I wasn't sure of your question or need so I'll offer my thoughts or experience.

My amateur radio hobby is such that I am in contact with people who have quite the source of supply - most often discards or junk. They, like you and me, collect all sorts of things then quite often give them away or sell them for very little money at local hamfests. To add to that other friends know I am a tinkerer and they'll often offer me all sorts of odd things. I've taken apart microwave radar frequency measuring instruments, fiber optic splicing fixtures and all sorts of things passed along to me.

An example of how I come by this stuff - I chat on a VHF mobile radio every morning on my way to work. A fellow ham who works at Harris stopped by on the weekend to drop off quite the elaborate SWR meter, some toroidal coil forms and some RF log op amps. All as a result of discussions on the way to work. I passed some other stuff back to him.

I end up turning away a lot of stuff - simply time and the space to store it.

I do have a supply of late 60's capacitors, left to me by quite the inventor and retired technology teacher from Gates. Advise if you have a need.

Legal dumpster diving has numerous variables. Dumpsters located on business or private property could pose problems for the diver since it may be awaiting recycling which brings revenue back to the owner. While it may look to be obvious trash, it has a value awaiting to be collected. It's always best to ask permission first, before assuming things. Heck even in my locale, aluminum cans bring revenue to the municipality, that's used to towards lowering the cost of refuse pick-up. Taking curbside bags of cans on your own to the recycling center robs local gov. of revenue and you end up in troubles.

I believe that the single worst action that harms one's chances of dumpster diving is from the type of person that disturbs a pile or dumpster leaving a mess for the owner to deal with. The garbage man isn't going to clean things up; it falls upon the owner who is likely annoyed/upset and on the lookout for dumpster divers!

Everyone is getting in on the act!
http://gweedosplace.files.wordpress....iving-cows.jpg

http://www.bdmz.com/abpsa/media/02-1...s_dumpster.jpg