Something From Nothing Log

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Went on a run this morning and came across a few thrown out items I'll be able to sell for a profit.

Lightly used 0.9 cu ft. Insignia microwave with original manual
Men's lightly used Chaco adjustable sport sandals
Men's Ecco Track 25 boots in brown bison leather

I should be able to make approximately $25 for the microwave, about $60-$100 for the boots and another $35 for the Chaco sandals. Not a bad way to spend my morning. Came home feeling pumped (from the items), rejuvenated (from the run) and thankful. Its a good day so far :)

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

Last year a tenant mentioned in passing that she spent $8500 renovating her apartment. She moved in one month before us and had completed the work somewhat stealthily in the time between managers. She made the comment right at the beginning of Covid so we were unable to go in and see what work had actually been done. I was skeptical and eventually forgot about it altogether.

Yesterday she moved out. Cross country move. Lots of goodies. But the renovation was the showstopper. Incredible tile in the bathroom. A vanity like this one. New light fixtures. Hardwood floors refinished New Frigidaire refrigerator.

We swapped out our no-frills fridge for the Frigidaire. I would have swapped the vanity as well but Mrs. Ego showed the place to the next tenant before I had a chance to make the change. She lived there 19 months.

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

My DW called me earlier tonight, as she was headed to work, to tell me about a pile of disdarded goods she spotted. Mentioned there was a 'free' sign on the sofa. I immediately jumped in the car to see what was available. Turned out it was an old torn sofa, an old dining table and a rickety coffee table. No thanks. I decided to just make a quick pass of the nearby alleyway since i was already out. I've had luck before and I figured I might get lucky again. Sure enough I spotted a dilapidated golf bag with a rain cover. Opened it up and I was met with very nice golf clubs. Taylormade drivers, Nike drivers, Callaway big bertha irons, a few head covers and some new Callaway golf balls. I knew there was value but didnt realize how much until I got home. Sold comps on ebay show i can get ~$500. Well I'll be damned. Looks like I'll be making more passes in that alleyway :lol:

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Sclass wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 8:20 am
I was skeptical at first but I’m an air fry convert. I put the air fry on the list of my favorites. It’s high on my list of gadgets that simplify life.
Well looks like I'll have to try this out. Serendipitously I found one on my walk today. Other than a light layer of dust it was extremely clean. Pulled out the tray and it wasn't dirty at all! I think someone bought it out of excitement and lost interest immediately. Tested it after I brought it home and it worked. I'll cook some chicken drumsticks tonight and see how well it works.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

Geez.... Amazon Prime delivered directly to your local trash. Nice!

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

@ego
At this point, its becoming comical.

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

@sclass
Hot damn sclass! Just finished eating the hot wings I made using the air fryer. Wow! You werent kidding. Crispy exterior with an extremely moist interior. My DW rated the wings a 8.5/10 and thats coming from a very particular eater. It may be one of the more useful pieces of 'trash' I found :lol:

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Went on a second walk after dinner with my wife and found a complete set of first edition Harry Potter books. They were just sitting next to the street where other items have been discarded in the past. I was never into the series as a kid, since I preferred The Chronicles of Narnia, but I think I may give them a chance now. Complete sets fetch a decent price so I may sell them after I'm done with them.

ducknald_don
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Location: Oxford, UK

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by ducknald_don »

Ego wrote:
Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:11 pm
Geez.... Amazon Prime delivered directly to your local trash. Nice!
To be fair it was probably an unwanted present. Half the stuff we got from our family ended up being donated until we stopped the whole thing.

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

ducknald_don wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 2:40 am
To be fair it was probably an unwanted present. Half the stuff we got from our family ended up being donated until we stopped the whole thing.
That's a great point! How did you manage to convince your family to stop gift giving? It's a constant issue I've had with my in-laws. Even after I've asked them to please stop giving me unnecessary gifts, I keep getting inundated with trinkets. I know it's a how they show their appreciation and love (which I am thankful of) but I hate dealing with the extra stuff :?

ducknald_don
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by ducknald_don »

davtheram12 wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 8:49 am
That's a great point! How did you manage to convince your family to stop gift giving?
I was pretty blunt about it, I told them it was all ending up in the trash.

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

ducknald_don wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 11:11 am
I was pretty blunt about it, I told them it was all ending up in the trash.

Well that'll do it :lol:

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

I picked up a fancy ladder on the curb the other day. It was in great shape and the day may come when it would have been useful for a project but it was also heavy and took up a lot of space and I already have ladders that mostly are capable of doing the same things. I sold it this morning on craigslist for $120.

I also picked up a spinning drum composter on the curb. It is near new. I could probably get $20 out of it but I enjoy composting and I could use the extra capacity. It sounds like this particular model has some downsides like the door freezing shut in winter (my current composter does this too). but I'm interested in trying it. Apparently the verdict is out on whether spinning speeds up the compost but the non-spinning one I have is a pain to dig out so I'm hoping that part is better. A pile or a more open bin made out of pallets or something won't work for me due to rats and other animals. I could do a worm bin for food scraps and pile yard waste (the animals don't want that) but I'm not interested in dealing with a worm bin.

Complaint: in the last month I've seen two nice, still useful items that were intended as free curb items be taken by scrappers or by garbage pickup. I didn't grab the items because I didn't want them and didn't want to try to sell them either. It sucks that this happens. No offense to scrappers but they will take a working item that someone could still use and destroy it just to get a few dimes (scrap steel prices are $200 per ton so $0.1 per pound). It's a real waste in my opinion. On the other hand we live in a throwaway culture and people mostly don't want old bikes and grills and office chairs and ladders and wheelbarrows even when they are still working let alone if they have a minor problem. Partially because the cost to repair an item often approaches or exceeds the price of a whole new item (try to justify buying a $20 wheelbarrow tire for a $30 wheelbarrow even before valuing your time). At least the scrappers recycle the metal, the county puts it all in the garbage dump.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

This morning I arrived at the swap meet before it opened. It is a drive-in movie theater that has a toll both style entry. Four or five lanes merge into two. The lines of cars stretch down the street for half a mile and drivers jockey for position. We are never quite sure if we will get stuck in a phantom lane that doesn't move and we will have to wait until everyone else passes to enter. The first people to enter get fresh picking of the good stuff, which can be rather valuable.

I was in good position and was among the first dozen or so to enter when suddenly one of my friends, a fellow art buyer, pulled up next to me and begged for me to let him in, otherwise he'd be stuck until the end. I allowed him to merge in front and he thanked me with praying hands.

Once parked we rushed to the two vendors who have the best junk. We arrived together and began grabbing paintings. I did a cursory inspection of the two I had in my hand and was about to return them to the pile when he said, "Wait, wait, wait.... that looks like a real watercolor, not a print." I looked closely and was convinced that it was an inexpensive print but then I turned it over to find the signature and small label on the back. It was indeed an original painting. I thanked him and showed it to the woman who runs the stall. She barked, "cinco". Five bucks. Not quite nothing, but close to nothing.

When I got home I began my research. I discovered that the artist was only moderately famous until the Obama administration selected one of his paintings to hang in the White House. After that his paintings began popping up in the big auction houses. Then, the year before last, he did the best thing an artist can do to increase the value of his paintings. He died. Yipee!

I just submitted it to Sotheby's and Christy's. The Sotheby's website autofilled his name when I typed the first few letters so I feel confident they will take it.... but who knows. They may not be happy with swap meet provenance. We shall see.

Lately I've been selling a lot of art through eBay and in person. There is a company here that specializes in packaging and shipping fine art. They offer commercial pricing for Fedex and UPS which can be significantly less than the price the shippers charge me as an individual. So much so that the difference usually covers their cost to professionally package the painting and insure it.

Having a lot of fun and learning a lot.

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Went on a run yesterday and came across a large pile of discarded boxes, broken furniture and trash near my apartment. Thought nothing of it since there have been a lot of people moving in and out of the surrounding apartment complexes. Came across the same pile of junk, as I was finishing my run, and saw a new box. Someone had discarded an old DVD/VHS box filled with vintage film camera equipment. In it was two camera bodies (Konica autoreflex T and T4), four lense bodies, 3 flash bodies, >30 lense filters, 3 straps, a Cokin filter system, original instruction manuals and unopened 35mm film (dated 1969). After some light research I learned that I'll be able to net approximately $650 for everything. This might be the best haul I've had for the year. I wonder what I'll find next :D

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

Spent the past four days visiting my in-laws. My wife and I really enjoy visiting them and try to do it as often as possible. The town is quaint, quiet and everything is within walking distance. There are mountain trails to hike, beaches to visit and many family owned establishments that offer great atmosphere. My favorite place to visit, whenever we are in town, is the local church thrift store. Every Saturday they have a sale with donated items and it is a great place to find deals. Nothing there has marked prices. So effectively you grab the desired items, head to the front desk and negotiate a price with the gentleman that runs the show. He'll look over the items, start adding prices out loud and suddenly come up with a final price that was lower than the total price of each item he just finished counting. It's really peculiar but it works in everyone's favor. The store has a high turnover rate of donated items, the church makes money, buyers get great deals and there is a little less waste headed toward the landfill.

I visited the church thrift store this past Saturday and I managed to find a complete Nintendo Wii, 7 Xbox games, and an Xbox 360 slim console (without any cords or controllers). I was really excited to find the Xbox 360 console since I planned on buying one for my father in law (his recently suffered from the red ring of death). Took all of the items to the gentleman up front to negotiate a price. He said "$20 for the Xbox 360, $20 for the Nintendo Wii and $10 for the games". Great! I was initially hesitant since I couldn't test the console there but I at $20 I was willing to take a risk. Once I brought everything home I began cleaning and testing everything. First was the Nintendo Wii and it fired up without a problem. Next were the Xbox games and they too all worked. Lastly I tested the Xbox 360 console and it turned on instantly. I pushed the eject button to see if there was a bonus game that the previous owner left behind. Out comes NCAA football 14! The game is currently going for ~$65-$80 in loose condition. So after I sell that I'll recoup all of my money, give my father in a law a free gift, make a little money and add to my small video game collection :)

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

Mrs. Ego was re-hired to teach yoga so we both have free gym memberships again. I will eventually go back to teaching spin as well but I am waiting until they get things up and running again. Before they closed I was teaching Stages Flight classes which are somewhat complicated to teach. Right now they are just doing regular old spin classes.

A few weeks ago I found a baseball mitt in the trash that sold for $150 and a pair of hiking boots that sold for $45. We have another cross country move-out today so I expect a lot of good stuff tomorrow.

I found a Zarges case at the swap meet last weekend for $10. The seller said he may have more and said if he did he would bring them on Saturday. Years ago we met a guy with a Land Rover in Mozambique with two Zarges cases strapped to the roof and I have watched for them ever since. German made so rare here.

With the Waeco fridge, the Zarges case and a $300 Dometic alcohol stove I found for $8, it seems I am stumbling into an expedition camper without the van. Hum.

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Ego
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by Ego »

The tenant left a working iPhone SE on top of the trash. I don't have the passcode. No idea if I can sell it...

She moved to a place with no beach and left one of these. Brand new with the tags attached. I listed it on Craigslist for $40. This morning a family from Arizona texted from the beach asking if they could pick it up. Mrs. Ego met them in front of the building and sold it.

Image

I sold four paintings last week through craigslist. Both buyers, a middle aged woman and a guy in his mid-thirties, arrived separately with the intention of seeing only one work. I met each of them in the lobby and had their painting hanging there when they arrived. After they agreed to make the purchases I nonchalantly mentioned that we have many more displayed in our apartment. Our building has a lot of character and visitors usually jump at the chance to view an apartment. When I offered to take them up they were both enthusiastic. So much so that they each bought a second canvas. The guy offered to buy two more but Mrs. Ego was not prepared to part with so many at once. Oh well. She hasn't quite figured out that our apartment is now the Something From Nothing Gallery.

CDR
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Location: Canada

Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by CDR »

Ego wrote:
Sat Jul 17, 2021 9:45 pm
The tenant left a working iPhone SE on top of the trash. I don't have the passcode. No idea if I can sell it...
If you can reset it to factory default and it doesn't demand an iCloud log in, you're in the clear I think. https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT204306

Even with the password, it would be worth something for the parts, but not sure how I would explain that if questioned by the law :lol:. "I found it in the trash, your honor."

davtheram12
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Re: Something From Nothing Log

Post by davtheram12 »

@ego
Great finds and cool sales! Resetting the phone to factory settings should leave you in the clear. I've done it a few times with phones I've found laying around. Not sure if there are more road blocks with iphones but it's worth a shot.

Managed to find the following discarded items the past couple months and sold them for some money:
Sears SPORT SV roof cargo container + brackets for $65,
Two soft faux fur foldable chairs in blue for $25,
K Elite Keurig coffee machine in original box for $30,
HENDERSON 5mm wet suit + fins for $40,
Symphonic 20 inch CRT tv for $32,
NCAA football 14 on the Xbox 360 for $65,
A Nintendo DS lite box + inserts for $20,
a new Blue ray movie of METROPOLIS for $12,
a new Red Sparrow blue ray + HD DVD for $8.

I've been using both Mercari and OfferUp lately. There was a small learning curve when it came to shipping items but luckily I've managed to find all of my information on YouTube via other resellers. I recently had a small mishap with a buyer claiming the video game I sent him was defective. Luckily I had plenty of evidence proving otherwise. Mercari sided with me and I was paid once the case was closed. Hopefully those types of things are far and few. They definitely take the fun out of selling usable trash.

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