This weekend I came across a pile of what were clearly books in white kitchen catcher garbage bags. They were right beside the garbage can and not even in the recycling bin right beside it. I jumped out of the car and grabbed all of the bags.
I peeked inside the bags once I got them loaded into the car and they were a set of encyclopedias from 1953. My husband has always wanted a set of encyclopedias, and he loves reading old books, so I guess I killed 2 birds with one stone with this find.
Flipping through the first book, I also found a page of unused Library Research Service stamps that are/were good for 10 years. Doing some googling, I found out that back before the internet (yes, such a time did once exist!), you could write to the Encyclopedia Britanica researchers with a question and include one of the stamps. They would then research your question for you and mail you back their findings.
Later that evening, I happened to pass by their place again, and noticed 3 garbage bags by the road, a broken fan, and the frame to a bicycle. It was 3 days before garbage day, so this told me they took the weekend to clean out some stuff. I went back home, but couldn't stop thinking that there was probably something good in the bags.
It had rained most of the day, but it was getting dark, and there was a break in the rain, so my husband convinced me to go check it out. When I peeked into a bag at the curb, I saw electronics, so once again, I grabbed everything to check out at home.
Here is all the stuff I found inside...
Lots of baby stuff, Christmas stuff, and a jacket that went straight into the washer
As you can see, there was nothing wrong with any of it, I don't know why it had to go in the trash...
The jacket turned out to be a down filled vest from Mountain Equipment Co-op which I think is a relatively expensive brand
The Christmas stuff was 4 stockings. I didn't want to melt them in the dryer, so I hung them on my shower curtain hooks to dry along with a reusable bag that was also in the bags.
The electronics turned out to be a DVD / VCR combo
and an HP scanner with all the cords, software, and even a negative scanner included
Also in one of the bags was a plastic crucifix. Seems like I come across some kind of religious icon in almost every haul now.
I'm not sure why they decided to throw all this stuff out instead of trying to sell it at their garage sale. It certainly wasn't all there when I had gone to look earlier in the day.
I went out again on Monday night, but I couldn't relax during the run. My kids have been driving me crazy with their fighting lately, and it's gotten my anxiety and heart palpitations going again. Any time I saw something interesting, I could feel my anxiety going up, and I somehow talked myself out of stopping the car to look. It was still pretty light outside, so I also thought too much about people looking at and watching me. I've got to wait until it gets dark again to go out so people don't notice me as much.
I did spot a DVD player, but instead of taking it for the second hand store, I left it for someone else to find. At least the people didn't put it in their garbage pile, but instead put it off to the side a bit on top of a cardboard box so that it was easily visible. Hopefully someone ended up taking it.
I've seen encyclopedias piled up twice in about the last year, but being on foot there's no way to drag them home. They take up space, but for a lot of things, they can still be useful. I used to take volumes home from the library (they had multiple sets, so at least one was available for borrowing), sometimes just to read random articles. There is a difference between reading a book and reading a screen, and sometimes it's nice to just read random encyclopedia articles in a book. You get lost, one entry reminds you to check some other entry, but on the way you get distracted by some entry you pass by. Same thing with looking up words int he dictionary. A lot of the used booksales no longer want them.
ReplyDeleteMEC originally was good equipment without the cost I'm not sure where they lie now, since they've become their own brand, and so much bigger than when I joined in 1981. But then, I'm no longer pricing at other stores, so who knows. Back in 1995 I got a Kanuk parka at a garage sale for five dollars. I was buying something else, saw it and wondered about it, they motioned for me to try it on, and then I saw it was Kanuk. Those are really expensive. It was faded, and had pinprick holes as if someone had spilled battery acid on it. I put some patches on it, and it's still wearable 19 years later. It can be too hot at times. So I suspect the price is warranted, even if I'd not spend that money in the first place. MEC is decent quality, but I'm not sure it's really great. They have no sales, but they do clear things out, which is the time to buy, though then you risk not having something in the size or color you want. ON the other hand, I once found an MEC shoulder bag (a small one that has carries more than I'd expect) in the garbage when the McGill students moved out, I just had to wash it a few times to get rid of the perfume smell. And I got a full size MEC shoulder bag at a garage sale for five dollars, about when I was planning to buy one.
Michael
God blesss
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