Whats the best/ most useful free thing you've rescued?

[Tirediron]

U of Pitt was clearing labs of retired professors. Checked the dumpster regularly. Acquisitions include;

Assorted lab glassware
3-phase 240v generator
Nixie tube digital multimeter
Particle accelerator
...

Ben

I guess no one else noticed

 

[Frodo]

That is how my family decorated when we kids.

Ben

Wood wire spool for a table
I had a coffee table 5' x 2'. That had a big candle in the center. We allowed it to melt on the table and guests signed the table wrote poems or anything. After a few months Keven clear coated it hung it on the wall then a new board was on the table. Etc We had 4 or 5 hung up
Huge New Year's '77 Eve party. We were having a good time an at or close to midnight. Some girl walks in with a guitar
Sits in the floor and sings dust in the wind
Gets up and leaves.
Have no idea who she was but a beautiful voice.

 

[backlash]

One day at the garbage transfer station a guy next to me was throwing brand-new floor mats. He said the got in a bunch of new one and the boss said just toss them. They are the cushioned Mats and there was short and long ones.
I came home with my truck bed full.
I weighed almost as much going out as I did going in.
I still have a bunch thar have never been walked on.

 

[Weedygarden]

Not exactly free, but almost. I sold used books online for years and would search for books at yard sales. One time I stopped at a yard sale at a home that was probably a section 8 home. There were a few books that I looked through. One book was The Babe Ruth Story. It was a little worn and had a ring on the cover where some one put a beverage. I opened the cover to see Babe Ruth’s autograph with a message to someone who had had a printing company in Denver. The book was either $.25 or $.50. After I got it home I looked on Amazon and saw the book, sans the ring on the cover, sold on an auction for $5,000. I didn’t sell it online. I kept it. Daughter has a goal of attending baseball games in every baseball stadium in America.

 

[Weedygarden]

Checked a dumpster and saw trophies and 5 bags of Legos. Brought the Legos home and sorted them. Set were Hogwarts, crane, down town architectural etc. Mounted bins on walls of family room and it became " The Lego Lounge".

Ben

I remember when you were sorting those legos. Legos are great toys and not exactly inexpensive.

Of all my daughters toys, this is one thing that is still in my house. Other things are in the basement.

 

[Haertig]

Probably my M1 Carbine. OK, I didn't exactly "rescue" it myself ... it was given to me by a good friend (who is here on these forums). He rescued it, and generously passed it on to me. As he has done for many other M1 Carbines to many other friends.

 

[Caribou]

A pre ’64 Model 70 in .270 with a 3-9 Leupold. I got paid to repo a truck. By law I was required to remove and inventory all personal effects, and hold them for 15 days for the owner to claim.

 

[LadyLocust]

Oh yeah @backlash ’s transfer station story reminded me. When I was building the house, I took a load to the dump/xfr station and someone had left a dozen sheets of green back sheetrock. I unloaded and then loaded them up. They were just about to tractor them into the bin. I think a couple had scuffed corners- woop woop. Saved me a lot of money I didn’t have.

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Great grandmother's hand made quilt frame that my blind great grandfather made for her.
He did wood working by feel.
I also have the kitchen table he made.
My Dad bought them for why I was deployed one time.
But wouldn't let me pay for them when I got home from deployment.
He said I had paid for them by being deployed numerous times.
To protect my country for ungrateful people.

 

[Grimm]

What kind? An old singer ?

A 1960s Kenmore with the fashion cams. It is tougher than my older Singers. It sews through layers of leather like butter!

 

[TexasCharm]

I did find a cast iron skillet and dutch oven on the side of the road by someone's trash can... i will rescue all thing cast iron!

 

[Weedygarden]

Oh yeah @backlash ’s transfer station story reminded me. When I was building the house, I took a load to the dump/xfr station and someone had left a dozen sheets of green back sheetrock. I unloaded and then loaded them up. They were just about to tractor them into the bin. I think a couple had scuffed corners- woop woop. Saved me a lot of money I didn’t have.

I didn’t know you built a house?

 

[LadyLocust]

I didn’t know you built a house?

In 05-06, the house up the river. We no longer live there.