Merry Holiday Curb Shopping!

Sorry for the delay since my last post curb shoppers, it has been pretty hectic here, and rainy, so to make up for it, I've compiled everything I found before the rain started!

Which is why I'm sick at home today, got soaked a couple of days ago, my old sneakers don't repel water with large holes in them.

Don't worry about me, I took some Vitamin-C and other home remedies, I'll be right back at work tomorrow.

SO lets get down to business!

IN THE PAST WEEK I'VE FOUND!


First is this very nice rose patterned chair and footrest, the yellow fall leaves all over it make it almost a nice picture for a calender maybe October or August. From what I saw it was very nice, couldn't really find any faults with it. Guess someone just didn't want this nice chair anymore. How sad! I woulda taken it! If I wasn't on my way to work! Which didn't mean I didn't get anything that day, next i found a....



A mint condition monitor, I've been seeing many tube based monitors on the curb lately. Which is to say that LCD monitors are taking over, I still have the very first one I got for my new computer 5 years ago(Found on the curb of course) but soon that heavy one will be placed on the curb and I will get a new used LCD from someone who loves me...Which reminds me, LCD's can sometimes be thrown out! Recently I found a.....



This E-Machines flat screen monitor!!! I assume they threw it out because of an upgrade of their PC, due to how this monitor is constructed it doesn't accept the normal 3 pronged power plug that dominates the computer monitor and PC power needs. Instead of the 3 prong plug, there is a small one pronged black plug that comes off the normal VGA connector. I haven't done much research on it yet, so I don't know if I can actually use it. Because how its constructed I'm assuming that the actual PC tower provided power to this little cool screen. But moving on!



I found a humidifyer! Hadn't seen one in years, my dad used to have one in the house, what it was for I have no idea. I was wishing that I had picked this up instead of the thing that I picked up instead this day, but now its rained and kept on raining, I just don't need it anymore. lol This was small enough to carry, but most of the stuff I find isn't, thats why you need to have your friends on speed dial. Like when you find this...



SHELVES!!! These were outside a local small market, so they may have been used for several different items, If you took it home, you could probably find tons of stuff to fill these two sets of shelves with, your DVD collection, book collection, Donald Duck Collection... Twinky storage. The possibilities are endless!!! Thats why I love curb shopping! You never know what your going to find, especially a....



TV/GUITAR! Thats right you can watch TV AND play guitar with this amazing device! Detachable by taking one off the other using applied force, the guitar uses gravity and patented "leaning" technology to stay on the TV. Needless to say this was an exciting find! The only thing needed to be replaced on the guitar were the faceplate on the body and the pearl trim around it. And maybe some new strings. I found out it had a plug and pickup inside it for amp playing! Fantastic find, became a Christmas present of sorts. Its days like this day that curb shopping is at its best, its like finding treasure! Speaking of treasure, I found this....



In a hole in my shoe! The day I got sick, I was sitting in Union Station waiting for my subway train, when I looked down and saw something red sticking out of the hole in the side of my shoe, I opened it to find this small note. And its small! Like it was written for shoe gnomes, that hide all the diamonds and rubies and precious gems that fall out of rings and are seemingly lost to the world, and they sew them into shoe padding.

I have yet to peek inside my shoes...

Too scared.

-Dave

A New Lady

Hey! Fellow curb shoppers! Did you have a nice weekend? I sure did.

I found tons of great stuff at my local swap meet!

But thats not what this blog is about its about free stuff found!

Lets get started!

TODAY I FOUND!!!



A nice black entertainment center! HUZZAH! Which I would have liked, but I didn't have the space in the car.

But! I just recieved a message from my good friend Mike, who found a lady friend on the curb! Not that kind of lady friend, this ones only got one arm! Like Alex Murphy, aka Robocop! Hope his fiance doesn't mind!



There you have it! update for this weekend. Kinda rushed, watching the Early Edition marathon online.

Stay safe!

-Dave

Printer, Scanner, Copier, INK?

Hello there fellow curb shoppers, how did you like the rain in Hollywood? I loved it! I miss the desert thunderstorms though! Dont ask me why but they scare me a little, but I like it at the same time.

Anyway! Today I found!!!

A Printer Scanner, Copier, Lazercannon...well maybe not Lazercannon. But hey! it looked brand new!!!

Except for a little rain on it, it seems fine! Now you may ask yourself, why would anyone throw out a new looking printer, scanner, copier? Well for one thing, it coulda ran out of ink! I know what your saying, but david, why would they throw it out and buy a new one if the ink just ran out, when they could just buy more ink?

To answer that, you must understand the golden rule of sales, charge nothing for admission but an arm and a leg for the bathrooms. I recently went and checked on ink prices for my printer, scanner, copier that I own because I'm out of black ink and my color ink was running low, I was shocked and/or frightened when I found my ink was 63 dollars and change plus tax!!!

AND next to that a new printer, scanner, copier for 69.99. If it had been on sale the dang PSC would have been cheaper than my INK! gah!!!

Whats the world coming to? I'm gonna do all my printing at Kinkos from now on... WHAT? There aren't any KINKOS ANYMORE!!!??? WWTTTFFF!!!!

Hammered Xbox

Hello my Fellow Curb shoppers! how are you all doing today?

Im doing fantastic! Why you ask? BECAUSE!!!

TODAY I FOUND!!!!

A completely ruined regular xbox. I mean look at this this! I saw this thing from the street driving by and I knew...KNEW! It was something. I know a smashed VCR when I see it from a mile away. As you can see its just all broken up about failing to entertain its master. It looks like someone took a Slegehammer to it. I should know, because I've actually taken a slegehammer to 4 gamesystems. Long story, not gonna get into it.



Now most people would just look at this mess, and say, hmm... This is of absolutely no use and/or worth to me. And keep moving, but not me! I looked through the pile to find....absolutely nothing of value that wasnt smashed to bits...

BUUUTTTT!!!!

A few feet away on the other side of the sidewalk I found what I was looking for and not in the pile!!!



THE HARDDRIVE!!! Yes ladies and gentelmen the harddrive of a regular xbox is just a regular seagate computer 60 gig harddrive. Which given the computer knowhow and moxie you could use as a secondary harddrive on your computer...which I have! Not gonna just throw it into my computer cuz all my slots are full, but my second computer might use it... after I thoroughly check it for damage.

That fragile sticker on it makes me go ohhhhh....

Steam Cleaner For Me!

Good evening my fellow Curb shoppers. Just a short update for you today, but its a nice one. Because....

TODAY I FOUND!



A Hoover Steam Cleaner!!!! I tell you I used to sell this exact model at Sears for almost 200 bucks! and hey it works! Now all my friends and I can clean our carpets without going halfsies on a rental cleaner! Boooo yyyaaaahhhh!!! A word of note! Its the first of the month and today was prime time Curb shopping! People moving out, moving in, moving on with a new steam cleaner so they don't want the other one!

It was exactly 5 months ago when I found my toaster oven and my like new Sony CD/Radio player! Keep your eyes out for stuff just like this when you are out there.




-Dave

-Baby clothes -This place has everything!

Why just yesterday I saw a 20 inch tube tv. But I was driving and couldn't take a picture of it. And the week before I saw a bookshelf and a nice coffee table, but before I could come back around a few minutes later they had been taken away like the last fried chicken wings at Sizzler!

But today I was walking and I had the time.

TODAY I FOUND!!!

An Eddy Bauer Crib, and no not the house of Eddy Bauer, a crib for a baby. It was the auto swinging kind, where you put batteries in it and it gently rocks back and fourth. How nice! It was also filled with an assortment of Baby supplies.



And as well as that, this nice maroon stroller!


 Unfortunately I had no need for either of these items, nor did I have the means to take them home, but two gardener dudes in a truck who were eyeing me while I was taking the pictures did have the means and the need, because they swooped in like eagles on little babies...oh bad choice of words, and took both items.

Good finds gardener dudes!

Anyway, It was a nice find today! Keep your eyes peeled for Treasure, its out there!

-Dave

Curb Shopping and Great Finds!

Curb shopping is not Dumpster Diving, the point is to do as little work as possible. You could jump into a dumpster for free stuff but the best stuff is usually just sitting next to it. Be excited about your find! You got to it first and it now belongs to you! I'm always excited when I find something awesome for free. Here are some of the great finds from the last few years! But no where near all of my finds.


80s Electric Organ, Had some help with this one, a small truck. But I consider this one a win/fail. I got it home only to find HUGE black widows inside which promptly tried to invade my apartment. The circle of curb shopping was complete when I put it on my curb. It was torn apart for speakers in mere hours.


Encyclopeadia Britannica Macropeadia, Found in the free cart at my local LAPL(Los Angeles Public Library) branch, real huge B to carry home, which was before I instituted my dolly rule. One book feels like nothing. But Nineteen books have to be a hundred lbs. Oh its making my back hurt just thinking about it.



Chinese style chair, I really liked this chair. I found it near my old apt. It had a small hole in it which progressively got bigger and I always wished I had the money to get it reupholstered and painted but I decided to Craigslist it and let someone else have the chance to fix up this cool looking chair!

 

Noritaki Chinaware, Minor chips on each piece but hey! Have you seen the price of Noritaki China lately? INSANE!!!! Found this one near my work. Very nice, Now all I need is a display case! Actually I saw one recently at my local thrift store.



TV Magnifyer, Found this near my place, kept it in my closet for months til a friend of mine suggested that it might be for the TV. And I was just keeping it cuz it looked cool! Turns my small 32 inch flatscreen into a big 45 inch projection! Great for games and movie parties! I would never sell it! Well maybe if I got an actual big screen LCD or something lol



My Dresser, Found it early in the morning on my way to work. I had been keeping my eye out for one. Bit late for work that day but it was worth it! Folding Dolly made it almost effortless Beautiful dark oak, and the only thing I can find wrong with it is that its missing a piece of wood that seperates two drawers in the middle.



Entertainment Center, Had a friend help me home with it. Very heavy, We used a derelict shopping cart to get it to my house and manly men man strength to get it inside. More of an oversized desk than a Entertainment Center but it serves its purpose well! ps. You'll notice to the right in the picture a coat rack I found, legs broke off but I have a plan to fix it! Christmas tree holder!!!



Bookshelf/VHS holder, Top half of a dresser, found up the street, bottom was just destroyed but the top looked nice so I took it home with me, filled it up with all my VHS tapes and its been happily mine ever since.



Last but not least, but maybe smallest find is Alien lego man, Found in a junk pile of destroyed furniture n trash. Don't have any idea why anyone would throw him away. He was added to my lego collection.

Well thats just a sample of the things I have found in the last few years. I really enjoy Curb Shopping and so should you! Keep coming back and I'll be showing more finds! Keep those eyes peeled!

-Dave

Ikea, Eat Your Heart Out

I have been blessed with the good fortune of finding that which nobody else can find. Thrown out treasure! Southern California is very unique to me since I arrived several years ago. I have lived many places and I have to say Los Angeles is the best place I've seen to finding free stuff. Furniture, TV's, Computer monitors, Computers, appliances, various lamps, etc etc, there is a plethora of interesting and unique items out there that people place out to the curb. And I find it.

This "Curb Shopping" as I like to call it has granted me many many things! All you need is a good pair of walking shoes, a good eye for the absolutely awesome catch and the luck to be the first to see it. In my time wandering the streets of LA I have come across the most wonderful things. My whole apartment has been furnished this way. And its totally free! If you wanna go to Ikea and buy a bookcase and put it together yourself and have to pay $100 or more be my guest. But trust me there are treasures out there. They just need a little work to find. I find that the best way to go about this is to walk around your neighborhood. Have a folding dolly with you that you can easily carry your prize away!

The prime times to find items are the last days of the month and early in the 1st day of the months morning. People usually move in/out of apts these days and neighborhoods with high concentrations of apts have quick turnover rates especially near a community college or a University. Because of this frequency in moving there are always nice things that people set out curbside. Thats where I come in. Early morning is preferable because come 8am someone else is going to see that thing that you saw at 6am headed to work but didnt have time to stop and check it out. You must seize the opportunity. You don't know how many times I've walked by something and said I'll get it later or tomorrow, and when I returned it would be gone! But also remember the golden rule of curb shopping.

Low expectations. If you see a shag carpet that looks awesome, chances are when you unroll it someone who had bad chinese buffet took an emergency diarrhea session in it. True story. Don't believe that you'll find a flatscreen LCD TV that the only problem with it is that its constantly stuck on the french subtitle setting. Chances are you'll find a coat rack missing a leg. A nice chair needing some upholstery. Or a radiator electric heater with a broken handle. Don't limit yourself to the curb! Frees free I always say. Your local library might be getting rid of unwanted donated material. I got a whole Encyclopaedia Britanica set for free.

Ill be updating this blog everytime I find something new, Just to show you how easy it is and how fun it can be. And Hey! Free stuff!!!

Today I found on my way to work a beautiful set of lamps! Red mixed with green, minor scraches, small dent, and damage to the cord. But other thatn that they look like almost new!