Dumpster stories!

From: Innfogra_at_aol.com <(Innfogra_at_aol.com)>
Date: Thu Feb 10 03:58:17 2000

The best dumpster I ever hit was a ComputerLand in San Mateo when they went
out of business in the early 90s. I went to their going out of business sale
and realized they would have lots of leftovers. After the sale I filled my
Honda car two nights in a row, spending about 3 to 4 hrs a night burrowing
from one end of their dumpster to the other.

The second night I had so much jammed into the Honda there was barely room
for me. The passenger seat was so full it towered over me as I was driving. I
barely made it back over the bridge to Hayward, where I was staying. I had to
use one hand to keep the stuff from collapsing on me. All PC stuff of course.

After they realized that someone was dumpster diving they broke every card
they put in.

>From 1990 to 1992 I regularly checked Microware's Beaverton, OR dumpster.
They were a major west coast distributor until they had financial trouble
from expanding too fast. Ross-Dove held a huge liquidation auction which had
some very good trash. I pulled quite a few brand new motherboards, cards and
hard drives in boxes from that dumpster.

Also in the early 90s Mentor Graphics was liquidating lots of Apollo 100,
300, 400 and 600 boxes. I pulled a bunch of circuit cards and software from
the dumpster at their auxiliary storage. It was so interesting I started
checking their main plant until security chased me away.

My recommendation is to check computer businesses going out of business.
Computer manufacturers going out of business or downsizing are also good.
Check the major auctions like Ross Dove that happen in your area. Computer
distributors often have good dumpsters also.

My favorite story though is one of my scrapper friends. He had some Chinese
buyers visiting him. They had gone through his yard in Bend and were on their
way to Portland. Cruising through the industrial area of Albany he spotted a
dumpster full of good scrap wire. While he wanted to look he wasn't sure of
how these Chinese businessmen would take it. He decided what the hell and
pulled his truck up beside the dumpster. Needless to say the Chinese were the
first on top of the dumpster happily yarding the scrap into the truck. They
were having a great time until the local police showed up and made them put
all the wire back in the dumpster. I bet it made for great stories back home.

Dumpster diving is lots of fun. Especially if you just dive in.
Paxton
Received on Thu Feb 10 2000 - 03:58:17 GMT