but at least I don't have to build a special driveway or wall because my garbage cannot face the street! How ludicrous! They're behind a wall, who can see it?

My neighbrhood sucks! The city has started using the automated trucks that pick up the big wheeled cans and dump the garbage in the back of the trucks. Thats means most of the refuse goes in the can so you don't get a look. The bags of grass/leaves all go in the can! Big stuff is still along the road but man oh man has the pickin's dryed up :o(
Mike

Chinacat--LOL re: aftermarket for particle board entertainment centers. Same here in Austin!

I recently had a group garage sale and some of the stuff my friends and I donated (and sold for pretty decent prices) were dumpster dives. At a garage sale I had 3 years ago, I made over $30 from books from a dumpster, alone.

I still need to paint that adirondak chair I posted about earlier...

This weekend alone I picked up 3 really nice green plastic chairs, 2 matching hassocks and a patio table, and 5 sets white ceramic towel bar holders with the plastic bars, 4 matching soap dish holders (the kind that go on a tiled wall) and a matching toothbrush holder. (How long has it been since you've seen one of those?)

The patio furniture got a good wash and is going to a neighbor, and the bathroom fixtures are going to the Habitat for Humanity store. Oh, and I got a cool wooden wine box for myself.

Not bad for a weekend when I wasn't even looking!

Was happy with the used roll of wire saw today. Ah wire to keep deer off my beans and some for tomato cages. Free sure does help at times.

I dumspter dive sometime too, but you guys had better watch out. A couple weeks ago in Chicago, someone was in a dumpster, the garbage truck came, picked up the dumspter, emptied it into the truck, the dumpster diver was nearly crushed by the compactor.

Wow! I can't believe some of you folks dumptster dive too! And I thought I was the only oddball-with-a-job-and-roof-over-my-head that does that. It's unbelievable the stuff people throw out these days. At the least, they could at least donate it to charity, ya know? Oh well, makes things easier for people like us. Heck, even the second hand stores like Goodwill are pricing merchandise almost as much as brand new stuff you'd find at discount stores. Damn real estate bubble.

Adnama, you clever cat, you --selling your finds to a "garage" sales to make a little extra dough. Hmmm...I might have to consider doing that too!

What a cute post! I love, love looking through garbage! My mom's been doing it since I was little (well, before me really... I've heard stories!)- I was still in the carseat while she was loading stuff in the station wagon- lol. Unfortunately, DH gets a little redfaced at the whole idea, so I can't do it with him in the car, unless it's really, really, really good= like once-in-a-lifetime good.

Still, I get some great stuff sometimes! Around here, one of the best places to look isn't homes at all... it's around the college dorms and apartments when the students move out: they just toss any and everything. Furniture, desks, bookcases, books, linens, dishes, clothes- you name it! What fun!

This past week, my neighbors across the street were throwing out some white wire edging that they used to have around flower beds. I wanted to ask them about it (normally, I don't ask as long as it is obviously meant for the garbage- but these are neighbors), but they never came around, and the truck was on its way, and I was quite tempted, but I thought they might think it was strange to look at our house one day and see their old edging! [Besides, DH would've had a FIT.] So, I didn't take it. Maybe next time! :)

I also like our local freecycle group- like minded people who don't want to throw things out (and a few like me who also think that places like the Goodwill are getting a bit high price-wise). Well, anyhow. Good thread- maybe I can find some pots soon... you can never have too many containers!! =)

In my daughter's town, twice a year they have a week where everyone is encouraged to put things out by the curb so that others can pick them up. I have seen people walking down the street carrying beds, swingsets, rocking chairs... But mostly they use their cars so that they don't actually pick up their own neighbours stuff.

My dh works for waste management and you wouldn't believe the stuff he comes home with. One time he found flatware(forks, spoon and knives) service for 8 trimmed in 24 Karat gold. At a apt. complex he found a purse that had an envelope with 300 dollars in it. He also found a 1 karat diamond engagement ring at the bottom of a dumpster at a delta sonic. It amazes me what ppl throw away. When he used to do the delta sonics it was a given that every week he would have aleast 50$. One time he found a 100$ bill--Yahoo!!
Deefar