Ever Turn Trash Into Cash?
@peaceful (3294)
United States
May 17, 2007 12:44pm CST
It's been my habit to take a walk everyday for years now and sometimes those walk turn into actual cash...
This past Sunday, I was walking near a university area neighborhood... it was very sunny outside and much too bright to walk west toward the setting sun, so I turned and went down a side street...
I know that my eyes had taken a beating from that harsh sunlight, but I still saw something sitting on a heap of trash (moving day is coming) that I couldn't believe... a $150.00 Scanner/Copier with chip reading capabilty... DUH?
It looked practically new, but I could see that it had been used, indicated by the low ink in the cartridges...
So I picked it up, hauled it home, and, Dang! No Software! Aw, man!... Suddenly I remembered that these things required software to be rebooted, so they could work in a new system...
So went online... and found what I was looking for, for FREE! :)
I went about the task of installing the new programs on a client's system... turned around three times and spit for luck... sent a test page and it worked! :)
My client was thrilled as she didn't have the cash for a newer printer, much less a scanner, so I charged her half of what it would have cost, if new, and told her to buy her ink thru me online, which netted me another commission... all told, I made $90.00! :)
Not bad at all! :)
4 people like this
6 responses
@lightningMD (5931)
• United States
17 May 07
A very profitable walk you had. I have found a few things sitting out for garbage day. A little tikes picnic table that was like new,and a pair of nike shoes that couldnt have been worn more than twice. I like going around the night before garbage day to see what I can find.
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
17 May 07
It's a really cool habit! I think they call us "scavengers" but someting that I found a year ago is going to make them call me Mr.Scavenger! LOL! :)
It's a painting by a famous 19th centery artist! ;)
I know my "stuff" and I might see you on the roadshow! :)
1 person likes this
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
17 May 07
Now, that's really cool! :)
Most musical instruments don't survive being tossed out, but I have found an electronic piano, with pedal and adaptor in it's box... hardly used... I've also found harmonicas and a flute, and a badly damaged violin, really old, but so poorly mistreated, that I could do anything before it fell apart, oh well...
Theres always next time! :)
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
19 May 07
Wow. What a profitable walk you had! It is amazing what folks throw away without ever thinking that someone might love to have the item or that a broken/imperfect item CAN be fixed and used! good thing you rescued the printer/scanner. You did something good for the environment (saved landfill space) and something good for a person in need!
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
17 May 07
That is wonderful. I would love to go dumpster diving at the universities as they say that the kids just throw things in the dumpsters so they dont have to haul it home. I sure hope their parents have lots of money to replace the things they throw out.
No, not bad at all. Good for you.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
18 May 07
Oh, good find! Years ago we would have regular clean up days...when i say regular, I think it was more like every 2 or 3 years...to give people time to accumulate more. A notice would go round designating a specific date for a specific area and over a period of time people would heap their unwanted "stuff" (crap) on the footpath. It was great. Many a billy cart was constructed off findings. People would throw out all kinds of things and I suspect when this came to an end that that's where Trash and Treasure markets came into being.
@nurhoney (1123)
• Philippines
17 May 07
wow...that was one of your lucky day!...good for you. I know trash can be good as cash. Some people do that as their small business, they go over other peoples trash to get cans, papers, plastics, ect. and then sell it to big companies that recycles it.
@peaceful (3294)
• United States
17 May 07
With moving day coming, it's gonna be my pleasure to get out there and see just what I can find and sell, I don't believe in wasting stuff and I like the fact that I make money for what I know, and that there's one less machine in the trash heap! :)
