Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
People In This Online Group Share 30 Stories About The Wildest Things Garbage Workers Have Found Thrown Away
The saying goes, "one man’s trash is another man’s treasure." Another person could easily find a purpose for a thing you consider has no value or is useless. But such things are often just thrown out, maybe because it’s too much work to find a person to sell it or to give it to, or maybe the person throwing out something really thinks that no one could possibly use it.
Reddit user wayne88imps had a feeling that garbage men and women should see all the good and maybe weird things people throw out, so they asked “Garbage men/women of the world. What's the best/worst thing you have found 'thrown away?'" This post got more than 65k likes and over 8k answers and Bored Panda went through them so you could read the best of the best.
All the photos used in this article are just for illustration and are not the actual photos.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I found my wife in a pile of garbage while working on a garbage truck.
I was working being trained as a garbage man and one day a women was throwing out way to much good stuff, boxes of books and I could see she was trying to fill a car and mini van, so I figured she was moving and having to sacrifice good stuff. I talked to her and offered to come back later and help her move so she didn't have to throw away so much stuff, and it ended up being a story that her husband left her for her best friend, and they moved in together, and she couldn't afford the townhouse anymore as she was undergoing cancer treatment.
We got married one year later. I like to say I found her in the trash and fixed her up, but the truth is it is opposite. I was the trash she fixed up I.
Peter Liddle 4 years ago
Her husband left her for her friend AND she was undergoing cancer treatment? I hope they're both burning in HELL now.
Jeff Bunn 4 years ago
Beautiful story and masterfully told. Kinda like the way my bride stalked me around the world her whole life and now we’ve been married for 37 years! Let me know if you want to hear the whole story.
chrissy goodman 4 years ago
i love hearing about these how we met moments. i met my husband in a hotel parking lot. i lived in a gated community and up the hill was a hotel id do excercise by doing laps around the parking lot. i was in bad shape unhealthy (bad muscles and weak bones doc suggested excercise) i had just gotten out of a highly mental and physical abusive relationship. my hair was knotty and a mess hadnt showered for a few days or brushed my teeth in a month depressed etc. i was resting on a bench he saw me asked if i was ok the decided to sit next to me and talk. he told me some ppl r just horrible and cant b helped but im a kind caring person who got taken advantage of 5 years later at our wedding he wrote a song for me and in the song he said "wen i met you i saw your true heart thru your eyes" he later explained to me that even tho i was broken and defeated he saw the person i truly was and wanted to help that me come out again. im back to my old self healthy now more depression anxeity etc. happily ever afters do exsist they arent only in fairy tales
RELATED:
#2
My father was a garbage man when I was born. I don’t remember because I was like 3 months old. But my first dog was in the trash. My dad stopped. Picked up a box and heard some shuffling on the inside and there were two puppies. My dad kept one and the driver kept the other. They were brother and sister (my dad assumed). He kept the male and named him Jasper. He was literally my best friend growing up. I had him for 13 years and my dad tells me the job was worth it just for that dog. He called the police and animal control on the residence but doesn’t know what happened after that. All I know is I’m 37 and still love that dog so much. I’m so thankful my dad saved him and his sister.
Lion's Stare 4 years ago
That's evil, putting a dog in the trash. Nowadays the garbage collectors might not notice because the pick up is automated by the big robot claw
Aramis Starfish 4 years ago
love that your dad saved lives and gave you a bestfriend. just beautiful
Mel Schmidt 4 years ago
That is what I am talking about! People who toss out critters in the trash are just not humans at all! So glad these critters were rescued.
#3
Grew up a small town so everyone knew everyone. Our garbage man (Lee) would regularly cull out items for us because he knew my dad would tinker on them. Lee gave me my first bike, which only needed to be painted, and so so many books.
He passed a few years ago. When I saw the notice I called up my sister and we had a bit of a nostalgic cry about what a nice man he was to us kids.
columbokateUK 4 years ago
Why would you throw away books?!!! At least just donate them to a charity shop.
Pusheen 4 years ago
As it states in the first paragraph the garbage man gave our narrator lots of books.
Load More Replies... #4
I live in an area where there are many wealthy people. I’m the one that will take peoples trash, well not so much now because I’ve learned that less is more but things I’ve found- Perfect 5 channel surround with wireless rear speakers- now in my garage Several almost working riding lawnmowers. Usually need about $50 and some work and then I sell for 500-1000. Nice Yamaha kids gas 4 wheeler. Couldn’t get the truck there fast enough. Plastic roller coaster that both my kids played on for many years and gave us many memories. But after a while I started to get why people do it. It’s fun to see people excited about something free that they will use. So for a lot of things I will either put by the street and people will come ask if it’s really free or I will post it for sale and we will negotiate a price and then when they get here I will tell them they can have it. That way it’s something that someone really wants. I had a nice TV stand that this Mexican dude showed up for, we had agreed on $150, he borrowed a truck from a family member and drove over an hour for it. He had neck tattoos (I have some too but they were covered I say that to say I don’t judge people for tattoos but he definitely looked like a tough dude) and when I told him he could have it he didn’t understand why I would do that but when he finally figured out it was just because, he got emotional and wanted a hug. That s*** had me floating for like a month. Pay it forward if you can. You never know who’s day or week you’re gonna make.
Billy The Kid 4 years ago
Good man. Thumbs up to that. It give a sense of enormous well being doing something good for someone else. That is rewarding in its self!
Vicky Zar 4 years ago
When we bought our house, it was a small house with a semi furnished Inn/ Hostel attached. We ripped everything out and are now converting it into a bigger house for us and our kids. But before all this I posted an add online for anyone who wanted anything to just come and get it. A club that lost their club house to a fire got the kitchen, eating area and every plate and stuff like coffee machines in it. Some guy picked all the old farm decorations (a scythe among other things). And a woman from our village took all the old pictures of said village. We had to through out the beds and wardrobes because they were just too old but we gave all the bedding and towels to a charity organisation. It would have been a shame to throw it all out.
Lori Everard 3 years ago
In our suburban neighborhood folks regularly put large things out by the street and we all enjoy the activity. My family has gained outdoor furniture, bicycles, more outdoor furniture, a dining room table and chairs. We have put a baby crib, a rocking chair, a lawn mower, school supplies, books, etc. out by the street. Sometimes folks will stop and ask if things are for sale. Not for sale, please, take them. Blessed twice, in the giving and a stranger free to take new found treasure.
Kanga9ine 4 years ago
We had a rolled up rug in the front yard that was free for the taking. I put a sign on it that said it was like new. Used once to transport a dead body to an undisclosed location then aired out for a month and was odor free. A tarp was used to prevent and blood stains or DNA evidence. It was gone before the table of free books with reviews that I'd written. They were legit though because I had actually read all of them.
Katherine Boag 4 years ago
Kids 4 wheelers are EXTREMELY dangerous, please only let your kids use them supervised.
#5
Oh man, my time to shine! I’ve been working at a waste transfer station (“garbage dump”) for many years.
The worst I’ve seen (just garbage, not counting stuff brought to the hazmat department): a freezer stuffed with a skinned, rotting, headless deer carcass. We nearly called the cops before we realized it wasn’t human. Used needles. The worst being a tie between “porcupine couch” and the lady who literally handed me a paper bag full of syringes she found during a park cleanup. large container of old crystallized picric acid. Bomb squad had to deal with that one.
The best: a high end laptop in perfect condition except for a tiny crack on the lcd panel. Easy DIY repair that took $40 and 5 minutes, thing would’ve cost $1.5K new enough brand new furniture to literally furnish my whole apartment a high end military grade inflatable boat, brand new
The weirdest: a 1st gen platelet counting machine, complete with weird tubes of bright green liquid and mercury. When I was prepping it for hazmat disposal I had to call the company that bought the company that made it for some info... they never digitized the records but the oldest repair tech still working was super excited because he remembered servicing them 50 years ago. coffin. No body, just the coffin. Couldn’t see anything wrong with it either. buckets of testicles (from a ranch) that had been sitting out in the summer heat for a week. Smelled so bad my coworker hurled. That’s not the weird part... the weird part is the guys wanted their buckets back. Do you know how bad it has to smell to make a garbage collector puke? And they wanted them back?! the $10k duffel bag. Lady came in super upset because earlier she threw out a duffel bag that she didn’t know her boyfriend kept cash in. Over $10,000 in cash. We never found the bag. 16 full size barrels of old vegetable grease some guy had saved up in his garage. He was planning to make a biodiesel car or something.
Edit: a lot of people are asking if we get to keep stuff. Officially, no. It’s not against the law as far as I know (except for illegal stuff like drugs), but it’s against our policy. However workers do salvage things... as long as it’s discreet and they’re not selling it, management doesn’t get involved. Selling stuff is a big no.
We don’t fight over stuff. In fact we’ll keep an eye out for things colleagues might need. Most of what we salvage is actually tools and stuff we use at the dump. I’ve also started a management approved program to give away free household products that would otherwise be hazardous waste (paint, oil, cleaners, etc). Some dumps also run thrift stores to divert materials from landfill, but we don’t have the space.
Memere 4 years ago (edited)
Seriously, who throws out any kind of duffel bag, purse, wallet, or backpack without checking to see what might be stuffed inside? If my partner did this to me, they'd be the ex!
Load More Replies...
MarcAngelina Alcober 4 years ago
my friend found a duffel bag with exactly 10,000 in it like 3 years ago- what city are you from?
Lion's Stare 4 years ago
Buckets of sun baked testicles sound vile. They'd already be infested with maggots at that point. Can't imagine
Marcellus the Third 4 years ago
Maggots aren't that unclean and don't stink; it's the bacteria/gasses that stink and will sicken you...
Load More Replies...
Billy The Kid 4 years ago
I had a pal that worked on the dumping site. he take home all kinds of crap! His house would look like a hoarding site. Old car batteries, bike wheels.... The sad thing was that he had his young infants living in it too.
Ben Moss 4 years ago
All my best stuff I found in the garbage;, including a coffin (now a case for DVDs) Thank god for all the idiots buying 4k TVs because now I have their bigger, better, sturdier television as my main screen
Billy The Kid 4 years ago
you converted a coffin for a DVD holder? great idea especially if you are into horror.
Load More Replies...
Emmy 3 years ago
I once dropped an envelope out my bag, with saved birthday money, which was about £300 total, someone actually found it, picked it up, and even messaged me on Facebook, but I didn’t get the message for months as it was in my requests and hidden, when I did finally see it, I told them it was definitely mine, but they had obviously already spent it. I was gutted, but have learnt to never carry an envelope of money on me ever again.
#6
When I was a kid I found a couch. It wasn't very big, but thats why it was so great. 10 year old me was able to carry it all the way home by myself. (About a block and a half.) This was before kids having cell phones were huge so I didn't call my parents about it first and they were at the store anyways. So I took the couch home and put it in my room. It was pretty dated... Made of some material I've never encountered again so far, but I thought I was THE S***. I had a whole couch in my room. How many 10 year olds had couches in their room? Well my parents came home and clearly weren't happy, but given I carried it up to the second story and got it into my room they let me keep it. (My down stairs neighbor helped me.)
I felt like a king. I had a couch. I had a big box TV for my play station. I had it all. Simpler times.
Parmeisan 4 years ago
...I hope your parents snuck into your room one day with a UV light and cleaned the s*** out of it. No need to ruin your childhood by letting you know they were doing it, but who knows where that thing had been.
Lisa Shelton 4 years ago
Optimistically, it could have been a specially made couch for someone's kid who eventually grew out of it.
Load More Replies... 
Mare Freed 4 years ago
I would have LOVED to have my own couch in my room. I would have felt very grown-up. :-) Sounds like you did too!
#7
Obligatory not a garbage man but once many years agoI was asked to deliver books leftover from a church rummage sale to a minnumum security woman's prison. The books almost filled the bed of my pick up. When I got there six inmates were assigned to unload the books. You would have thought all those musty paperbacks were made of gold. The women were delighted and very grateful.
Vasana Phong 4 years ago
Books are priceless knowledge , I’m sure the excitement was from that and killing time with knowledge.
Uber Mensch 4 years ago
Most jails & prisons are barely funded for essentials; 'recreational' stuff is WAY down the list. Donations are often the only way they get books.
#8
My father was a garbage man who also did clean-outs for homes and businesses, where they'd rip apart the entire building and throw everything out in their dumpsters. He worked on a ton of really massive houses, some worth 10s of millions of dollars, one was worth 40 million and wasn't even the permanent residence.
Best things I got as a kid: A pretty much unused trampoline with a net and everything.
A go-kart that my dads friend was able to fix up and we used all the time (I live on a dead end).
And once he cleaned out a deli that was closing down, and we no joke had unlimited Snapples and Sodas of every flavor for almost a year. I'd drink the Snapples while out on the trampoline. I used the hell out of all 3 of those things in my childhood
Noemie Houtekie-N'Da 4 years ago
Omg, my mom and dad went to a cake boss auction and got this fridge. The drinks inside of it came with the fridge so we were stocked with sodas and milks for 3 monthes.
#9
Not me but my brother. Someone apparently threw out grandpas stuff from the attic after he passed away. This was the last scheduled pickup at the house and everything was already moved out, nobody living there. Driving an automated (claw to grab and dump) truck, my brother was irritated there were these 2 bowling bags he had to get out to throw in the truck. He realized they seemed a bit heavy, so he opened them to see why. Inside there was real silver silverware/flatware. He ended up selling it for scrap prices to a jeweler and got $3000.
Helen Wood 3 years ago
my mother died four months ago, can't believe how upsetting and depressing it is having to go through her possessions to clear her home.
#10
A Lane cedar chest. I was helping my dad clean out this lady's garage and she said as long as we were there, we might as well take that, too. She said she always hated the smell of cedar but her husband wouldn't let her get rid of it and now that he was dead, she was sending it on its way!
The veneer was never in great shape but it still keeps my wool items safe. I've had it for over 30 years now.
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
Cedar is an amazing smell and I feel sorry for those whose body chemistry doesn’t allow them to process it as such!
Joris Rombouts 4 years ago
As a reaction to comments under. Smell is quite complicated. If you mean body chemistry as in the ability to process chemicals, it is not the case. Smelling means that literally particles have to reach inside our nose to smell-sensitive cells. This is converted to a signal in our nerves and in our brains we perceive smell. Please mind that smelling feces means we have s**t in our nose. If you mean body chemistry like that, it's kind of right. We also don't know exactly why her husband found it unpleasant. He could experience it as too sharp or dominating. It is true that in pine tress (cedar is one example), poisons exist. The seed can make squirels or little animals ill or dead. Also resin is not good. As such these substances are poisonous because they of the chemical structure and the way these animal work. Not because the substance are natural. Continuing as I dont have enough space
Load More Replies...
Victor Botha 4 years ago
Is also kills fishmoth and any other bugs that eat fabrics and clothing that's why high end hangers for clothing are made of cedar.
Wendy J Shores 4 years ago
I had one JUST like that! I was crushed when I lost it in a flood from Hurricane Isabelle :( Beautiful find!
Sharon Dean 4 years ago
I remember the late fifties Lane was giving away "hope chests", sign up for a drawing and a bride to be could get one free!!!!
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
I have this same one (or similar) !!!! It's near 100 years old. Belonged to my great grandmother. It sits at the foot of my bed.
Louloubelle 4 years ago
I have this EXACT chest! My sister and aunt got it for me when I got married to my ex-husband. Anyone know if it worth anything?
#11
My grandfather use to work for the city garage and would repair alot of the trucks, including the garbage truck. He once found a jewelry box that had cheap jewelry in it but he noticed there was a lose stone that looked like a diamond so he kept it. 20 years later he finally took it to a jewelry store to see if it was real. It was and it was worth 3,000 dollars so he made it into a new wedding ring for my gram.
#12
My little brother was emptying out a client’s basement and everything was going to be thrown away so my brother was told to keep anything he wanted. He saw a nice looking bike and took it. Turns out it was a Dahon mu p8 30th anniversary limited edition and in perfect condition. From what I found on it, it goes for over $4K.
Obi Wang Kenobi 4 years ago
And you are telling me this was going to go to the garbage?! How inconsiderate!
#13
Not a garbage collector, but here's a cool story about how garbage collectors in Ankara, Turkey gathered a bunch of books that were thrown away. They then bring them back to the depot where there's a library's worth of books now. They've saved about 20,000 books from the incinerator. One person's trash, is indeed another's treasure: It's always trash can, and never trash cannot.
Victor Botha 4 years ago
Turkey uses the Latin-Romano alphabet with 29 letters, some are modified letters to accommodate the Turkish language ç ğ ü etc.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 4 years ago
Uh, why Arabic? 80% of Turkish people speak Turkish. There might be some Arabic books in there, but chances are that most of them are in Turkish.
Load More Replies...
Billy The Kid 4 years ago
That is brilliant! Helping those that cant afford books and saving the environment
Sophia Atkinson 4 years ago
Here stuff about books being thrown away is making so sad! I’m a book nerd so what
#14
We sometimes have to do house clearances at work (dead people with no family and the house is to be sold). Lot of the time stuff isn't worth the time it takes to sell it so we get to keep stuff that's gonna be thrown out, I've gotten so much fabric, embroidery thread, all sorts of sewing/dress making materials, I will never have to buy another buttons in my lifetime, I like to think the old ladies it used to belong to would be glad to know it was gonna be used.
Paul Beebe 4 years ago
I used to clean out foreclosed homes. One time we found a brand new, 10 ft black leather couch. Another time, I was being nosy looking thru drawers and found $80,000 worth of uncashed Tribe Casino checks (the home owner was Native American and these were their monthly checks from the tribe)
#15
In the eighties I picked up a number of Philips colour tvs. I had a few, so fixing them was just a question of swapping parts. I then sold them cheaply or gave them away to fellow students.
Sarah Grape 4 years ago
...is it weird that my family uses one of those still I didnt know they were from the eighties
Eric Mac Fadden 4 years ago
I threw away one just like that from my parent's home. It was dead almost 5 years when I did it
#16
Not a garbage man, but someone dumped a 6'x3' patch of drooping agapanthus on the side of the road. Managed to get it into the back of a rhino atv to get it home. I sawed that monstrosity into like 18 patches. Most lining my yard, and some potted. I was so excited. It really helped get me started into gardening. Now I'm propagating bird of paradise, jade, and some other plants idk the name of. I also potted two ash tree seedlings for future transplant, but I might try to bonsai one.
danielw 4 years ago
just make sure to only touch weeds, and I'm sure every gardener in the world would love you! Pesticide free weed control!
Load More Replies...
Martha Higgins 4 years ago
Agapanthus is one of my favorites, it's also called Lily of the Nile. Such a beautiful blue/purple.
#17
before I was born my mother found a huge painting of mushrooms. it’s blue and yellow and certain parts of it glow in the dark, it’s one of the few things I have of her and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and my description gives it no justice :)
SirPatTheCat 4 years ago
click the link in the bottom left that says “indicajo” and it will take you to the original post that has the picture :)
Load More Replies...
juice 4 years ago
here's the picture! (found it from the original reddit post) https://i.imgur.com/2b8EHFU_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium
Not-so-MadMax 4 years ago
Depending how old you are you should get a geiger counter near is. Old glow in the dark paint might be a little radioactive.
The Cute Cat 4 years ago
You should check who paint it and had its price check too.. That could be a treasure
#18
My dad was a trash man when I was growing up. He would always be bringing cool stuff home to us. He used to always say that the "poor" neighborhoods had the most trash and they threw away literally everything. The two best ones that I can think of was a brand new BMX bike and like 20 Nintendo 64 games that he found at a video rental store. Also once at the transfer station one of his co-workers found a "dummy arm" in the big pile of trash. He pulled it and it ended up being a dead guy, the police later determined that it was a homeless person that got picked up and died when the trash truck compacted him.
Arctic Fox Lover 4 years ago
"Hey look, a mannequin's arm! I'm gonna pull it out so we can- uhhhhhh, actually, I don't think this arm belonged to a dummy..."
#19
Not a garbage person, but I live in a large apartment complex. I could have furnished multiple apartments with all the stuff that gets thrown out here (and partially furnished mine), but the best thing I’ve seen in the pile was one of those grandfather clocks you can make from a kit. Still looked very nice, but it needed some fixing to get it to run again. I’m still waiting to find a piano (I would like a piano).
KC Lancaster 4 years ago
I too have found items when living in an apartment complex and was shocked about what folks thought was garbage when they could have donated it to a thrift store or battered person's shelter instead. I still have a solid coffee table with 7 storage drawers and two quilts from 20 years ago. There was lots of stuff I just couldn't stand the thought of it being thrown out, so I would schlep it to the thrift store benefitting veterans or animal shelters.
Billy The Kid 4 years ago
That's very good of you. Well done. I hate it when good stuff goes to waste. My daughter has her own business painting and decorating. With new decor comes new furniture so she is always offered furniture and what not by the clients. The problem is that she stores it in my house. One day she will get around restoring it all.
Load More Replies... Leslie Donsen 4 years ago
I kicked a piano to the curb once. It wasn't going to fit in my new home. I saw a man looking at it and told him to take it. He just pointed at his truck and shook his head. He didn't speak English. So I pointed at his truck and said Mas Grande! He came back with a truck half my house would have fit in. So my 50 year old childhood piano went to a family who couldn't have afforded it and would love it as much as I did.
Andy Clara 4 years ago
Free pianos are everywhere. When sorting out my father-in-law's stuff when he passed away we found 3 grand pianos.
Kristin Ingersoll 4 years ago
In my apt complex, there's a space by the elevators where people leave "good" trash. I've left a bunch of stuff there. Also picked up a beautiful wreath for my front door and brand new, nice, sunglasses!
#20
Worked cleaning apartments one summer in a college town. Foreign students are notorious for leaving lots of valuables behind. The most outlandish item I came across was a brand new BMW that they left abandoned in the complex parking lot.
Jill Tremblay 4 years ago
I also worked landscaping at a very wealthy college campus. The students there never wanted to be bothered at the end of the year to pack up and move anything back home. (God forbid) so they would just toss everything from expensive bikes, computers etc. to all their furniture right in and around the dumpsters. I always thought they should have at least been told they should have to bring their items to the College Green and put free signs on them. Such a waste from poor little rich kids.
Grumble O'Pug 4 years ago
I lived above some kids from Korea or China who were art school students who just dumped EVERYTHING in the back alley trash area. I found lamps, sofa table, and a host of things to upgrade my apartment. They really were just done and left it. It's actually very common for students of ALL nationalities to leave stuff. I live in a college town. Very common.
#21
I'm not a garbage man, but I once scored a whole custom built staircase from a dumpster. It was in perfect condition but apparently built to the wrong spec. It worked great for my barn
#22
in the early 2000's my best friends dad was a garabge man. I used to hang out at their house a lot and i remember him finding uncut sheets of hologrpahic dragon ball z trading cards in the trash and bringing them back. They were super dope to see.
Antoine Gagnon 4 years ago
Some of these cards can be worth 200$ and more.... maybe there was a little fortune there.
Billy The Kid 4 years ago (edited)
Uncut sheets? Hope he still has them. They would be worth more than the actual card itself
Jo Johannsen 3 years ago
When I was a kid, my step dad's family owned/operated a trash hauling business for the Palos Verses Peninsula area of California. I got hundreds, maybe thousands of comic books, plus many other really neat finds.
#23
Living near an $$$ college you wouldnt believe the s*** kids chuck when they are inna hurry to move out. A few springs ago I found a very nice Banana Republic brown leather bomber jacket with puke or soup on the sleeve. I wiped it down with armor all, vacuumed the crumbs from the pockets and sold it for $125 that night. My best haul was a nightclub that had a minor fire on their outdoor deck and they decided to gut and remodel the whole place. I pulled from the dumpster 3 preamps, 2 300w stage speakers and a guitar amp. Sold all for > $500 the next weekend.
#24
I worked as a garbage man in 1972. A small stray cat jumped into the back of the hopper to look for food. I took him home and named him saigon. This was the best thing. Second best thing someone threw out an old pair of skis. There was snow on the ground and me and the other guy each took a ski and stood on it and held onto the truck, great fun. Third best we found an entire case of "brylcream" (look it up) and me and the other guy had brylcream fights all day, total mess (I stripped off before going into my house after work). Worst things a garbage can that had live coals in it that started our truck on fire.
Ethan Collard 4 years ago
i got in a fight with a potato peeler a few days ago
Load More Replies...
Zena Marsh 4 years ago (edited)
My father used to use Brylrcreem back in the 50's. Horrible smell.
Cheri Aline Sydney 4 years ago
The old advertisement claimed "a little dab will do ya".... they should have added "a whole lot will provide an afternoon of unbelievable fun".... I can picture you boys having such a messy, good time ~thanks for the laugh! 😂
MarcAngelina Alcober 4 years ago
what exactly would you have a fight with? is the male version of a pillow fight? so odd
German Gargicevich 4 years ago
More likely Borat fighting Azamat. Borat-607e...3ae50f.jpg 
#25
Finally something I can contribute too! I do trash at apartments. In the year I've worked the job, I've found and kept: -a couch -2 desk chairs -a floor lamp -deck furniture -a TV stand -my cat -various decorations I've given to my mom Some things I've sold -a bike, $40 -some outdoor vases, $30 -a bed frame, $50 -an original xbox with at least 80 games all in a box, $20 (to my friend that collects old video games) But yeah, it's crazy what people throw away.
KC Lancaster 4 years ago
You would be absolutely amazed and the number of total creeps who leave animals behind when they move out. It's really disheartening sometimes. I have a friend who helps local property management companies when they find animals left in homes after tenants move.
Kiki 4 years ago
I guess there was just a cat lying around and he just took it
Load More Replies... 
#26
My friend found a PS4 (excellent condition) and a brand new controller still in the box
Arctic Fox Lover 4 years ago
I can imagine some snotty parents that bought their kid a present, and then, before the kid could even open the box, the kid did something really stupid, so the parents threw it away, and now here we are.
#27
Found a 55 inch tv next to the dumpster 4 years ago. It was missing 1 hdmi port on the side. It looked like someone might have tripped and ripped it out. Anyway, I opened it up googled the motherboard serial number and found a brand new replacement for like $60 less then 25min away....needless to say I called ahead on my day off picked it up and it works like a charm. Still use the tv to this day. 55in Sony 2012 lcd tv. I have chromecast with google tv hooked up to it now and it's awesome.
M O'Connell 4 years ago
I have a 55" television that came off the curb. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, other than only being 720p resolution. It was $7,000 when new in 2005.
KCN 4 years ago
I think I would like to live in your neck of the woods, especially if you can find things like that on the curb.
Load More Replies... 
#28
My dad worked at a landfill for most of my childhood and my brother and I both got into related companies that directly dealt with landfills for a while. One of the most common things I remember hearing about and seeing all the time were clothing with minor irregularities that had to be thrown away by said clothing company. It was stuff like Roxy, Vans and other stuff you'd see at places like Tillys or similar clothing store. One of my old coworkers families basically were clothed their whole life from this type of clothing being dumped. The clothing was clean or could be cleaned to a decent level that the clothing was fine to wear. It was dumb stuff like small rip, missing zipper or some other weird thing they couldn't sell it that way. Everyone at the landfill was basically in on the scheme. When the truck with the clothing pulled up to the fee booth, someone would radio people at the dump site and it was like a pack of vultures, everyone on the site would swarm the truck as soon as everything was dumped out of the truck.
MarcAngelina Alcober 4 years ago
Ross and TJ Maxx now will completely tear a shirt apart, cut shoes in half and so on- so people who dig through their garbage will be unsuccessful and hopefully will make them stop from doing so... super lame- considering the donations they could so with it
KC Lancaster 4 years ago
At Home destroys everything they don't sell, including furniture, which is mind-boggling considering how many folks could helped if they donated it.
somnomania 4 years ago
national geographic recently did a story about clothing waste and what a huge issue it is. finding a place that will recycle cloth and clothing is difficult, but there are places that do it. and yeah, stores having to throw out anything that isn't in perfect condition is pretty common. i worked at pier 1 imports for a while and scavenged a bunch of stuff from the trash; ceramic or glass stuff with a tiny chip in the edge, a candle that got dropped and had a weird flattened place along the top edge, things like that. the amount of waste generated by capitalism is outrageous.
Tam Novena 3 years ago
When fashion companies make samples, and are done with them, they usually make a small mark or rip. These usually get sold at discount in sample sales. Sadly sample sales became popular after a while and the prices went up. But my mom and her co workers would get hundred dollar designer clothing for ten bucks and some repair work.
ChekovsCurlyHair 4 years ago
I use to hear about clothes getting marked as “slightly irregular” and sold on the cheap. Is that not a practice anymore?
Jeremy Van Portfliet 4 years ago (edited)
You can find shops at outlit malls that sell them.
Load More Replies...
#29
Friend of ours found two bullet resistant vests with paramedic written across them, being thrown out behind a fire station. I guess the expire or something.
M O'Connell 4 years ago (edited)
Kevlar does degrade over time, and given that they are life-safety equipment, they are replaced on or around the 'expiration' date. A youtube channel I enjoy uses expired vest panels as shielding during trans-sonic aerodynamics experiments.
#30
I found a cardboard cutout from the Mr and Mrs Smith movie release when it was in theaters. I put Mr Smith on one side of the truck and Mrs Smith on the other side. Got a few fun honks going down the road with a gorgeous Angelina Jolie on the back of a trash truck
Rashid Patch 4 years ago
Had a friend in the1970s who was a cab driver in San Francisco. He drove nights, and always checked out dumpsters. Before his shift ended, he would swing by the British Motors dealership on Van Ness Avenue and check their dumpster. Over the course of about 4 years, he found every single part for a Land Rover! He'd found the shop manual for the car, and had blow-up xeroxes made of every page; then he'd dumpstered some industrial shelving, and pasted the expoded diagrams on the shelves, and began filling them. Found every part, thrown away - even a frame, and an engine block. Most parts had cosmetic blemishes - I know the frame had some sections that didn't have all the rustproofing. He checked things off as he found them. When he'd collected all the parts, he traded the whole lot for a Lancia sedan he liked, and he never had to try to register a Land Rover where no parts matched any VIN number. He was the King of Dumpsters!
#31
Not a Sanitation Worker BUT my Uncle Was :) And he often brought back some pretty sweet items! We grew up not dirt poor, but definitely paycheck to paycheck and anything that helped us out was a godsend. So when our Uncle often got hauls from his work he'd share his spoils with the family and the neighbourhood at large. There was one time a whole fleet of Razor Scooters had been thrown out by some store due to minor defects with them. The local kids didn't give a damn about a design issue or the sticker was on the wrong way and the like, we all had a ball when we got our new (branded to boot) play thing. Also there was a time an Ice Creamery had to dispose of a lot of their stock because of exceeding the Best Before Date. OH MAN WHAT AN EPIC SCORE that was for the family. We loaded up as much as we could and had a stockpile that lasted us quite a while. Good times!
#32
When I was a kid my dad worked for a company that hauled away dumpsters and at one point found an old alto sax complete in the box. Ended up playing it for four years up until high school when it was stolen, couldn't play after that since my family couldn't afford a rental let alone pay for a new one.
Billy The Kid 4 years ago
so something good happens then you get some scumbag that takes that away from you. : (
#33
Not a garbageman, but I once found a Hohner Arbor Series telecaster electric guitar in the trash. Had someone fix it up, and it plays like a goddamn dream.
Lunar Bicycle 4 years ago
Not garbage, but my first guitar (1988) was a Hohner Strat. I still have it. Great guitar!
#34
Worked as a garbage man for a very short time last summer, but the best thing I found was an edition of my local newspaper from the day after the Challenger exploded.
#35
My dad used to do the cleaning for a mall and he would bring us some amazing stuff sometimes. I remember he once came back home with a backpack full of miniature toys (like the ones you find in Kinder Surprise), another time an entire toy kitchen, and some kids magazines (Les p'tites princesses, I loved it). He also found a lot of stuff for our home but I was a kid so I remember the toys more than anything
#36
One time my brother who was working as a garbage man at the time brought me back a brand new Nintendo DS for my birthday. Idk he really lucked into that one
#37
I worked as an IT guy for a school district and one time we had to dump a bunch of outdated electronics. Among the actual trash was a still working, perfect condition Mactintosh 128K; the original Apple computer released in 1984. We weren’t allowed to take it, but I went back after my shift to look through the dumpster, but the trash had already been taken to the dump. Heart breaking
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
What a silly policy. I've been working for schools and they just gave laptops and computers that were outdated but still very usable, to everyone who wanted one. You just had to sign a waiver that you knew that you got the device "as is" and it comes without any form of warranty, service or support.
#38
Not a garbage man, but have rescued projectors, computers, furniture and even a very expensive Yahama keyboard (just needed a new plug) from skips / being thrown out. Loads of music scores. A dining room table with nothing wrong with it. I may be just about to get a 65" touchscreen TV that's no longer touchscreen, too, depends on what happens to it over the next few days. Large companies throw all sorts away and they're far more focused on "I just need to get rid of this" than spending the time to find someone to take it. By the same token, I've also binned about 20 fully working interactive whiteboards because I couldn't get anyone interested in taking them. P.S. Yes, I sought permission before taking any of the above. If I just took whatever I saw, I'd have even more stuff.
AzKhaleesi 4 years ago
I want an interactive white board, those things are amazingly cool and super expensive
WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
But you also need a beamer and the appropriate software for those whiteboards. I'd rather have one of those big touch-screen tv's with an integrated pc.
Load More Replies... Billy The Kid 4 years ago
a skip is a large metal container dropped of at the property. When it is full then the lorry comes and takes it away. https://www.google.com/search?q=images+of+skips&rlz=1C1GCEA_en&oq=images+of+skips&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l5.5175j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Load More Replies... #39
James Franco’s handwritten poetry. Franco was getting his MFA at my school, where I did work-study on the garbage/recycling crew. Lots of great and hilarious finds, but that’s the most memorable.
#40
When I was growing up, my neighbour worked at the local council. One night he knocked on the door trying to rehome a couple of kittens that one of the workers had (apparently) found at the local tip. All I remember was this absolute GIANT of a man, normally the most calm and chill person I'd ever met, absolutely seething with anger while holding a tiny ginger-and-white kitten in one of his hands. (My guess is that someone had dropped off a box with them in hoping it wouldn't be noticed, which somehow seems like more of a d*** move -- and more effort -- than just leaving them somewhere public where they might be found by someone, even if you don't want to take them to a shelter.) Anyway, as much as I begged and pleaded I wasn't allowed to keep one because my Dad claimed allergies. No trash-kitty for me.
Scagsy 4 years ago
Why don't people just hand them in at the shelter? At least they'll be safe there.
Kira Okah 4 years ago
Not everyone has access to a no-kill shelter, many kill shelters would absolutely put down motherless kittens because of the required time and effort.
Load More Replies... #41
We have a good friend who garbage picks. He has done so for quite awhile now as a hobby. For years he was the “ski Fairy”. We have 4 kids and they ran through kid skis, boards, poles, boots, masks, like crazy as all kids do as they grow. He and his wife and son all skied, and he would pick up good stuff when he saw it on his rounds. Every so often we would pull into the drive and leaning against the garage would be skis or boots or other equipment that he thought might work for one or more of the kids. The ski fairy had made a delivery. He has found lots of nice things and more valuable stuff, but still my favorite story is his finding money. Change. Not like $6 in a drawer or box. Buckets of it. $780 or so. Not mistakenly thrown out. Placed with garbage. And, $780 in change is heavy. No mistake it was being tossed. I guess not worth counting.
KC Lancaster 4 years ago
I can't imagine being so well-off that a bucket worth of change wasn't worth taking to the back for them to count and deposit for me! Wow.
Toni Alabakovski 4 years ago
I have read about people who never kept change and would always just throw it away where they got it or when they got home. Mind boggling to me!
Load More Replies... 
Uber Mensch 4 years ago
Banks (and some stores) have automatic coin counters: dump your change in, an the machine sorts & counts it.
#42
Not a garbage specialist, but my buddy ran maintenance at the local land fill, which is located along an extremely busy highway. One of their duties was to cleanup the shoulder of the highway a mile in either direction of the main driveway each day. Cash. Money. He would find cash most days on the side of the road. People driving with their windows down and the dollar bills would fly out the window. Sometimes 5 bucks or other times he would pickup as much as 50 to 85 dollars. Although he said it was more lower amounts commonly with the higher dollars being every once and a while.
#43
I'm not a garbage person, but over 90% of my apartment is thanks to roadside picks. My tv is my best find, the only thing I can find that's wrong with it is the top left corner shelling/covering has a small piece missing on it; I put some duct tape on it, but it works perfectly and was even tossed out with the remote.
Rain WhiteBuffalo 4 years ago
Believe it or not, I found my daughter's prom dress (retailed for almost $300 at the time) in a bag that a friend and I rescued from a woman tossing bags and bags of clothing that "didn't sell" at her garage sale. It was the exact dress she wanted and still had the tags on it. And it was her size.
#44
My uncle was (still is?) a garbage man and found a fully boxed Power Rangers Megazord toy. I don't remember which season or what but it had been previously opened and all of the parts and such were still inside. I don't remember if they sold it off or what but it was super cool to see. A part of me feels like maybe a collector tossed their boxes away and mistakenly threw the whole figure with it or some kid's parents ditched it while cleaning up after a birthday or Christmas. I don't know but feelsbad.
#45
Kind of out of the trash... When people drop off their stuff at the municipal recycling center, they sort out stuff that still looks good and sell it for cheap at a sort-of thrift shop. That's how I got my Gaggia Paros coffee machine for 8,- Euros. After thorough cleaning and getting new parts for another 50,- EUR it was good to go. If you buy them used they go for around 200,- EUR. Something comparable costs new about 600,- EUR.
What do you think ?
qwerty 4 years ago
Exactly. Between those people and the cat, the cat is the better of the two.
Load More Replies... Billy The Kid 4 years ago (edited)
I used to work in a large bakery factory and the mount of food they used to throw was a great shame. i did mention to the managers about donating it to the local schools but unfortunately if one of the kids got food poisoning or something ( very unlikely) the company would be liable for it. I used to take home paper bags of cakes, bread, rolls... loads of stuff and share it with the neighbours. All the kids were well happy. I even set up an exchange with the factory next door. I used to get a load of magazines for my missus.
John C 4 years ago
I wouldn't admit this to anyone I know IRL, but I find it fascinating to go through garbage - it's like a peek into how other people live, what they use, what they value. I don't do any more than peer into the complex's dumpster from time to time but it does lend a certain perspective.
juice 4 years ago
i think i get what you mean, but it does sound a bit creepy. i get that wasn't your intent though
Load More Replies...
Zedrapazia 4 years ago
I found a completely fine Pokémon Pikachu Bodysuit in the trash, looked like brand new. I still use it for games and comic conventions. Next to the Pikachu Bodysuit was also a gaming chair, but I could only take one thing at once, and as I returned the garbage men had already taken the chair away.
Billy The Kid 4 years ago
Maybe you should've put the suit on then carried the gaming chair?
Load More Replies...
Patti Vance 4 years ago
my ex was in real estate and there were times when someone's relative would pass and they would sell the house. they would tell him he could take whatever he wanted. i wasn't too interested in most of the stuff as i am not a collectible kind of gal. but, one time he took me to a house where there was a library with great old leather bound books. got several first editions of books as well as collections of books. i would have liked to have taken the entire 2000 books but he talked me out of it.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Nobody could've talked me out of the entire 2000 books.... SUCH a find! YAY you!
Load More Replies...
Hufflepuff 4 years ago
I don't know why people wouldn't just donate this stuff. Or have a garage sale, then people get items for much cheaper than they would cost new, and you make some money. It's a win-win situation.
Amie Redman 4 years ago
I found an Atari 2600 (in its original box) at the dump when I went to help my dad take some things. I think I was like 15 at the time so that was so long ago!
AndersM 4 years ago
I'm a team leader for a team dealing with "trash" and other things in a large apartment complex. (3000 people living there) the stuff I have brought home from Playmobil/Lego for my kids. Gocarts, bicycles for my neighbors, bucket of unopened wallpaint, furniture, ipads, cellphones, laptops, flat screen TV. I could go on and on. It breaks my heart to see. At least donate or sell it second hand. No wonder the world is f****d.
qwerty 4 years ago
Exactly. Between those people and the cat, the cat is the better of the two.
Load More Replies... Billy The Kid 4 years ago (edited)
I used to work in a large bakery factory and the mount of food they used to throw was a great shame. i did mention to the managers about donating it to the local schools but unfortunately if one of the kids got food poisoning or something ( very unlikely) the company would be liable for it. I used to take home paper bags of cakes, bread, rolls... loads of stuff and share it with the neighbours. All the kids were well happy. I even set up an exchange with the factory next door. I used to get a load of magazines for my missus.
John C 4 years ago
I wouldn't admit this to anyone I know IRL, but I find it fascinating to go through garbage - it's like a peek into how other people live, what they use, what they value. I don't do any more than peer into the complex's dumpster from time to time but it does lend a certain perspective.
juice 4 years ago
i think i get what you mean, but it does sound a bit creepy. i get that wasn't your intent though
Load More Replies... Zedrapazia 4 years ago
I found a completely fine Pokémon Pikachu Bodysuit in the trash, looked like brand new. I still use it for games and comic conventions. Next to the Pikachu Bodysuit was also a gaming chair, but I could only take one thing at once, and as I returned the garbage men had already taken the chair away.
Billy The Kid 4 years ago
Maybe you should've put the suit on then carried the gaming chair?
Load More Replies... Patti Vance 4 years ago
my ex was in real estate and there were times when someone's relative would pass and they would sell the house. they would tell him he could take whatever he wanted. i wasn't too interested in most of the stuff as i am not a collectible kind of gal. but, one time he took me to a house where there was a library with great old leather bound books. got several first editions of books as well as collections of books. i would have liked to have taken the entire 2000 books but he talked me out of it.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Nobody could've talked me out of the entire 2000 books.... SUCH a find! YAY you!
Load More Replies... Hufflepuff 4 years ago
I don't know why people wouldn't just donate this stuff. Or have a garage sale, then people get items for much cheaper than they would cost new, and you make some money. It's a win-win situation.
Amie Redman 4 years ago
I found an Atari 2600 (in its original box) at the dump when I went to help my dad take some things. I think I was like 15 at the time so that was so long ago!
AndersM 4 years ago
I'm a team leader for a team dealing with "trash" and other things in a large apartment complex. (3000 people living there) the stuff I have brought home from Playmobil/Lego for my kids. Gocarts, bicycles for my neighbors, bucket of unopened wallpaint, furniture, ipads, cellphones, laptops, flat screen TV. I could go on and on. It breaks my heart to see. At least donate or sell it second hand. No wonder the world is f****d.
You May Like People Were Asked To ‘Delete One Thing In The World’ In This Reddit Thread, And Here Are Their 98 Answers 80 People Share The Most Unusual Things They Did When They Were Desperate For Money "What Is The Creepiest Thing That Ever Happened To You But Never Told Anyone?"
Aivaras Kaziukonis
Larysa Perih
Jonas Žvilius
Related on Bored Panda
