Something From Nothing Log

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
Colibri
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:26 am
Location: Northern Canada

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Colibri »

I have been very interested to try long distance bike touring in the last few years.
Rather unconsciously, I slowly accumulated the needed gear, finding items for free, most often than not at the local dump "Free Store". Padded short, bike gloves, shoes, rack, etc. I even found a very nice bike helmet, the kind I was contemplating buying.

One month ago, I noticed an old mountain bike left unlocked adjacent to a large dumpster bin in a rather quiet part of town, tires were almost flat. Strange. After a month by the dumpster, I finally decided to bring it home today. I am guessing the former owner didn't bother to put it IN the bin.
It is a white Rocky Mountain Hammer, 1990ish. The bike is in good condition with pretty much all original parts except for the seat. Likely an ideal candidate for touring bike conversion.
Looks like the universe wants me to go bike touring...

davtheram12
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 6:02 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

C40 wrote:
Wed Sep 01, 2021 7:59 pm
[H]is sheep eat their grass/plants. He gets their milk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U54HRmglYEA
That's a great way for both parties to benefit! I've heard of the same when it comes to beekeeping and tree management on owners property.

davtheram12
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 6:02 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Sold a Vizio V2 sound bar to a young couple for $40 last night. Found it earlier in the month in front of a home after the occupants passed away. On my way back from meeting up the young couple, I ran into a lot of discarded items in the alleyway behind my apartment. Seemed like someone moved out and threw out whatever they didn't want. I grabbed the iron leg coffee table and a large box of men's clothing. The wood on the table was in bad shape but it should be easy to replace with some finish wood I have laying around. The clothing in the box was all in great shape. Some of the items were still new with the tags. Brands included Pearl Izumi, Nike, Adidas, Columbia, Under Armour, Uniqlo, Abercrombie & Fitch, etc. There was about 100 items. After a thorough cleaning I'll likely keep the really nice items, sell some profitable items and donate the remaining.

davtheram12
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 6:02 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Stopped at my local thrift store today on my way back from the post office. As soon as I walked in the manager pulled out a huge box filled with sealed video games. Of the 100, about 90 were Grand Theft Auto 5 for the PS3. Only about 10 had seals that didn't have tears on them. As I was looking through the box, I noticed another reseller was watching me. I told him I'd only be interested in about 10 and that he can have the rest. His eyes lit up :lol: He then asked the manager if they'd be willing to cut him a deal if he bought the remaining lot. They said $1 each! And the reseller even said to include me on the deal since I let him have the rest. The manager agreed! I spent $11 with tax for the 10 games I bought. As soon I got home I listed them and got an offer for $190 for all 10 games. Sold! Not too shabby for a couple hours of my time.

Although I spent a little money I think it still counts as a Something From Nothing moment. The simple gesture between two strangers, the free donation of video games, the free packaging materials I sourced from dumpster diving, etc.

Gilberto de Piento
Posts: 1942
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:23 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

Does anyone else ever have issues with concerns about items going to the "right" owner or being treated right after you sell them? When I have something to sell or otherwise get rid of sometimes I get so concerned about where the item is going I spend way more time and energy on it than is justified. This only happens when the circumstances are very specific, generally I can sell or dispose of items with no trouble.

More specifically, the concerns that typically get me into trouble are:
1. I don't want items just to go in the landfill if they may be useful to someone. Sometimes this goes too far, with me posting the item in multiple different places online and hanging onto it for months in hopes that someone will eventually want the item.
2. I don't want someone to buy a potentially dangerous item and hurt themselves, whether because the item was not in safe working shape (ex: missing safety cover on a machine) or because it was inherently dangerous (old collectible chop saw that never had modern safety features).
3. I don't want vintage items that are somewhat rare to be mistreated. For example, I don't want vintage items to be parted out if they could be repaired instead. Even if the items are not rare, unless the item is in rough shape it irritates me when someone wants to buy a bike or whatever and just take some of the parts and doesn't have a plan for the rest. For example, I once had a bike with a broken part and though I didn't want the bike I ended up buying a new part, fixing the bike, selling it, losing a minor amount of money so that it wouldn't end up as scrap metal or parted out. I know this is dumb and a waste of my time but I have trouble not doing it when the circumstances are just right.

Any thoughts on this or suggestions for how to avoid this issue?

I may have asked about this issue before, if so I apologize. Some of my problems recur and have been posting here so long I can't remember what I've already covered.

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Ego
Posts: 6359
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:42 am

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

@Gilberto, Absolutely! The vintage bike dismantling problem is one that really bothers me. It is often the case that vintage bikes can be dismantled and the individual parts will sell for far more than the price of the complete bike. These dismantlers often discard the bike frame because it is expensive to build up a frame from nothing. These are usually very specific high end parts bought by people who intend to restore a bike to pristine condition. In other words, they want to hang it on a wall rather than use it.

On the other hand, I know a woman who buys old vitamix machines and fixes them to working condition then resells them to people who actually want to use them. She will often dismantle machines and use the parts to fix others. These machines were made to last forever. She knows the common points of failure and knows how to remedy them. This is exactly what I want to encourage.

WRT selling supposedly unsafe stuff, I find that safety is often used to discard perfectly useful stuff. When I started climbing we used discarded seal team rope. Today if you take an introductory climbing class they emphasize that all second-hand climbing gear is unsafe. So much so that if you show up at our local climbing gym with a harness that was not purchased by you brand-new, they will not allow you to climb. Sad because it encourages a great deal of waste and churn. Running shoe stores also encourage a belief that you will die if you use second-hand running shoes.

WRT things not ending up in the landfill... I often list this kind of stuff in the craigslist free section.

davtheram12
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 6:02 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

My DW and I frequent the local farmers market near our apartment. We always walk to and from cutting across a very nice portion of the neighborhood. On our way back we decided to cut through one of the alleyways to see if anyone threw anything out of value. Boy did I score! A woman was cleaning out things that looked like they had been in storage for decades. I found a handful of vintage 90's single stitch shirts and crewneck sweatshirts, mint-condition NBA hoops basketball cards and Italian made leather shoes. Got home and started listed things on Mercari. Sold a Magic Johnson shirt for $115 within 5 minutes of listing it and had offers on other basketball team's shirts. I'm blown away at how popular vintage basketball t-shirts have become :shock:

Edit: It seems the shirt is more popular than I anticipated. Although I've technically already sold the shirt other interested buyers have messaged me offering more. So far I've been offered $130 and $150. Cancelling the other sale and selling it for more seems a little scummy. Lesson learned. Price high and sell for the price I have in mind.

Loner
Posts: 221
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 2:26 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Loner »

Colibri wrote:
Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:52 am
I have been very interested to try long distance bike touring in the last few years.
Just saw this. Great! What tour were you contemplating?

Colibri
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:26 am
Location: Northern Canada

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Colibri »

Loner wrote:
Wed Oct 20, 2021 1:08 pm
Just saw this. Great! What tour were you contemplating?
I am pretty much set on bike touring in the prairies next summer. Calgary to Winnipeg, mostly south of the transcanadian highway, southern Saskatchewan. About one month long. Then I can decide if I like that enough to pursue longer trips in foreigh countries although I don't think I am one of those people who could go for years. But maybe a whole season ?

Side note about the bike. I brought it to the local bike mechanic for a tune up. The guy was very surprised to see that kind of bike and in such a good shape. He said he would pay money to buy a bike like mine. Not too bad for a bike from the trash.

Are you still bike foraging ?

Loner
Posts: 221
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 2:26 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Loner »

@Colibri Super glad for you, sounds like such a fun plan. This region looks so beautiful, it must be nice to ride there. I guess you can pick a tent most anywhere, too. Keep me posted on your adventure.

And yeah, it's always surprising, people throw away perfectly good stuff. I just harvested one, actually. I found maybe 3-4 bikes this year, but I'm picky these days, so I just kept this one. It's a Raleigh Grand Prix from the 80's, 10 speed, in perfect condition. It only needed air in the tires (I'll repack the bearings next year). I could probably sell it back for $200. I'm cleaning it now, using the Park Tools bike stand that I also found in the trash ($$$). Oh, and if you need a rear pannier rack, and you come by here in the interim, I can give you one, I found a few in the trash.

Colibri
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:26 am
Location: Northern Canada

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Colibri »

Yes, I agree it must be very beautiful, looking forward to do this trip very much ! I have been warned wild camping in that area is quite tricky because of private property everywhere and farmers fencing their land. I need to investigate that a bit more.

Nice found, what will you do with it ?
I did find a rear rack in the trash as well, thanks for the offert ! I asked my dad in MTL to shop for a specific front rack that I want. These are much harder/rarer to find discarded.
I was planning to make a trip east this winter but likely not to happen, too much incertainty with health restrictions.

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Ego
Posts: 6359
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:42 am

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

We have someone in our immediate vicinity who is elderly and cultivates the appearance of being extremely frail. He is also shrewd, shamelessly manipulative and knows how to work the various social support systems. Some people play golf. He plays Machiavelli.

An endless string of kindhearted people show up to clean his place, pay his bills, provide social stimulation and drop off bags overflowing with groceries and supplies. He gets so much stuff he must unload it before the next visitor arrives or they will realize they are not his sole source of sustenance. Every so often I speak with the good people and get the feeling they enjoy having him depend on them. Lately he hit paydirt with a person who spends at least a hundred dollars weekly at Whole Foods.

The latest haul.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

Yesterday we had a big storm here. The water was rushing down the street like a roaring river. We are a block and a half downstream from a Starbucks. This morning I went out to survey the damage and found a Starbucks giftcard on top of a pile of trash. I checked the balance.

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Loner
Posts: 221
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 2:26 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Loner »

@Colibri Ah, I'll just keep it, slap some panniers on it and make it my "nice" bike. I have three others for now: a. jump bike; b. dirty all-seasons everyday utility bike c. franken-spare-bike with overtight geometry. I think it's too many, I'll probably sell the last one.

And yeah, front racks are super rare. If ever I find some I'll drop you a line, in case. Hope you get to come back and see your fam at some point. Happy holidays for now!

davtheram12
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 6:02 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Found another CRT tv in the alleyway near my apartment. This time is was a 20 inch Panasonic CT- 2006SE made in January of 2002. It was in great cosmetic condition so I threw it in my car, took it home, plugged it in and it fired up without an issue.

I contemplated keeping it and connecting my retro video game consoles to it but ultimately decided against it. Listed it for $50 on OfferUp and within 4 hours had sold it to an interesting young fellow for $40. He travelled over 2 hours via a train from downtown Los Angeles and wanted to carry the tv back. Mind you it was intermittently raining and the tv weighed about 15-20 pounds. Now I've done some questionable things but this idea made me chuckle :lol: He gave me the money, I handed him the tv, wished him luck and off he went.

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Ego
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Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:42 am

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

This guy fished an old Porsche 993 from a river where it had been for five years and began restoring it. My guess is he will end up spending more than had he simply purchased a used one but there is something about bringing a thing back from the dead that is fun. This forum thread tracks the very slow meticulous project.

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/1 ... ute-4.html

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

This guy was taking flight lessons at an airport and heard about a plane that had been abandoned on outdoor tie downs for 17 years. He contacted the owner who agreed to give it to him if he could get it started.

https://youtu.be/aVvHYTtHDrc

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He set up a gofundme and so far has raised $185K for the restoration. https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-fre ... ct-phoenix

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

A tenant left a table and chairs. Sold today for $40.

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davtheram12
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Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 6:02 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

As part of my exercise routine, I regularly walk anywhere between 4-5 miles in my neighborhood. I have about 20 different routes that cover alleyways, apartment complex parking lots, single-family-home neighborhoods, avenues, parkways and boulevards. I regularly score the area for goods that occasionally make their way out to the streets. On occasion, I do get very lucky when a widow throws out her late husband's vintage items or a tenant makes an abrupt move resulting in a slew of tossed goods. But lately I've noticed some people making regular donations in front of their permanent 'free stuff' signs. One couple has been upgrading their camping equipment and tossing out their 'old' lightly used items. I've recently scored a goose down sleeping bag, 2 wool blankets, patagonia button-ups, 2 daypack backpacks and a GRAYL water filter bottle. Let's see if they eventually throw out their cooking tools :lol:

davtheram12
Posts: 230
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 6:02 pm

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

I've been reselling used goods for the past few months. A good portion of the items I've sold come from the alleyways or the trash. The remainder come from yard sales and thrift stores. The below sales are all from discarded goods I salvaged and sold in the month of February.

151. Crocs Unisex Offroad Sport Clogs M9 or W11 $19 before fees 02/02/22 (trash find)
152. Women's used Highrise Tight Full-On Luxtreme 25" size 0 $25 before fees 02/02/22 (trash find)
153. First of Spring CORELLE by Corning Dinner Set $20 before fees 02/02/22 (trash find)
156. Logitech M720 Triathlon Wireless Optical Mouse $18 before fees 02/08/22 (trash find)
159. Used Manduka Yogitoes Hot Yoga Mat Towel $18 before fees 02/09/22 (trash find)
160. Lord of the Rings DVD trilogy movie set $19 before fees 02/10/22 (trash find)
162. Used Logitech Harmony Companion without remote $45 before fees 02/11/22 (trash find)
163. Black & Decker Electric Hand Juicer $15 before fees 02/11/22 (trash find)
166. Women's used Highrise Tight Full-On Luxtreme 25" size 0 $28 before fees 02/13/22 (trash find)
167. MADE IN US Danny First T-shirt $14 before fees 02/14/22 (trash find)
168. De'Longhi Nespresso Lattissima Touch EN560B Coffee Maker $115 before fees 02/14/22 (trash find)
169. Lot of 2 INTEL CORE 2 DUO CPU $15 before fees 02/15/22 (trash find)
170.Sony PS3 Sixaxis Dualshock 3 Controller broken tab $19 before fees 02/16/22 (trash find)
174. Count Eastwood dirty harry DVD movies $13 before fees 02/19/22 (trash find)
176. Women's Lululemon Free To Be Sports Bra $18 before fees 02/20/22 (trash find)
177. Used Men's Converse All Star Men's Size 11 $20 before fees 02/21/22 (trash find)
179. Used Mens Majestic Lakers full zip up jacket size XL $30 before fees 02/22/22 (trash find)
181. Two Used OEM Apple Charging Blocks $6 before fees 02/23/22 (trash find)
182. Vintage Basketball Cards late 80s through early 90s $60 before fees 02/25/22 (trash find)
183. Nike S Downshifter 9 Women's Size 8 $18 before fees 02/25/22 (trash find)
185. Like-new Fjallraven Kanken Mini Backpack $26 before fees 02/28/22 (trash find)

Total sales: $561.00
After Mercari fees: $482.46

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