Another Mans Treasure

The Summer Catch

2011-05-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow Curb Shoppers! Its summer time here and I wanna talk to you about keeping well hydrated while you’re out there in the hot hot hot sun!

Drink water! And what better to drink water from than a new used water dispensor! Gotta hate those giant water bottles. And I suppose someone did get so fed up with them that they left their dispensor on the curb and got a brita filter instead.

Moving on! I’ve been busy finding interesting gems of the curb to bring to you. Some big, some small, some smelly... But each find is an adventure!

A stainless steel microwave! One late night I found this stainless steel microwave just sitting all lonesome dove out there. Poor thing, it was gone the next morning however! So I’m sure it found a new home. Interestingly it was the same model as my current microwave.

Right outside my work I found this….baby torture station. It seems to be in good working order. Why they make these baby torture stations is beyond me. I guess some parents just don’t have the money to purchase a baby sized rack or iron maiden.

Lollypop lollypop ohh lolly lollypop lollypop lollypop POP! Oh yeah… that’s right… I went there!!!! Mickey Mouse’s main squeeze has her own lollypops apparently. I didn’t take it because it was sitting right outside Civic Center station in downtown LA and it seemed like an elaborate trap. Trap for what? Who knows? But I'm still here!

Who says Curb Shopping isn’t exercise! It’s good for you…well maybe not the heat stroke that comes with it sometimes. Found this blast from the past cycle down the street from my work. The guy who owned it was watering his lawn and did try his best to get me to take it with me. Let him know the first rule of Curb shopping. Get it while it’s hot. It was gone within an hour. Dusty, but working condition!

Got a turtle? snake? fish? Well did I find just the thing for you! A terrarium! Man that’s hard to spell! It simulates the natural environment of your friendly little animal friends. But someone didn’t want it. And threw it right into this trash can, I’ve been thinking of making a craigslist type website called… want it? Where you put stuff you don’t want anymore online for people to come get! But then again, it would make my job harder! Never mind!

An interesting mirrored table or stand of some kind. This was an interesting piece, I remember the day well. It was HOT!!! It was hot as balls! Man it was hot that day. I found it intriguing but I dared not touch it for it must have been insanely hot, or if I dropped it on the way to my place I would have gotten…. 7 times however many panes I broke bad luck. And I don’t need that right now!

Office chairs… I passed this place a couple days later and there was only one left. Guess someone only needed so many chairs. Or multiple people took one and that was the last one. A gardener seemed to be using it to hold stuff though so that’s good!

Now I don’t normally do look into dumpsters, its bad curb shopping form. But this day I just had a feeling! And I found something great…and something cool but not so great. Firstly!

A small deep fryer! If it were cleaner… and not in a dumpster… possibly on a grassy curb. Then I would have taken it. But as it was….bleah…. I wasn’t about to touch that crap! However! Upon closer inspection I came upon another thing cooler!!!

YODA!!! I don’t know how he had gotten all the way from the dead to physical form and into a dumpster on earth. But who cares. He thanked me for rescuing him. But he was extremely stinky! So we had to give him a bath… but oh boy did I wish I hadn’t seen what I had seen!

YOU CAN’T UNSEE IT!!!

Anyway, these are the things I took home.

Two very nice turquoise and wood chairs, well made they are. Mmmm. I’m considering selling them as I have not the space for them. They remind me of home. Must be the turquoise.

WISH I HAD A TRUCK!

2011-04-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

There are just some days fellow curb shoppers that you feel like you really need a truck! Theres just sooooo many cool things out there that you just can't carry it all!

Well I, the King of Curb Shopping, am here to tell you. I find myself thinking the exact same thing. In todays blog I'm going to show you some of the great finds I have found recently but have had to pass them up due to circumstances beyond my control...mainly...that I don't have ready access to a truck!

I shall start by showing you a series of pictures of items that look nice from far away but in reality are very much.... nasty. To which you must agree that calling your buddy Bubba to bring his Bronco would be bad.... BECAUSE some stuff is mean't for the trash. Here are some mirages in the distance that you must wait to call that friend with a truck til you get closer.

It was the red that caught me at first. That deep red, passionate, firey, dangerous. But I got closer and realized it was torn up like a Hollywood movie contract. While it could use a little upholstering and rise to its original blaze of glory that it once had. I didn't have a truck. So I left it be, to its fate. Hopefully one of you out there with the room and a truck picked this potential gem up.

It was the Gold, the Regal nature of this couch that drew me in close. It spoke to me of the times it had with fine lady bums on it, and I listened. However I couldn't take this couch with me, for I was but a peasant, and she was a royal couch. Alas, I had no truck.

I've always liked couches that turned into beds, not for their uncomfortableness when you're on it, either sleeping or sitting. But for the bravery it took to try and be more than just a Futon. This one was DIRTAY! but it had a softness and charm like never before seen outside of Target's furniture dept. It was never to be this couch and I. The truck.....never showed up.

And now I'll show you stuff that I actually wished I had a truck(and apartment room) for.

Firstly I'd like to show you some of the nice couches I've found. To offset the bad ones I just showed you, they usually toss them out on their short stubby legs as a set, especially when they exchange newness for comfortablility.

This couch screamed, "I'm soft sit on me!" and it had a partner too, but I was in a hurry. I often think of this couch...when I look at the picture I took of it. I was surprized to see the cushin still on it. Must have been a fresh Curbing.

A fine set, couch and loveseat, with throw pillows to boot! But without a truck these fine specimins wouldn't ever see the inside of my apartment. However I believe they were made for a house, and my apartment is much to small for their Grand nature. OH and there were some plastic hangers there too.

Like the green of a mallard duck. Don't you agree! This chair tried to go with me but just couldn't make it. Had it for a little while, but still debating if it was for me.

If a trekie had a truck he would find this chair and turn it into a captains chair on the bridge of the USS ...something... However it did have nice tabley thingys on the side and rollers on the bottom, and it reclined, but the creepy medical nature of this chair made me stay away truck or no truck.

OHHH I really wish I had a truck for this one! Just look at those lines, that color, fantastic workmanship! However my house isn't in the 1600s so I left this where it stood.

And finally I always save the best for last, Imagine summer... hot dogs, warm air, cool breeze, conflicting descriptions, the grill....grilling. YES A GRILL!!!!

Does it work? WHO GIVES A FLYING SQUIRREL! ITS A HUGE KENMORE GASSSS GRILL!!!

This is what I really wish I had a truck for, where would I put it? I don't know. Who would help me get propane? King of the Hill...

Anyway, that is all. Enjoy your warm days and cool nights....while they last... soon its gonna be HOT DAYS WITH HOT NIGHTS AND HOT INBETWEENS AND GAAHHHHHH I NEED A FAN!

AYE HP LOVECRAP.. er....I mean I love FINDING STUFF.

2011-04-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well fellow Curb Shoppers its been a while! I know. You missed me. I missed you too.

I've had so much on my plate recently that I couldn't get away and do my blog I love so very very much.

But I'm here now and home sick and since I'm stuck in bed having liquids coming out of my face regularly i figured why not be productive.

March was a goooooddd month for Found on the Curb. I found LOOOOTTSSS of stuff. But not much of it went to my apartment as it now seems I'm running clear out of room!

Which brings me to another point I would like to make to all you fellow curb shoppers! Clutter. Don't let it happen to you! If you have no place for that couch then you have no place for it. Don't drag it home and expect to lean it in the corner and wait for your other couch to break in half.

Found on the curbers should be upward and onward kind of people. Find better stuff than what you got, you must know if I found a coffee table better than my current one(doubtful) I would take it home and my current coffee table would be out on the curb as the great circle of curb shopping. To let you know what I mean the first item I'm showing you used to belong to me.

Yes...this was once my entertainment center! Filled with my tv, dvds, and videogame systems it lasted me until i got my behemoth of desk/entertainment centers to replace it. I promptly placed my old entertainment center outside and within the hour it was snatched up by some close neighbor, because not ten paces and a year later it came BACK!

Now you get a real glimpse on how this works. Here are a few items that I DIDN'T take with me.

This TV was huge, and really heavy. and even if I needed a new TV I would have gotten my folding dolly instead of carrying this thing home. Most people are just throwing out their old tube TVs for their nice slick fancy flat screens.

I dont know why people would need these things, when a Brita Filter would serve the same purpose. I didn't take this water dispensor because I dont want to lug those huge jugs of water around and spill it all over the friggin place when I try to replace it finally. Oh well...

I must apologize for the picture, my camera phone isn't good at taking night pictures. However this was a reallllllyyy coool find. Late at night walking home. It came with a note attached and the note said, "Free Big screen TV, it works, but the screen is all blurry. and you have to fix that." and if I were the Hulk I would have picked it up and taken it home. but alas. I have not the muscle mass for such a feat. Therefore I left it where it lay, I havn't gone back that way but I've seen what happens to TVs like that in my neighborhood... Eviceration.

Those are things I didn't take home. Now I would like to show you the things that I did end up taking home.

Very very nice rollerbag, brand new even sitting on top of a dumpster. Who would throw something so new away? Rich people thats who. Inside hadn't even been used zippers still closed, and no smell of anykind, except for the new roller bag smell. Very fancy and will replace my day tripper bag, which has a broken handle and is just messed up in so many ways.

I used to sell vaccums, and the same with firearms people just don't clean them regularly to keep them from breaking. I found this nice double cylinder dirt devil sitting all alone near a trash can on the curb. Looking for all intensive purposes brand new on the outside. So I opened it up and found the problem in seconds. clogged, with who knows what, if this vaccum was a heart, I...dont even wanna think about it! The HORROR! The HORROR!!! After it was unclogged and checked. Turned right on and began doing its job. Good vaccum for free, all it needed was a little work. To which it replaced my crappy little vaccum that is on its last leg. 8 years old...wow!

And finally for the coup de grais(I don't care how you spell it) I found this computer near the enterence to the Red Line, stripped of its hard drive, and power supply, the inside was a mess. Cables everywhere and the heat sink to the CPU ripped off. A sad day, but good thing I found it, I gave it to a good friend of mine who fixes computers in his spare time. In return he did some work on one of my computers. A good trade.

Upwards and Onwards. Thats what you should be thinking.

PS...

I also found what I believe to be a Nintendo DS power cord... which I had no use for so I gave it to a coworker for their sons DS. Ain't I nice?

So keep your eyes peeled out there, and dont let your eyes become bigger than your apartments. Otherwise you might drown in junk!

Junk Furniture and MY NEW AWESOME CHAIR!

2011-02-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

Hey Curb Shoppers! Hows it going? I just had my bday recently and that was really fun! I'd like to share some of my finds from these past few days. Most arent very interesting, thats not the point. Eventually you'll find something awesome! And thats what Curb shopping is all about!

My first find was early in the morning, around 6:30am. A slightly used Razor scooter or variant of that kind. I didn't take it because I'm too tall for Razor scooters. If I were to ride one I would have to hunch over which hurts my back. I didn't think a kid left it on a random street corner but who knows, maybe they did. But I kids are weird like that.

I've seen recently a large influx of junk furniture on the streets, although I call it junk furniture, it might be to someones liking, and usually is. However, you'll know when its a good find when you get excited! Even if nobody else does. Here are some couches I found, dirty and really used. This couch had an interesting spiral rope bottom which caught my eye.

I like the fact that this one is one of those sleeper couches that turns into a bed. Too bad it was too used for me to take.

Couches are nice, but what really gets peoples attention is nicely made wood furniture, which I see nice pieces all the time. Although not nessessarily for me, I'm sure someone out there with a little shoe polish and can do spunk will grab these up and make them an integral part of their homes decor. Like this very well put together entertainment center.

Or this wicker topped coffee table, saw it on the way to get some pizza. Although missing some legs the general structure was left intact, all it would need is a new wicker top and new legs. Then polished and maybe restained. Boom, saved urself the trouble of buying a new one!

Also I find lots of bedroom stuff, mostly matresses that have seen more pounds than the British stock exchange but sometimes I find interesting things that have some use left in therm. For instance here is a Backboard to a bed, it looked very nice and upon closer inspection it wasnt actually made of plastic like I thought but of a thin sheet of marble. WHAT? Thats right! And I like the decal on it, looks like something from ancient Greece.

Ever been laying in bed watching TV and thinking, hey I wish I had something that had a reading light and a back heater and a massager all in one with a couple of armrests! WELL I found one! and no..you cant have it. ITS MINE MUAHHAHAH! And very comfortable. The outer layer as you can see is kinda dirty, but it unzippped off and is washable. Thank goodness.

Now without further delay, MY NEW AWESOME CHAIR!!!

Yeah, I know you want it, I know its something you could have in your house, the spiral wood paneling cuts through your soul! The warm brown leather topping is soft as a mothers touch it caresses your bottom as you sit down in it. Bask in the awesome MC Esher like burning sensation in your mind it creates, how can something so blatently sweet exist? Who created this chair? Some greater being? Aliens? IKEA!? EFF NO!

I'll tell you who made it...the universe. In its infinite quantity of materials and energy, this was created. And placed in my path, for me to hurt my back by taking it home on my folding dolly.

Usually I would sell such an awesome chair, but I'll be making room for this one in my apartment! OH YEAH I know you're jealous!

Have a great FEB guys, let me know if you find anything good, more stuff to come.

Kittens N Bowflex

2011-02-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hey Fellow curb shoppers its been a while I know and I'm sorry about that! but Ive got some great stuff for you! You can expect some interesting things coming up!

Firstly, I found this speaker left outside in the same place where I got my dresser, and keeping to the curb shopping code section 106 POINT 3, which states “Upon finding a whole stereo, one should take the stereo and one speaker to signify that the other speaker is taken when it actually is left behind.” Mainly cuz the common curbshopper has only 2 arms and a stereo is just too much to carry with 2 speakers and the main stereo part.

A few days later I came across the very pink scenery picture while coming back from work. It didn’t match my décor so I left it where it laid. If you come across something that is interesting but it just isn’t you… or anyone you know… leave it. Because a curb shopper is never greedy. And one curb shoppers ‘meh’ is another curb shoppers “Huzzah!”

Which brings me to this months Huzzah moment! I found a Bowflex sport in my works junkpile! Most of the parts were there, except one piece that I’m still trying to track down. But around 93% was there! Apparently a department was throwing it out and it caught my eye. After checking with my supervisor and my supervisors supersvisor, and making sure it was being thrown out. I happily began taking the pieces little by little. Now I have the perfect Bday gift for my gym enthusiastic girlfriend! It’s a smaller home variant of the huge one in the commercials with the Rambo cut lookin dudes. Anyway, this is by far my greatest find in monetary value, Original Price $1200 or somewhere around there.

After a few trips of parts and sweat and pain I reassembled it back together. Doesnt it look sweet! I even fixed some problems on it that were due to the original person putting it together wrong. Which they apparently didnt have a manual. I had aquired one somewhere. And even though its missing parts, it works perfectly for lots of excersizes.

But My absolute cutest fuzziest most meowiest find has to be Blackie Num-Nums. My girlfriend named her. She was a kitten I found in a bush next to a Kmart, it was meowing and meowing. I didn’t have any food and my girlfriend came and we gave it some water. It walked all over the entire car. Adorable! But alas we couldn’t find anyone to take her, and so we searched for an hour using lots of gas to find the animal shelter that was literally 5 minutes from where we found her.

We got attached to little Num-Nums. I wish I could have taken her with me. I think about her from time to time. And I remember what she said to me, “Meow ..Meow …Meow meow." Hope you found a good home Blackie! Sigh...

Merry Holiday Curb Shopping!

2010-12-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-12-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-30T22:38:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-21T19:24:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

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!