One person's trash is another's treasure. It's amazing what some people throw away, as one Redditor found out recently when coming across a trashed vacuum cleaner in good working order. "I finally have a vacuum," the OP said in the r/DumpsterDiving subreddit. 

This particular Shark Vertex retails for $219.99 to $299.99 on Prime, depending on the version. Either way, the OP paid exactly $0.00. Never let it be said that dumpster diving can't be a lucrative hobby.

Even though dumpster diving is often a "gray" area in terms of legality, it has a lot of potential, as the above vacuum cleaner proves. First and foremost, it's free. That argument alone is compelling enough. 

According to the OP, "Like I said, it was a really wealthy neighborhood I was running through." You know you are in a seriously wealthy neighborhood when someone is perfectly fine with tossing a $200-plus vacuum cleaner like it's an empty Pepsi can. 

It also helps reduce waste, encourages community and trade, inspires a sense of adventure and skill, and is, generally speaking, a creative outlet. After all, there's a fairly large subreddit dedicated to it, and it's not the lone social media outlet for sharing inspirational dumpster diving finds. 

It's also an environmentally friendly practice, especially when the United States alone accrues 146 million tons of trash per year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This trash is spread out across the country, with 63 million tons of food waste emitting methane as it rots in the open. 

It's the little things that matter. They add up.

There's a solid amount of plastic in that Shark Vertex vacuum cleaner, so imagine how much plastic dumpster diving could divert from a landfill somewhere. In short, there are far more advantages to dumpster diving, personally, countrywide, and globally, than not indulging from time to time. 

Some people take it very seriously. One person wrote, "I have 5 sharks in my house, all rehomed from the dumpsters." Not a bad haul by any means. 

If you discover a fantastic find of your own, just be sure to check it over carefully, as another commenter suggested: "Hey! Make sure you inspect this and spray it with bug spray. I found one similar to this, but noticed bed bugs on it!"

What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores? Cheaper clothes 🤑 Trendier items 😎 Reduced environmental impact 🌎 I don't thrift 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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