A Great Lamp Found While Dumpster Diving

Here's the story about really cool lamp that I found in a dumpster, when I was walking to and from the grocery store one day.

I often go up to the grocery store one way and come back home another way, so's I can check a variety of dumpsters along the way. I walked through the ball field across the street from me and then through the small, local park that borders the village main street type shopping center where the grocery store is. I checked some shopping center dumpsters on my way into the store, and then I came back out and walked through the alleys in the shopping center, and then walked down the alley on the other side of my apartment complex and checked the dumpsters all along the way there. It was mid week and mid day.

Best d-dives on that route are on Sundays. The weekends are when apartments of older folks, who have gone to nursing homes or to the Great Beyond, are cleaned out by their heirs, and also younger people who work all week move on weekends, or garages along the apartment complex alley are cleaned out and stuff gets chucked. Mid day mid week meant that the apartment maintenance crew was around and on duty somewhere in the complex; a few of them were hangin' out by their garage/workshop on that alley, and I walked by them while casually, discreetly d-divin.

So I'm just a scootin’ along down the alley and casually peekin’ over into the dumpsters. All of a sudden I see this cool looking lamp. I did not even stop moving along cause here comes two maintenance guys on a golf cart tooling up the alley towards their workshop. I was surrounded by ‘um; and that's too many witnesses for one of them not to be expected to tell me not to d-dive if they all see me. I swooped up the lamp, held it close to me body so's the ones back up the alley couldn't see it, grinned at the guys on the cart, they slowed down for a second and glanced at the lamp, gave each other who gives a frig looks and kept going, and I happily begun walking faster.

If the whole crew out there in the alley had all seen me grab that lamp then the highest ranking one would have been forced to do their job by telling me not to take stuff out of dumpsters, that I only have a right to put stuff in—I am a resident. The rental office is right up there near the workshop, so if they had all seen me take that lamp then somebody woulda’ hadda’ said something to me as their big boss may've been around there.

As I walked on down the alley with my lamp held in front of me, the first thing I think is that the switch must be bad, but I can replace it. When I got home, I discovered that it works fine.

The lamp is a good looking chrome, swing arm number that fits nicely by my computer and is real cool cause it has a dimmer switch that is great for adjusting the light just right while working here.

Two or three months later, I'm watching an antiques appraisal show on TV, and they did a segment on upcoming values in collectable lamps. They showed one from the 1950s, one from the 1960s, and one from the 1970s, and by jeeeeze mine is the 1960s one. It appraised at $250, and it is going up in value every year. The appraiser said the name of the famous 1960s era designer who had created the lamp, but I could not understand what he said.

I love this lamp, it fits my tastes fine. In fact, it is friggin aye perfect for where it is.

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Employees Taking Smoke Breaks Where They Can See You Dumpster Diving

Beware of employees of stores or businesses who are taking smoke breaks where they can see you dumpster diving in their employer’s dumpsters.

They are either:
the management personnel who are responsible for keeping the good stuff that the store chucks into dumpsters in the dumpsters and on its way to be destroyed in landfill;
or they may be mouthy butt kissers who'd love to score some 'brownie points' by ratting you out to management;
or they could be dismal malcontents at their jobs and would enjoy taking out their workplace frustrations on you by rattin’ you out, because they hope that it gets them a free front row ticket to a live action show if their boss goes out there and throws an unnecessary, power-tripping type fit all over some unfortunate dumpster diver (or maybe some malcontent would be hoping to see their boss get the tar whomped outa' him/her by some d-diver—most people do believe we're crazy);
or they are mild mannered tobacco addicted employees who just couldn't care less and won't say a thing.

Several times, I have had a few of the couldn't-care-less-type-lookin’ employees come out the backdoor of a store to take a tobacky’ break when I was back there d-divin. When they noticed me there and realized what I was doing, their faces showed a little fear, then mild disgust, followed by a tangy bit of contempt. Can’t blame them for the fear at all; it mattered not that I was only d-divin and minding my own business, and that I am a nearly normal, long time, fairly well known local citizen, because they didn’t know me. And I was a large man standing in or walking through an area where usually only a few delivery driver type people or store employees ever go. Consequently, I was a kind, considerate gentleman and got the heck outa’ there real fast.

Had I stayed and continued checking the dumpsters back there for goodies, those employees could have became so scared or bravely disgusted that they would loose their couldn’t care less attitude and yell back in through the door or go back inside and say something to their boss about what they had incorrectly begun to believe was a no-good, low down, dirty, stinky, scary, dangerous, worthless, ‘boil on the butt of society’ who should be lanced by the law and removed to be safely secured in a prison cell by a judge, where I wouldn’t be a danger to normal citizens anymore. But because I had immediately moved on, they just lit up their cigs and maybe casually watched to make sure that I kept movin’ on.

Whenever I am d-divin and see any employees of any businesses out there taking smoke breaks, no matter what I may perceive that their attitudes towards dumpster divers are, I nix the d-divin and move on.

Even women dumpster divers should never let any employees witness them d-divin. Ya’ know how some women enjoy being rude, mean beatches’ to other women? An employee like that might just get their jollies by verbally kickin’ one of you reduce-reuse-recycle dedicated gals around. And then because some men get off on abusing women, you ladies do not want to give some scrotum scratchin’ screwball any opportunities to practice his power-trippin’ on you.

Whether you are a male or a female dumpster diver, do your best to never be seen d-diving by any employees of the business which leases the dumpsters you want to dive. It simply isn’t worth the risk.

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Dumpster Divers Are Usually Good Citizens

While dumpster diving, I have torn up a dozen or so check books, even though the accounts were probly already emptied. It often happens when I find old family photo albums and losta’ stuff that came from an elderly person who had probly died and their heirs had cleaned out the dead persons stuff and chucked most of it. Other check books were in the dumpster with a bunch of cheap, worn out crap that showed me the person who had the checks was not doing so well financially. Their stuff had probably been chucked out by an ex-roommate or lover whom the check owner had been living with until they had screwed up too many times on paying their half of the rent and/or had gotten themselves put in jail or run outa’ town by drug dealers they owed money to. It's just that way in my area; hard core, actively using alcohol and drug addicts walk by my front door everyday and are living in apartments here. They are not the majority, but are very visible because they walk round lookin for hustles and highs.

When the long time owner of the old shoe repair shop in my town passed away, the shop was closed forever. The shoe shop man was a nice guy. My family had been customers of his for decades. I had walked past that shop 100s of times, and when the door was open during warm weather he and I had often exchanged genteel greetings. When the shop was being cleaned out, a dumpster in the alley behind it got filled with all kinds of shoe repair tools, small equipment, and supplies; and I made out good d-divin it. In that load, I found the recently deceased shop owner's Army discharge papers and social security info. I knew that his sister was still taking care of selling off the big equipment in there, so I took the shoe shop man’s pertinent personal records and went over and found her there; she was ecstatic that I returned the paperwork; she needed it to be compensated for her brother’s funeral expenses etc.. (Dumpster diver to the rescue!)

She asked me what size shoe I wear and offered me a nice pair of cowboy boots that had not been picked up by the customer who owned them; the boots were in a bag full of good repaired footwear that had been left in the shop for many months, and she offered me any of them that I might want. I looked but said none in there for me, but the weekly soup kitchen is on in the church basement across the street, and they can use ‘um. She said to go ahead and take them, because they had all been left in the shop well past 90 days and it was her last day to ever be in there. It felt good to return that paperwork than make a donation to the down and outers. And I did real well in the dumpster too.

Although most people freak out when they see dumpster divers at work and think that we are a menace to society, we d-divers are basically honest fellow citizens in this society. Anytime that we can return any personal papers which were obviously thrown out by accident, we should. If we can, we should destroy any personal or business papers that would cause another person problems. Who ever threw the paperwork out did not realize that a dumpster diver would find it. And we normal d-divers know that some scumbag d-diver may come along later and take that paperwork for all the wrong reasons.

I have never found any wallets or pocket books in dumpsters that had ID cards in them along with all the other regular stuff that a person carries with them everyday. But other d-divers have, and they have sometimes turned the items into the owner or the police. If it looks like a criminal had stolen the items then taken out the cash, or that it had been placed in the dumpster by accident, a d-diver is pretty well obligated to go outa’ their way to turn it in.

Sometimes people, especially elderly individuals, can accidentally scoop up their wallet or pocketbook with the trash in their car or their home and throw it out. If that happens, don’t take out any cash that may be in there, just be honest.

What goes around comes around, and bad karma can get ya’ when you least expect.

If we find whole wallets or pocket books full of all a person's IDs etc., anywhere at all, then we honestly have no other choice but to turn it in to the owner or the cops.

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When Dumpster Diving, Beware Of Items In Or Near Dumpsters That May Have Been Stolen By Employees

Sometimes employees stash something in or near a dumpster that they have stolen from their employer’s business, and they come back and finish stealing it later.

I have heard or read about several instances where d-divers were accused by the police of taking items from dumpsters that the cops believed had been placed in there by a thieving employee and that the d-diver either was that employee or was in cahoots with the thief. There is so much great stuff thrown into dumpsters that is so unbelievably good and plentiful that most people would never believe that it had actually been chucked in there to be taken away for burying in a landfill. Consequently, it is easy for d-divers who are seen taking some of that great stuff outa’ dumpsters to be mistaken as being involved in an employee theft situation. This is a must know factor when dumpster diving.

Never touch any items that are obviously in or near dumpsters due to employee theft. The only problem is, I don’t what clues to tell you to look for, just be aware and hope you make the right decision at the time.

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A Pair Of Good Pocket Knives From Two Different Dumpsters

One time I found a toolbox full of tools turned upside down and dumped into a Bad Willy dumpster. I got the box out and filled it back up with most of the tools--some had slipped down too far in the junk there, but the box got heavy fast cause I got plenty of them. They were old well worn doubles of wrenches and things I already have, but I kept the stuff for over a year then gave it to my nephew--all except one good pocket knife. That knife is an Old Teeemer brand (brand names of d-dived goodies are usually changed for Internet postings) American made good grade tool. It is a one-blade knife; the blade is 3 1/4 inches long with a brass liner lock. The handles are in perfect shape and are made of good 1950s era type plastic.

I had that knife for almost a year, then I found a smaller version of it in a dumpster that was out in front of a house over across the baseball fields from the house I grew up in. An old guy who had died had lived there, and I had spoken to the man on several occasions, but did not know him. A Realtor had bought the house to fix it up for resale, and had paid workmen to clean it out. I got a well-worn portable drill that works and other stuff, but the little knife is the coolest thing from that load. It has a 1 3/4 inch liner lock blade and its handles look exactly like the one on the bigger knife. As a pair, knives like these sell in an antique store or flea market for, oh, $8 to $15 for both of them. Nothin special to any knife collector, but they are good American made knives that I like having. One is for my front pants pocket and the other for my jacket pocket when I go to places where I don't want to wear me good ole Bu#k Kanife on me belt.

And dig this; I just measured the knife blades using an old wooden meter/inches stick that was made prior to the 1960s. It has a great antique patina. It's from:

Sch@@r & Company
Laboratory Apparatus and Chemicals
Chicago Illinois

I find yard sticks, 12 inch rulers and tape measures so often that I only have to keep the ones made in the USA for myself and give the cheap China made crap away.

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