Apartment block garbage rooms, best bargains ever?

27-10-2021 11:02pm #1

Spent a summer as a porter in a Manhattan apartment block and found some pretty crazy stuff in the garbage rooms (and when the compactor would break down and we'd empty it by hand, porno dvd's by the dozen).

In my Irish apartment block today I found thee most awesome bargain ever, a wide screen TV with a "free" sign on it.

It was old school (not plasma), the side cover had fallen off and the stand was broken, plus the speakers don't really work (no issue for me, I audio jack to external speakers at all times anyways), but apart from that it's tip-top.

Took me about 30 minutes to lug this heavy ass piece of electronics up 4 flights of stairs, not even knowing if it would work, but when I plugged it in I knew all was right with the world.

I mean my apartment setup is pretty boss as is, but having a legit wide screen TV has just made it totally pimp.

I'm unsure if I'll put it in my kitchen and transfer my old mincey TV to the bedroom, or just install this beast on my dresser drawer so I can watch illegally streamed UFC events at 3 am in wide screen.

....

This woman bought the apartment beside mine last year and sent all the old electronics to the recycling plant, we're talking a fridge, deep freeze, microwave etc.

You'd think they'd put up a sign saying "free stuff" or at least give other building occupants the opportunity to take advantage of an awesome bargain.

OU812 · 27-10-2021 11:18pm

Cool story bro. You should write it down, maybe look into getting it published.

27-10-2021 11:53pm

Is this a thread from 2008?

mightybashful · 28-10-2021 12:13am

Baffling

corner of hells · 28-10-2021 12:24am

When I bought my house , there was a woman with me .Turned out she was my wife.

For Forks Sake · 28-10-2021 12:28am

Cool story, bought three 🙄

brophs · 28-10-2021 7:57am

This thread is dope.

GBX · 28-10-2021 10:05am

yoshimitsu · 28-10-2021 11:44am

Ever tried adverts.ie? it's the internet version of a garbage room... lots of free stuff that would suit your 'totally pimp' standards

not dissin', just sayin'

jbv · 28-10-2021 12:41pm

Please share location. 😉

gussieg · 28-10-2021 1:20pm

I get ya sunshine, just check the power wattage of that beast versus your mincey tv, thats why oldskool tvs are a no no despite the backbreaking tendencies, they eat the leccy.

Yes adverts.ie free stuff. www.freecycle.org and even facebook free stuff groups will delight you. i m typing this on a keyboard and watching on a screen that i retrieved from being sent to landfill, in fact the only things that i didnt get from freecycle here are the cooker the kettle the tv and the fridge was secondhand.

Most if not all of the stuff i have gotten on freecycle has been clean decent and fit for purpose. the only thing i need to spend money on is the piano , as it needs tuning.

And make sure if youre asking for something, that you really want it.

Once youre prepared to arrange and pay for collection and removal of the items when you say you will , and be courteous and decent and pass on what you dont want yourself, the secondhand worlds your oyster.

And keep a handy bottle of spray disnfectant cleaner handy. just in case.

ozmo · 28-10-2021 2:35pm

Yes - I think a very legitimate source of bargains of a sort - to look out for discarded old tech and try repair or repurpose instead of buying new stuff all the time.

Dave from EEBlog writes about this very often - the Pcs, TVs and other electronics he finds in his shared "dumpster" room - thousands of Euros of stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ls_8Cwi8_s

(of course - watch out for high voltages inside if you take, old TVs especially, apart.)

Housefree · 28-10-2021 4:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118083272#Comment_118083272

Wait till the divorce and see the bargain she got, basically everything.

jacool · 28-10-2021 5:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118086153#Comment_118086153

This comment, from this userid ! Are you his still current wife, in disguise?

28-10-2021 7:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118084946#Comment_118084946

We're still talking flatscreen.

Could a TV eat up that much power?

I was under the impression it was heating appliances that violated the bill.

.....

It's so awesome, I put LED strip lights on the back panel that flash in time with music.

28-10-2021 7:54pm

Jebus, you were right.

I normally leave my TV on always.

Checked it just now, the screen, top and back panel - honestly like a small electric heater.

If I left that on all day = insane power consumption.

.....

* sigh *

I guess some dreams weren't made to last.

gussieg · 29-10-2021 10:59am

maybe you could find a solar panel OR rig up a bike to generate electricity while youre watching the telly :)

theres always a way ... :)

Dante · 29-10-2021 11:02am

I used to work as a porter in an expensive apartment block on the Upper East Side of Manhatton. The **** you'd find in the garbage was crazy. From expensive electronics to mint condition lether furniture...more money than sense.

gussieg · 29-10-2021 11:15am

I stayed in london and while walking around belgravia etc, same thing. I had the best shoes , and wished i had a van to bring away the other stuff. Thats exactly what some people make a living doing, going round recycling banks and picking stuff up from fancy neighbourhoods. its a thing on youtube check it out :) meanwhile ...https://youtu.be/w0DCRr0eotQ

or this :) https://youtu.be/zVBR3HNjlYw

29-10-2021 12:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118089120#Comment_118089120

On garbage days this dude (homeless) would reliably show up to sift through the bags for empty cans, which he would then take to the recycling bank.

It was actually good for us cause it became a routine where he'd help unloading the garbage etc., and he was like a human sorting machine.

Anything recyclable?

He'd get.

He'd also frequently fight off other homeless dudes trying to move in on his patch for some additional recyclable income.

.....

Meanwhile cats on the 31st floor are leaving big screen TV's and leather futons in the garbage room like it's nothing.

.....

The world is not a fair place.

maconof · 29-10-2021 1:01pm

Thanks OP, bought 15.

29-10-2021 1:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118083549#Comment_118083549

That's what's up.

ozmo · 29-10-2021 1:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118089641#Comment_118089641

Leather sofas aren't worth as much second had as you would think - I was asked to get rid of ours (no idea why - its like new and comfy - guess we just we need more space) but they still *don't* sell for as low as 30 euros on adverts.ie cannot get rid of them.

gussieg · 29-10-2021 1:30pm

Well

Roberto_gas · 29-10-2021 3:33pm

Can we have the address for the bargain alert ?

CreadanLady · 29-10-2021 3:36pm

That's recession stuff man. Can't be doing that now, you gotta consume and spend. The BOOM is back lad.

Sure the other day I bought a new 50" smart TV. Watched Nationwide on it once, then threw it in the skip.

29-10-2021 5:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118089705#Comment_118089705

Reminds me of an incident.

Some tenant left an entire living room set of leather chairs and a futon.

High class, we're talking mid-town Manhatton here.

One of the dudes stashed them in the emergency exit lane way (this is where we used to hang out and eat bagels etc., basically surplus space).

For some reason the dude couldn't take them home, was it they wouldn't fit in his apartment or he couldn't get them on the metro out to Brooklyn, but instead of letting another worker have them, he fuckin' poked holes all over them.

That shit was actually hilarious, cause he made no secret of it, he was like, "if y'all don't pay me, I'm'a poke holes, poke holes all over those motherfuckers and shit".

And he did.

I guess he wasn't into giving bargains, but that's NYC.

Apartment block garbage rooms, best bargains ever?

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