wierdest and oddest and coolest finds

i been scrapping for about 4 years now ,mostly full time ,.....i must say ,i've come acrossed some crazy stuff ,stuff i didn't know what it was ,....gross stuff ,....why did they throw that away stuff... and just plain old ,...'m keeping that stuff,...stuff



wierdest finds ...,friend found a labotimy device ,with instructions ?? a 40s cattle prod ,a homemade sex device ,a sword-gun ,a 1920s mousetrap ,an 1800s grim reaper sickle ,lead cased romex wiring ,....hard to say out of all the strange stuff ive found that i couldn't identify ,what was the weirdest ,but i think the labotimy machine tops the list

coolest finds ,the laptop i've been using for two years ,a 1939 working refridgerator ,brand new flat panel tv ,a smith and wesson 45. ,1982 craftsmen riding mower that works perfectly ,a 1920s traincar potstove ,an 1800s chandleir ,....and thats not mentioning cool finds that meant bank ,...theres too many of them to list ,but it be a draw between a complete home boiler ,radiators and pipes found buried in the woods ,or the 300 lbs of copper and brass a genourous plumber put at the curb for me

anyway ,part of doing this stuff that fascinates me is all the weird cool or odd stuff scrappers find ,...so i wanna hear what everybody else has found

I picked up an old george foreman grill today while grabbing a tv. I didn't realize this, but those black metal plates are aluminum. Must have been like 4 pounds.

Originally Posted by cptroses

I picked up an old george foreman grill today while grabbing a tv. I didn't realize this, but those black metal plates are aluminum. Must have been like 4 pounds.

think i've had almost every george foreman grill model he ever made ,at least once ,i use a pair a flat nosed pliers to pull the steel heating elements out of them to get clean aluiminun ,....thier trcky to get the elements out of stuff like that

good to know...i'll start keeping my eye out for these...

Yesterday I found a pair of 14 karat gold hoop earrings in a dryer. Also, about $5 in change in there too, and a button!

Originally Posted by ryanw

Yesterday I found a pair of 14 karat gold hoop earrings in a dryer. Also, about $5 in change in there too, and a button!

Nice score on the button!

I have found all stainless steel grills some of them once in a blue moon with all brass burners , and some have up to four of these solid brass burners about 8 pounds for all of em together , plus all the cash I get out of the grill that I sell as is for stainless . Maybe around 170lbs all stainless grill plus the brass I get out of it . So basically around $100 in all . I have found home made sex tapes as well

If I don't ever get another " found in dumpster" find again, it will be ok. You could almost say, I was given the keys to a gold mine, it's been a lot of hard work too. Still everyday trying to figure out efficient, profitable, regulatory, and legal issues. What I'm working on and this issue is not unique to me or my area. I own a landscape company, construction and property management, in simple terms our people take care property owners. My company has been recycling and scraping from day one almost! The very first recycle and dumpster issue for me. Our own need to economically dispose of tons of green waste. Almost three years ago, my largest customer called needed to see me ASAP. I generally "DANCE TO MY OWN MUSIC", there is a few exceptions, his urgency is my concern. I lease office space from him, a walk across the parking lot and we meet. He had a simple question and requested I make this a priority.

His question was simple, what can you do about my dumpsters! His priority request, not so simple and I have been in dumpsters (literally) since that meeting. I don't have all the answers yet on this issue, but I know opportunities and money is in the trash (dumpsters).

Now this thread and your questions. The Weirdest: A violet ray device, in a leather case with several glass attachments. This is very old, I was told by a doctor that has a private "quack medical museum", these and other weirder devices were common until the 1920's. Mine was considered a deluxe model with all accessories. Great shape, works with a one page manual, but missing one glass attachment. A quick read of that manual and it's claims to cure/prevent. What were they thinking? The Kinkiest: Sex toys new and used, porn of all types, you name it and it's about sex it can be in a dumpster. Maybe start my own museum and the violet ray device. Making a comeback, you can find the modern sex toy version, any internet near you! Warning wear surgical grade gloves and all dumpster finds not approved for minors. Ladies in the office, you are not innocent! The Coolest: Money and Gold, need to say I like finding both. The Oldest: I have lots of antiques from the dumpster. Find all types, cookie jars to tools, a little die cast VW toy from germany, valuable, on my office desk. The best and oldest a perfume bottle, led crystal with a sterling silver dauber. The hallmarks date it to England 1850 to 1860. This one is cool, nice, valuable, old and mine. The Most Utilized: This is easy, tools, almost every day find tools, mostly cheap hand tools, from a big box store. My favorite, I just like how it fits my hands, weight distribution. A electric angle grinder, it's a Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight/think), older one with orange head. I have several angle grinders, but at tear down station is where I put most found tools. What I like most about that grinder, the price. A note to you that have people working for you. You can't prosper, grow and be a profitable company without employees. I like every person that works for me and if I didn't they would have been gone the first year. Please don't throw tools away, tools make your hard work easier! I don't even like it when they belong to someone else, but thanks for another tool. Using Now: HP mini 1000, these I think you call Note Books, I use HP lap tops normally. Found three of them, all work fully loaded. Been using the one I'm on now around the house. This a great machine and maybe better than the lap tops. Finds wireless hots spots, connects to internet and never drops me off line. Used the camera last picture post here, need practice with that! The bluetooth is better than phone. Should sell the other two, findinding it hard to sell! Going to have to get over this temporary "Hoarders Disease" no one needs three of anything (I think). Maybe money, might have found the cure.

i can't even remember how many tools i've found ,best ones ,a 7 1/4 dewalt circular saw ,millwalkee sawzall ,a nice old 8' crowbar ,electric chainsaw ,echo weed eater and brand new puolin gas chainsaw ,......and at least one of evey hand tool known to man ,.....i have more tools then i'l ever need ,so if it isn't something i need immediatly then i barter with a friend who sells them on e-bay and trades me scrap in return ,......i have a few barter traders i deal with ,....antiques ,small engine ,appliances and commercial kitchen stuff often get traded for two fold the money i'd get from scrapping them ......got a guy who trades for old wood and constuction meterials too
.....i lost the hoarders disease after a few years and having to move it all ,.....currently if i can't eat it or make money with it ,....in the truck it goes .....every now and then i keep the neat stuff ,and go outa the way to barter if i can with cool ,usable stuff

and i've broke down so many goerge forman grills and similar pancake ,grillcheese maker grills ,...i don't even notice the name on em anymore

Lets see, I got a .410 pump action shot gun from Coast to Coast. Needed some work so I gave it to my dad who spruced it up into a neat working bird gun. I got a working pressure washer, a brand new Hummer h2 wheel, a working 50cc moped, a junk motorcycle that I traded to a guy for a working 1980 Honda cb750c. Countless tools. A truck tool box that I mounted to a trailer. vintage computers. I'm the same way. if I can use it or resell it outside of scrap, I will. Otherwise it makes me money either way.

Never been one to jump in dumpsters, but yAll make it sound appealing. What kind of places are you finding this stuff?

not everything comes from dumpster jumping ,i get alot of stuff thats just put at the curb ,i do clean outs and talk to people every chance i get ,....sometimes they find out who you are and what you do and they go ,"hey you want this too "......i once found a bunch of stuff from a barn cleaning and the guy who put it out offered me work in exchange for scrap ,.....guy gave me probably over a 1,000$ of scrap and tools since then ,i did grunt work in exchange for him ,...still deal with him and get regular stuff as he cleans up his property ,.....gave me a drill press 2 weeks ago

i do dumpster jump ,but anymore only in places i've talked to property owners and got permission ,met a few bigger property manager/owners and have permission to jump in quit a few dumpsters on my various routs......i also deal with the maintenance guys at a few apartment complexes that give me stuff as tenants move out ,.... i also have a few construction guys and garage owners that give me stuff in exchange for work

i think the trick is to talk to people every chance you get ,be friendly and help educate them of the benefits of a private scrapper ,and how private scrappers are more thorough ,were good for the economy and good for the planet .....you'd be amazed at the stuff people will just give you if they like you

Got my first stereo out of a dumpster when I was eleven or so. It worked great except for when it warmed up it smelled like old milk and feet.

Also that year I got over one hundred Playboy magazines. Loaded them up on my sled and dragged them home in the snow.

my weaknesses are stereo stuff ,and construction tools ,....anything to do with either are hard to scrap
.....as for brass ,i've had so many knick knacks and yard orniments ,i'm kinda getting immuene to it ,......i have a brass plack with the ten commandments on it i saved ,....i figuered the world needed the commandments more then it needed the brass ,lol

Thanks Mick.