-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!