This thread is a partial spawn of of the "How to live on $140 a week" thread which can be found right here. However, this thread has nothing to do with living on $140 a week but rather the harvesting of useful electronic components and parts as a result of dumpster diving. Now in the fore mentioned thread there was some reference to the practice of dumpster diving which went like this:
Crosh said:
Frosty replied in part with:
To which Sceadwian followed up with:
Then colin55 added:
Now those few clips leave us open to the art of dumpster diving. I say art as a good successful dumpster diver really needs to know where and how to go about successful diving for really cool treasure based upon "one man's junk is another man's treasure". I am proud to be a dumpster diver both at the workplace as well as anywhere a tree lawn bears good fruit.
How many others here have been seen lurking around a dumpster?
What have some managed to collect?
Ron
Crosh said:
Learn to "ultimate recycle" by donating used items to places like Goodwill - and shop there too! Look into freecycling. Learn to dumpster dive! You'd be surprised at what people throw away that can be turned into useful stuff and/or resold for profit. Its crazy - its the consumerist trap!
Frosty replied in part with:
-Dumpster diving is for the ultimate poor. I cannot go that route as that is just disgusting to me. As for garage sales, I really have everything I need in terms of daily items. A used BCD for SCUBA diving is perhaps one item I wouldn't mind purchasing from "garage sale".
To which Sceadwian followed up with:
Do you have any idea the wealth of electronics components that can be had for free dumpster diving? I have a few of the neighbor kids on the look out for me, in the last month I've netted the working electronics from a 50 inch projection TV including all three projectors) the screen had been broken and the mirror was scratched (someone had a tantrum) My family and friends also keep an eye out for me for old electronics stuff they're throwing out. Most of the cheaper things I take apart usually net me 10-50 dollars worth of passives and many other nifty bits.
Then colin55 added:
I took apart an old printer recently and gained 3 stepper motors, gearing, micro-switches, photo interrupter and all sorts of quality components for my son. The motors were high quality multi-pole, slow RPM, and extremely efficient.
Parts that would cost a fortune if bought separately in a hobby shop.
Now those few clips leave us open to the art of dumpster diving. I say art as a good successful dumpster diver really needs to know where and how to go about successful diving for really cool treasure based upon "one man's junk is another man's treasure". I am proud to be a dumpster diver both at the workplace as well as anywhere a tree lawn bears good fruit.
How many others here have been seen lurking around a dumpster?
What have some managed to collect?
Ron