Let’s be real. I find a ton of free stuff outside for three reasons.
- It exists because many people suck.
- I see the opportunity others ignore and/or don’t notice.
- I’m consistent.
Effort equals results, and luck often equates to the intersection of preparation meeting opportunity.
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I had a choice the other day after bringing a 15 pound package to FedEx. Naturally, this was a curb salvaged item in recycled packaging.
The choice was to walk around earlier than usual in the daylight, with commuters and traffic everywhere, or walk home to do it later when it was quiet.
FYI, the tradeoffs I consider are usually the following:
Afternoon:
- Daylight for better visibility.
- First to strike and find.
- Warmer weather (a huge bonus in the winter).
- More energy.
- Recycling can be put out after 4PM, but only half of the buildings put it out then. The rest trickles out during the early evening and late at night.
- Bottle/can collecting crews out in full force are in the way.
- Pedestrians, doormen and cars are everywhere.
- Trash bags are also outside (bonus).
Late Night:
- Everything out on curbs for maximum spots to check.
- Main 4 PM spots are often already picked by bottle/can groups.
- Empty streets with pedestrians or traffic.
- Privacy. I am all alone.
- No pressure. I can take my time.
- No judgment, looks, or interruptions.
- I can sing while I walk.
- Trash bags can sometimes be picked up in the late evening, so I often miss those (not a major focus, they’re often gold mines at move-outs).
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Back to the story...
On my walk back from FedEx, I knew that I’d be walking through the greater recycling zone I’d normally peruse late at night. While I’d usually beeline home opting to make sure everything was out later (not look too early), I decided to do half then.
So I did, and the results were barren. This was partially because I was walking by without lifting or moving any bags. There were too many people out and I hate being seen doing this. I usually make sure I can see each bag or as many as possible, but this requires moving some.
Regardless, I made a commitment, so I kept going.
Interestingly, of this section, there’s literally ONE block that gets picked up really early at around 6:30 PM (versus 6 AM the next day like the rest). I never understood why. I usually never catch this street because it overlaps with my trip to the post office in the other direction.
But... here I was, with the option to gamble on taking a right at an intersection I assumed would’ve been collected already - or to turn left to keep my momentum going where I knew stuff wasn’t picked up...
I went left. Then I stopped, kicked myself, and then went right.
As I crossed onto the side street, I saw a bottle collecting group with their full bags waiting to be picked up by a box truck. They also had a bike they must’ve salvaged. On the bright side, the recycling truck hadn’t come yet. While I knew that this street was picked, I forced myself to walk it anyway because I’d hope to be sharper than most bottle pickers.
To make this more unnecessarily dramatic, the recycling truck I was expecting immediately turned on the street. Now the timer was ticking. Great.
Funny enough, and as fate would have it to be the crux of this post here, the second pile I trotted two featured these:
Sweet. Bikes. Like I have room for them in my apartment...
One was a vintage women’s cruiser bike. The other was a mountain bike.
I initially thought they were chained to the pole, but they were actually out for the recycling. One had a tag on it with the tenant’s name on it, presumably from storage. Both were very dusty and had no air in the tires. This must’ve been where the other bike I saw came from.
I looked the bikes on eBay and saw that the Trek mountain bike recently sold several times for $300-$500. This was officially the prize of the afternoon and my reward for taking the path less traveled. Excitingly, the Trek looked like it had never been used, or maybe once. The other was pretty weathered and used, so it was an easy decision to leave without guilt.
I awkwardly walked the flat-tired bike home and wiped it down to see that it was virtually brand new. It barely had a mark on it. It’s about 20 years old, so I’ll probably need to replace the tire tubes, but that’s easy. I’ll also need to lube up the gears, but they all work great. This will be an easy cash sale for a few hundred dollars. More importantly, it was a bike that needed to be saved, and my gut feel to turn around to walk the block laid off to allow me to do so. Win.
Here’s a pic of the truck and the other bike as I was walking down the street for proof.
I’ll update on this bike when it’s sold with a better picture. I couldn’t believe how great the condition was when the dust came off. It felt like a barn find of a classic car.
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This isn’t the first time I’ve cashed in at the last second on this street while walking back from FedEx.
Last Fall, I saved this 55” smart TV precisely as the recycling truck guy was 5 feet in from of me hauling the bags away. I debated taking it with little time to think or even take a picture, but I erred on the side of caution and grabbed it.
TVs are often tossed for upgrades or cracked displayed, but the boards inside are fine. The one at hand was a recent model and lightweight, so with no physical damage, I decided to invest the energy into bringing it back to investigate. In most cases, if it powered on and toggled, I’d remove the boards and put the rest back outside.
BUT...
Bingo!!!!
It worked perfectly and had no issues.
I took out my old TV, gave it to my neighbor for free for his second room, and set this one up with a cable to my laptop. This was a major upgrade and a huge plus to have. It retailed are around $1,300 a few years before and I bought a new remote for $6.50.
Same street, same scenario, same decision to scout early, same result... a big score saved seconds before it’d be wrangled and crushed in the compactor of a recycling truck. The satisfaction never gets old.
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Oh, and did I stop with the bike? Hell no. I went out later after the gym and found a Gucci wallet, Jack Spade wallet, iPod, iPod Nano, iPad keyboard, Bose SoundSport earphones, gold earring, and other stuff (not all pictured here).
Thanks for your interest and support,
Matt