Mutually lucky timing brought together one dedicated dumpster diver and a man with a veritable treasure trove of high-quality furniture.
The diver posted their finds on the subreddit r/DumpsterDiving. "Saw a guy unloading a trailer with this stuff at the dump and as soon as he left I saved these pieces," they wrote.
The furniture haul included two wooden chests of drawers and a beautifully polished table. OP included a photo of the maker's stamp on one of the pieces to prove its quality.
"Oh my word," one Redditor wrote. "Gorgeous."
"That Quarter-Sawn Oak dresser is a great piece," another said. "They are so well made that it is an heirloom."
"Jaw dropping!" another enthused.
For many people, the local dump might not come to mind as the immediate first choice for finding furniture. But the more that people learn about all the treasures to be found, the more they're turning to diving — whether as a hobby, a viable source of daily provisions, or even a side hustle.
Computers, clothing, instruments, kitchenware, and all sorts of gems and usable items get tossed every day by people who simply don't have the time — or motivation — to donate or recycle it.
One particularly fruitful area is food: Many grocers, retailers, and restaurants end up tossing perfectly edible food that simply doesn't sell or is about to hit its expiration date. Similarly, if a retailer experiences an electrical outage, they'll often toss everything in their freezer.
🗣️ Would you be comfortable buying a bed from a thrift store?
🔘 Totally 💯
🔘 Depends how it looks 👀
🔘 I'm not sure 🤔
🔘 No freaking way 🙅
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
By rescuing these items from simply rotting in a landfill, dumpster divers are helping keep the planet freer from pollution, including reducing the toxic planet-heating gases like methane that would be released as items these break down over time.
And if the term "dumpster diving" conjures an image of somebody wading through smelly trash, think again. In busy cities, and during busy times of year — like college move-outs — many people often leave perfectly usable household items on the sidewalk. And one Redditor shared another hidden gem for finding great pieces.
"My favorite place to dive for furniture is storage units," they explained. "Most of them don't have dumpsters, and people abandon their s*** there. Employees are more than willing to let you take it, too."
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