These bags were on the curb by a charity-run thrift store on St Hubert.
Inside one of the bags were a bunch of clothes, many of which looked perfectly fine, unused even. It’s a shame to see these good clothes being thrown out, especially considering they were probably made by wage-slaves in Asia.
It’s easy to blame the charity but in all likelihood they are overstocked with clothes and just don’t know what to do with them.
Chances are that these clothes were gifts that someone didn’t really appreciate. Everyone has a “look” and it’s hard for someone else to predict what someone might want to wear (or what size they are, for that matter).
I think we’d consume (and waste) a lot less if when giving gifts we admitted to ourselves that we have no idea whether or not someone will like what we give them. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, but I think for clothing it’s often best to give a gift certificate, or at least offer the receipt so that the item can be returned or exchanged if the gift giver guesses wrong.
Anyways, just a thought on how we the consumer can help offset this surplus of clothing! If we buy less maybe we can give those workers in Bangladesh a 15 minute break or something.
Yesterday was another dry day in what’s surprisingly been a dry week. I believe it’s probably just a small sample size variation and that I’ll find a tonne of good trash next week. Regardless, I need to start making some finds if I’m going to make sustenance wages again this month and not fall too close to dead-brokedness. I still have to have a yard sale as I have a bunch of random stuff that I can sell which should make me a decent chunk of cash. It’s just a pain in the ass because I don’t really have a front stoop to easily set up on and I have to carry all my stuff around 100 metres to get to a nice spot.
Regardless, I came across this wooden box in the alley next to Brebeuf. It was next to some garages and the contents were all wet. I think it was probably leaked on during the recent barrage of rain.
Still, these wooden masks were in fine shape. There was also a very rusty metal mask which I also took, it’d still be a cool outdoor decoration. Not for me, personally I find these things kind of unsettling, but there’s definitely people out there who appreciate this kind of stuff.
Hopefully next week provides a bit more treasure!
i can’t wait till you hit some good days for garbage finds, next week.
i’d love to buy your mask finds from you- unsettling, yes, but i really like looking at them.
thanks,
michelle
Sure, send me an email and maybe we can work out a deal. I wouldn’t ask for too much, 3$ each? I left the metal one on the curb for someone else so it’s just the two wooden ones
Check out this blog; lots of people doing it!
.http://charityshopchic.net/
Perhaps whoever had the masks (or inherited them) had a similar feeling to yours. I find that iron one particularly intriguing and wouldn’t have a problem with it staring back at me (curiously perhaps, as I hate clowns and such), perhaps because it seems a benign entity. I see there are iron masks from Mali (Google: iron mask Mali). Is the mask heavy or light? Does it look like it would actually fit on a person’s face? Does it show actual wear (vs “manufactured” wear). See http://antiqueauctionsnow.net/shop/iron/African_37945 and http://antiqueauctionsnow.net/shop/mali/Masks_37946 which show iron masks selling from $99 to $210. A little homework might prove fruitful. It’s all a learning curve.
hi, neat finds (again), esp, like the rusty one. My son attended a Saturday language school that was shared by a weekday high school. The other group put up huge, beautiful African masks throughout the corridors that scared a lot of the Saturday preschoolers. The high school group must’ve gotten freaked out by the large Sacred Heart of Jesus painting (it got covered up temporarily.) Culture clash.
My dumpster wish list include buttons, pins or badges for my daughter to decorate her book bag.
I agree about spending less, buying less, etc. One of my favorite sites to go to is freecycle.org, I can always give away something on there, that I don’t need.
Z
http://beingzhenya.com