I know, I haven’t posted in about a month. There wasn’t any particular reason for that, I just didn’t feel inspired to write for a while. I guess that’s what they call writer’s block. Sometimes I wonder if I should move the blog in a new direction & focus more on certain aspects of trash picking, post more, post less, keep things more or less the same, or quit altogether (I mostly feel that last one when I burn out). As you can tell I have a tendency to overthink, and sometimes that leads to inaction.
For now, the plan is to keep the blog more or less the same, but if you have any blog-related ideas or suggestions please feel free to share them in the comment!
Last week was a good one for garbage, though moving day had little to do with it. I enjoyed cruising around looking at the massive piles of trash, but I don’t generally find anything too exciting because a) there’s lots of competition and b) most of the people moving don’t have enough money to toss out great stuff willy nilly. You never know with garbage, but from my experience moving day is mostly a fun phenomenon and not a boon to business.
The three weeks before last were pretty mediocre, but I can’t complain about the year overall. I still have lots of pictures to share here from my very productive spring…
I can complain though about the number of buttheads I’ve met lately, particularly in Westmount. One lady screamed at me for saving the vintage alarm clocks & other cool things she was throwing out (she might have set an all time decibel record actually). A guy just this past Friday – after saying, if somewhat belligerently that I could look through the bags as long as I tied them up right (I always do) – later asked if I had any “self-respect,” decided I had none, and threatened to call the police. Oh yeah, there was that older guy in a bathrobe asking if he “[had] to call the police” for the crime of saving quality junk.
After all my years of garbage picking I’m finding that threat to call the police less threatening. At night it’s a different story, because I can understand how someone might feel paranoid and the police are more suspicious as well. But at midday? Sure, call the cops, I’m sure they have nothing better to do than to ensure that your alarm clocks, old books and dusty dishes get sent to the dump. Even if they did show up, they’d probably just tell me to leave rather than arrest me (they second idiot, who I little patience for, asked “do you want to get arrested?” and seemed to take himself seriously).
Anyways, in the moment these people don’t bother me too much, but I’d be lying if a string of cases like this (there have been other, relatively minor incidents as well) didn’t affect my mindset and confidence somewhat. There’s definitely a segment of society that thinks of scavengers as sub-human, immoral, or simply undesirable, and there’s no real way to convince them otherwise in that moment. And who knows, maybe they’re right? While I’m now making a decent living from other people’s trash, perhaps I’m “lowering myself” somehow by doing so? Are the vague privacy concerns of people I don’t know and don’t care about more valuable than the economic, environmental, and historical benefits of saving their discards?
I don’t think so, but it’d be nice to hear otherwise. So, for my sake and the sake of trash pickers everywhere I’d appreciate if you shared in the comments some reasons why you think scavengers are a-ok in your books!
Regardless, garbage picking is unpredictable and it wasn’t that long ago where I felt like I was only meeting nice folks on the curb. I’ll post about one of those positive experiences soon enough, and in the meantime I’ll hope that my luck improves on that front.
Anyways, today I’ll share some garbage from rich people who, while wasteful, weren’t worthy of a dedicated post. I saved a bunch of stuff from this spot in Hampstead, including some lego, a fur coat, several lamps, and a Portuguese tureen that made it to the curb undamaged. It sold for 28$ at auction, and you can see better pictures of it here.
Here’s another quality tureen I found that same night. I forget what the brand is, but I remember that they were selling for around 400$ on eBay. Unfortunately, mine has a little chunk out of it around the top of the vessel. It’s not that noticeable and is likely easy to repair, but unfortunately that bit of damage kills the resale value.
One night I saved a whole bunch of food, much of which wasn’t expired or lightly expired, and much of which has since been eaten!
I also found some decent housewares, like this bag of utensils I saved and sold for 7$ at a recent sale…
… and this box of silver plate that sold for 18$ at auction. You’d think it’d be worth more, but today’s market is trending minimalist and many people don’t want more than one set of cutlery.
On another night I found this ice bucket, and then filled it with more quality junk including a few figurines. The Zebra is notable in that it’s an Abraham Palatnik piece – you might remember that I found a different one among that giant collection of owls some time ago. It’s got a couple of chips, but still looks cool and should sell for a bit of cash.
My favourite find was that cup, with turned out to be solid sterling silver. It weighs about 81g, making it worth about 40$ for scrap, but I might just keep it so that I can feel fancy.
I was hoping these clearly rich folks would toss some gold as well, but it was not to be.
Thankfully, some other rich people were more generous on that front. At first it was just cans of unexpired tuna, which my cat and I ate. There was also a treasure trove (maybe forty cans in total) of wet food for kitty, though she was too picky to eat most of it (she prefer the stuff with gravy). However, one night I was digging around the recycling bin and found a few foreign bills. Most of the time the bills I find are worth next to nothing, but as it turns out 620 Hong Kong dollars equals about 100$ Canadian, 6000 Yen equals about 68$, and 100,000 Vietnamese dong equals about 5$.
I also managed to scavenge these bits of gold. The bottom bits are marked 750 (18k gold), and though neither fit the actual earrings I’m confident that they’re about the same quality. I had the stones tested at my local auction house and they are indeed diamonds, perhaps the biggest I’ve found to date. The ones in the gold coloured earrings are about 3.5mm-4mm wide, making them somewhere between .21 and .25 karats (according to my amateur calculations). So, they aren’t monsters but they aren’t chips either.
Other things I found here include: an espresso machine I haven’t gotten around to testing, some video game stuff, a bunch of foreign coins, more food (including lightly expired Zebra pate), and some touristy jewellery & trinkets.
Elsewhere, I found a nice antique floor lamp (which despite ruined wiring sold for 70$ at auction – picture here) and this nice rug. After years of trash picking and researching random junk I still don’t know much about rugs, in large part because most of the ones I see are moth eaten, mildewy, or smell of “pet odors.” This one is in good shape, but I can’t tell if it’s basic or special. If you can help me figure that out, please share in the comments! I included a couple of close up shots below, which you can zoom in on. I know hand-woven rugs are generally more exciting than machine made, but I don’t know how to tell if that’s the case.
I found this with a small collection of keychains in Hampstead. It’s my first time finding a silver bar! Unfortunately silver is only worth 45 or 50 cents a gram, but this was still a fun find that earned me about 20$. One of my dream finds is to find a gold bar, but I’m still waiting on that one…
I was keeping an eye at the trash coming out of this apartment building for a while. Occasionally I’d find some neat old things worthy of the yard sale pile, and I had hopes of finding more.
The trash eventually stopped flowing, and my best finds were probable this cool Egyptian silver brooch/pendant and an old-looking coin.
You can see a couple of hallmarks on the brooch, one around the centre and one around the outer ring. There’s also one on the bail (had to look that word up). It’s a pretty striking piece, is fairly large measuring about 6cm tall, and should sell for a decent sum.
I don’t know much about the coin. The writing looks Iranian to me, but I don’t know for sure. It could be ancient, or it could be a reproduction. I think it might be silver, but haven’t gotten it tested. If you can tell us something about it, please share in the comments!
Let’s finish with some watches. This spot in Nouveau Bordeaux was productive for a brief time.
One day I opened up a bag and saw a whole bunch of watches and other jewellery bits. I brought the haul back to the car excitedly.
There was a lot of crap in that bag but also some goodies. Here’s what I kept (the rest went to a friend who enjoys & does better selling that junkier stuff than I do). There’s nothing mind blowing here, but a few of these guys should sell for ok money on eBay. One of the best might be the vintage Jungfrau on the left (unfortunately, it’s pretty out of focus in this picture). The crystal is cracked, but it’s a quality vintage piece that’s still ticking along nicely.
That bit of jewelry is a little different. It looks like silver, but I don’t see any hallmarks so it’s probably plated. I was hoping the red beads were bakelite, but they don’t smell like it.
Otherwise, here’s a little haul I saved in a wealthy part of town around a month ago. I was hoping for more, but the source dried up soon after. I noticed there was ad for an estate sale at the same house last week, which likely marks an official end to the quality finds.
I wonder why a few of these items didn’t make it to the sale. That ring below the box on the left is hallmarked “Spain Sterling.” The earring below is probably silver as well, and the little picture frame is hallmarked Webster Sterling. Otherwise, we have a cute “Buster Brown” Zippo lighter, a Raymond Weil watch box (which should be good for 30-40$), and a vintage pair of Silhouette glasses.
However, the stars of that night were these watches. All were made by Seiko, other than that BMW one on the right. The one on the left is the least valuable, with a missing piece on top and some bleeding on the screen, but it’s a good addition to a parts/repair lot. Second from the left is a bulky model 0634-5001 from the 70s which is very desirable to some watch collectors. Even if it doesn’t work it should sell for at least 70$.
In the center is an automatic Seiko model 6119-5000 that seems to date to the late 60s and early 70s. It looks great and is still working. Based on what I’m seeing on eBay it should sell for between 75-125$. This one might be my favourite!
Last but not least is a 7T32-6A5A, which I’d guess is from the 90s. It has three subdials, and seems to sell for around 60-100$ in working condition. Overall, that was a pretty good haul!
That’s it for now. I don’t think you’ll have to wait another month for my next post but who knows, maybe I’ll get arrested!
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Bon courage Martin – please don’t give up, and please continue to ignore the idiots!!
I would love to print out a copy of this post, and stuff it into every mailbox in Westmount.
Don’t quit the blog, please! Next time tell them they should be reported for not knowing how to separate their garbage 😜
Scavengers are diffidently okay, I thing they are a necessary part of preserving the environment and slowing down global warming. Also, I hate to see valuable collectables and antiques just thrown out. I have done plenty of dumpster diving in years past – a lot of at the back of Apple, Atari and other Silicone Valley factories. I still will pause to take a look if I see an interesting pile of trash/gold in my daily walk around. Thank You for what you do and letting others join in through your writing.
Please keep doing what you do and have a great day.
I hope you don’t let those assholes get to you. I really like reading your blog and seeing all the neat stuff you find. It helps reduce waste and I wish there was a better system to avoid perfectly good and interesting items from going to the landfill. So thank you for salvaging what you can and it’s so cool that you can make a profit off it too.
THANK YOU for another great blog, Martin. There are LOTS of us readers who LOVE and RESPECT what you do — the finding, the identifying, the photographing, the selling, the writing, etc. Please keep doing what you are doing. You are an inspiration and a truly important voice as our human species (very sadly) continues to consume itself (and thousands of other species) into oblivion!
The rudeness and arrogance of some people never ceases to amaze me! Which world do they live in where they’ve never heard of reusing, recycling or repurposing?
Keep up the good work x
Amen to that, Suzana!
As an active environmentalist, I love what you’re doing, Martin. I spend a bunch of time re-homing the things I no longer want to have in my home. As the general contractor building our house, my total garbage that had to the landfill was 2 pickup truck loads – all the rest I recycled/gave away, or buried if it was inert/mineral.
You’re doing Montreal a favour, and earning a modest living doing it. I think you could write a column for the Gazette or La Presse (since you’re a very good writer). That might catch Montrealers’ attention.
You’re doing a really interesting and important thing! Don’t stop. People are always threatened by difference. 🙂
I’m sorry those idiots affected you. While I don’t do trash picking or dumpster diving I remember people making fun of me for just expressing the idea of wanting to do it. I think whenever you step out a bit of the ‘norm’ (the norm sucks anyway when all we did and are still doing is destroying the planet and filling up landfills) you expose yourself to criticism, jokes and even violence sometimes and it takes a lot of courage to be able to do it regularly. Courage over comfort. The comfort of being like everyone else and just throw everything because it’s easier that way than just finding someone else who could appreciate something that is still valuable. So yeah for me it’s not about lowering yourself more than having the courage to rise above. So rise above! 😉
Another great post! And enjoyed all the more because I had to wait for it. 🙂
A trio of relevant quotes:
1) We should meet abuse by forbearance. Human nature is so constituted that if we take absolutely no notice of anger or abuse, the person indulging in it will soon weary of it and stop. – Mahatma Gandhi
2) Nothing is more terrible than to see ignorance in action. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
3) The voice of the intelligence is drowned out by the roar of fear. It is biased by hate and extinguished by anger. Most of all it is silenced by ignorance. – Karl A. Menninger
I’m happy with the blog the way it is, but if some good suggestions come to the fore, and you decide to act on them, I’ll be happy with the new iteration of the blog, as well … because it will continue to reflect your unique vision.
Give the ignoramuses a mental middle finger, and then keep on trucking.
I’d like to be more Buddha-like about it, but when people treat you with disrespect (and are assertive about it) it’s hard not react in kind! It might not be that bad a thing though, I try to keep my comebacks relevant and hopefully thought provoking (ie: not resorting to childhood insults, even if that’s the go-to of the current President of the United States).
Very ,very inspiring and enlightening post.I love the quality tureen that you found ,the cans of tinned food and those
gold pieces.Please,please ignore those idiots and intolerant or ignorant people who bother you.As long as you are not stealing from people while they are moving or taking things from their backyard and balcony,you have much to be proud of.Please keep up your blog and never quit.I love your blog too much.I just moved from Ottawa to Laval one year ago,and transported three truckloads to my new home.You are a pleasure to read.
Ps:I mention the importance of not stealing from backyards and balconies but a friend of mine living in a condo in Villeray caught a scrap metal collector climbing up the balcony and try to remove her portable metal stove without her permission.She caught him and stopped him in time.He said he would never try that again.
Thanks. No, I definitely have strict rules about what I consider “official garbage” and take pictures of most of the trash piles as proof.
Only what is on the curb is garbage. My only exception is my “rule of connected garbage” (there’s probably a better phrase for that), where if there’s a pile on the curb that extends back onto the driveway or yard a bit, and where the garbage is clearly part of one distinct pile it is fair game. An example of that can be seen in this recent pile, even though it’s a bit of an extreme example because there was so much garbage – https://curbfinds.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/img_4277c-e1558553200555.jpg
Of course there’s sometimes stuff on the curb that’s not garbage. I think it’s pretty easy to tell using common sense. For example, kids bikes left on the curb by themselves are probably not garbage. I’m not interested in kids bikes anyways so it’s never been a dilemma, but I have heard of scrappers taking kids bikes from the curb that were clearly just left there by kids. If the kids bikes are thrown on top of a pile of stinky garbage, then they’re likely garbage.
I definitely wouldn’t be going on balconies, backyards, or anything like that. That kind of behavior is definitely sketchy at least and likely illegal as well. Also, given the price of scrap steel, you’d have to be pretty hard up to consider stealing something like a metal stove…
It seems to me that you are making a living and doing a public service and I can’t imagine why anyone would have a problem with it. Making a living at it would be tough (I think) – never a day off. But it’s your life, so if you enjoy it,(and I love the blog!) keep at it!
Hi, don’t let people get you down. Could it be they were worried about identity theft and did not want to say that? In my area we have a huge drug issue so people are scouring for stuff to sell to feed their habit. Please take no offence but maybe people are getting the wrong impression…I have followed your blog for years and do not mean anything personal against you….just trying to come with a reason why these nasty comments may be on the rise. Be well and keep doing what you are doing. Do you still have a book idea in the works or have you shelved that idea for now?
Maybe in some cases. Not all cases though, as with a couple of these people there were no identity related papers and I had clearly established a pile of miscellaneous harmless junk, like the alarm clocks.
Regardless, people should be destroying those kinds of papers, especially if they’re rich. I don’t have a shredder, so when I want to destroy papers I’ll put them in water and then rip them up (makes them easy to rip, and very hard to reassemble).
I do have the idea for a book, but haven’t been in a writing mood. Fortunately the longer I do this job the more material I have to work with.
First of all I love your blog, your thoughtful writing. Like a good song it addresses the personal and the universal and how they intersect. Your photos are excellent, clear and nicely composed. I totally respect what you’re doing and the forbearance you need to keep doing it when you have to deal with assholes, with such a strange attitude to stuff they’ve already thrown out. Are they maybe embarrassed? It takes guts and courage to keep at it when you don’t feel like going out into garbageland but many people appreciate what you’re doing. and wonder the same things you do: why do people throw out what they do? Maybe they don’t know where to dispose of stuff or repurpose it. I don’t know the answers to all my maybes either. But less waste going into landfills is a no brainer. You’d think. Keep on keepin’ on!
I’m a casual flipper of stuff I find at yard sales and thrift stores and while I haven’t encountered much abuse since I don’t advertise what I’m doing, I have received a bit of disdain from people.
The most memorable was when I was in line at an estate sale, and there were these three guys who are always at the front of the line for every event, and a woman near me made a comment about it.
“Oh they’re probably resellers,” I said and briefly described what resellers do, and the woman screwed up her face and responded “That’s disgusting.”
Well screw you too, lady. We got bills to pay.
Fortunately my friends and family think what I do is pretty cool, especially since I often find them stuff pertaining to their various hobbies.
Keep doing what you’re doing, dude. Else all the cool things you’ve found would be in a dump somewhere.
Yes there’s definitely some scorn towards resellers as well. Perhaps it’s related somehow. Sellers might be mad that they’re missing out on some money they could potentially be making, but that ignores the fact that the reseller near always puts extra work into getting that extra dollar. If you want that dollar, then you have to work for it! Selling on eBay or wherever else takes effort, and if you’re too lazy to do it then expect to sell your item for a little less than what it’s “worth.”
I guess a customer might be annoyed to miss out on good deals to resellers, but that seems like a dumb thing to worry about. It’s definitely not worthy of the word “disgusting.”
I enjoy going to garage sales and estate sales on weekends. Mostly I just like to browse (I have too much junk as is), but if I see a deal on something I can resell I’ll buy it. My best deal so far was a cigarette case for 8$, which I recognized to be solid silver. It should sell for 200-300$.
Hey Martin ; The haters gotta hate. It is so easy to sit behind anonymity and become the greatest critic of your generation with absolutely no responsibility. Please don’t quit, and don’t let them get you down.
Secondly, i really would like to know if it would spark new enthusiasm in you to consider doing a youtube vlog? I have been watching a couple of people, like taco stacks and even a lady trash-picker who runs a vlog called paper and moose. They sell on ebay as well as flea markets, but they make a whole lotta money on doing their vlogs too.
Vlogging isn’t something I’m interested in at the moment. I’m not really a guy who likes being on video for one, and it’s a lot of work to set things up in a way that looks good. Plus, there are privacy concerns as it’d a lot harder to censor a video than a photograph (for instance, I will usually fuzz out things like license plates, house numbers, names on papers, etc).
My opinion could change, who knows. I might be more interested if I could get someone else to do all the work… lol
OOPS i knew i should read the whole post before making any comment, but i just assumed you were referring to people commenting on your blog. sorry. Isn’t it strange the people who are so rich they can throw away usable food and items without a care in the world, and then have the audacity to yell at someone trying to preserve those things and use them. It blows my mind.
The upper class that are throwing out perfectly good things without considering donating it to the less fortunate are clearly disconnected from their own humanity. Wealth creates social distance because there are no consequences from alienating folks when you can spend your way out of any situation. They clearly feel that you are crossing a boundary, and they need boundaries to maintain their inflated egos. They are isolated from the rest of us. I feel sorry for them. You, on the other hand, are one of us, working within the great mess pile that is modern civilization, and sharing that perspective with the world. Keep up the good work!
I like Jerry’s argument. I would only add that you also may be rousing another sort of anxiety in the thrower-outers: “OMG, what if I accidentally tossed something really valuable?” But never mind. You’re doing fine. Illegitimi non carborundum. (Fake Latin, but effective.)
Martin, I think perhaps people who get this upset about someone looking at “their” (now discarded) stuff have control issues, and they feel insecure that someone might learn something about them through their stuff. We live in such a material/consumerist world that it almost seems as if our stuff has become us and can be an extension of who we are.
I don’t know about Canada, but the US Supreme Court ruled on this issue of who owns stuff after it is discarded, whether in trash bags or dumped at the curb in bags or boxes: it no longer belongs to the former owner/discarder, who therefore has no more control over it. I wonder if Canadian courts have ever ruled on this, and whether knowing this info might give you a nice talking point or at least some inner peace. I applaud the work you do and I hope you continue to do it, as you’re a valuable resource for your community, and your blog is valuable to your readers! Re your blog, I don’t think you should pressure yourself to write according to a schedule; I look forward to your blog any time, but please just write when you have something to say, and feel inspired to post.
I did some research on this a while back, and found a court case which I think proves the legality of trash picking. It says that police can search garbage without a warrant, and that people have no reasonable expectation of privacy after abandoning their stuff to the curb.
Here’s a little writeup about that – https://www.lawnow.org/ones-trash-may-be-police-treasure-r-v-patrick/
The people throwing out usable goods are the criminals – how can it be wrong to take things that others have decided they can’t be bothered owning anymore. Once it is on the kerb (which isn’t their property) they are saying they disown it.
My mum has always collected from throw-outs – she passes things on to those she knows need it or would like it.
Otherwise, that stuff is going to landfill and that is criminal.
Good on you – keep rummaging. Let’s not recycle but reuse, rehome and re-enjoy.
“economic, environmental, and historical benefits of saving their discards” – these are pretty good things in my book. Please don’t take notice of the idiots…
As a scavenger myself, sometimes I feel the burning of prying eyes…But then I find a real gem, and it reinforces my confidence and the need for people like us. I understand people’s privacy issues but I point out that I am not at all interested in those items.
As others have stated, i think the greater ‘sin’ is to let these things go to the landfill. Keep it up and know there are others out there that do the same…and thanks for saving history, and helping the environment. Happy hunting!
I love your blog! My husband and I live in a suburb of Ottawa and every second week its garbage week, so we go treasure hunting and find lots if amazing things. It’s unbelievable the stuff we find and resell. My husband is great at fixing things. We have been doing this for 4 yrs now. To the person that asked if you had any self respect, well they should look in the mirror and ask themselves thst question. In this day and age we must reuse, recycle, upcycle, be a lot more conscious of what we are throwing out. I can talk for days about this subject and the treasures we have found. Keep up the GREAT WORK!
First and foremost allow me to tell you, I love your blog! You are saving our landfills and preserving history! This is what I know about people and their garbage, or items they no longer want. I worked for Habitat for Humanity receiving items and meeting all kinds of people. The majority were very nice, but sometimes you would meet that one person who could ruin your day! The long and short, I came to realize they did not want people to know what they were giving away! I am sure they had their reasons, maybe a husband did not his wife was donating a family heirloom, or his mother’s teacup! They were usually agitated when dropping off items, making me think, I did something to upset them.. so maybe the chipped tureen was hidden by daughter-in-law who loved her mother-in-law but could not dust the tureen any longer.( oops that is a little close to home!) Then you come along and the secret will be exposed..see nothing to do with you! So you are not only saving our planet one garbage bag at a time, you are a seeker of truth!!!! My advice wear a cape next time give them a reason to call the police! Keep picking!
Sorry you’ve had so many buttheads lately. If it’s any consolation,you’ve inspired me over the years and now I trade my goods or at the very least put them in a ‘free’ box on the curb (usually I do much more, but sometimes I’m v. busy) rather than throw out stuff that could be used again. You basically changed my whole mindset and thanks to you I’m doing a lot more eco-things and thinking about waste a lot more.
I love your blog as is, but I wouldn’t mind a post about garage sales! Like is there a good way to promote them? How to make them successful etc.
The free box works pretty well. I often leave things that I don’t feel like selling (usually too much of a hassle) on the curb and most are taken quickly. Today I left a decent jewelry box (just a few minor but fixable issues) on the curb and it was gone within 10 minutes (the lady who took it thanked me and awkward amount of times). It’s quicker than taking it to a charity, and often people will save for themselves something a charity will throw out (they do throw out a lot).
I don’t know if I have any good yard sale tips. I don’t advertise that much (mostly the blog, Instagram, and Craigslist on occasion) and rely on foot traffic / a couple of sandwich boards. It might be fun though to do a post where I take pictures of people’s purchases (probably mostly friends of the blog) and share what about those items were appealing. After all, there’s a lot of stuff that I find that doesn’t make the blog, and people also buy things that would surprise most people.
Please don’t let a few rotten eggs spoil your picking. Whenever you do come across one please remember that there are many more people who love what you do and support you. I love your blog; all of your articles are very well written and interesting. Plus you are providing a valuable service by showing others how to value the things that they own and keep unnecessarily filling up our landfills.
I live in a condo building with several dumpsters, and for the life of me, I still can’t figure out why my neighbors freak out when they see people going through them. Most of our folks just go through the recycling for bottle deposits and never leave a mess. If they (and you!) are willing to put in the time and effort, more power to all of you. Really, we should be thankful for it, because less-full dumpsters = less trash pick-ups = lower condo fees. The only time I heard of a legit problem was when one lady loaded plastic gift cards onto a digital account, threw out the cards without shredding them, and didn’t use the money immediately. Someone pulled the cards out of the trash and used them before she could. A hard way to learn the importance of a shredder. 🙁
I really enjoy your blog and admire your willingness to think outside the box. Also, my cat appreciates that your cat is a fellow gravy lover. Haters gonna hate. Keep up the good fight!
Hm, that’s an interesting situation. I have found gift cards, but I’ve never had the impression that someone might have loaded the money onto a digital account (it my cases it seemed like privileged rich kids not knowing or caring about the gift, and maybe their allowance was big enough so they never had to think about them… just my guess). I guess it’s impossible to say for sure though… regardless, it seems like a good idea to cut up your active gift cards before throwing them out.
My tongue in cheek suggestion: dress plainly and when they yell, tell them you have been sent from Montreal waste management to review and photograph what they have put on the curb because the city received a complaint that they weren’t properly sorting their garbage and are breaking the bylaw mandating that anything unbroken and functional must be donated. You’ll take your findings back to city hall and they should hear in a week whether or not they’ll have to pay a fine. “Now please go inside and let me do my job.”
Lol. It’s a funny idea but I don’t think I have the acting skills required to pull it off.
don’t get discouraged- but take a break now and then. We all need to take a break sometimes. I grew up in a family where Dad was a metal salesman, Kaiser, Reynolds etc etc but for decades the only thing I did with metal was cans (tons of cans, still do that). Never- and I have no idea why- did it occur to me that any of that metal on the curb or in dumpsters or on the side of the road also had value. Guess what I now gather with intent to take it to metal recycler? Have learned how to strip cords off small appliances and that means that copper will not end up in the landfill along with what other metals are in whatever I scrap. When I was growing up we went to yard sales/estate sales all the time. My brother was an electronics whiz so bought clocks, radios etc not working and fixed them. I’ve taken clothes out of dumpsters, fine clothes, name brands, washed in lysol, donated to local charities–so 7 pairs of jeans out of one dumpster dive did not end up in the landfill. I’m from a small old town where if someone drops money they’re likely to pick it up but I find change every week and have at one time or another found bills, ones,fives,tens, twentys- and one of those twentys came out of the pocket of jeans someone threw in the trash on the curb. I never find gold and silver here but copper/aluminum/brass will do. Someday if the sh*t hits the fan, the landfill owners are going to mine them for metals and become millionaires
I have been taking a few more breaks recently. And I can relate with the metal… only this year did I start looking for it, and it’s already earned me a few hundred dollars. I’ve been underestimating the value of copper and brass especially for years! But it’s also good for the environment as you say, these metals otherwise have to be mined at great cost to ecosystems. If everyone recycled their old cords and such we’d be a lot better off. I think I’ve brought about 200-300 pounds of stuff to the scrap yard, most of which would have gone to the dump if I weren’t there to save it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we start mining the dumps sometime in the near future…
As for the silver and gold, it will come.
Buttheads,butt out of the business of scavengers who are doing great work for the environment.
Martin, I agree with everyone who has written in so far, and join them in urging you not let uncouth and ignorant people dent your self-esteem. What you do is admirable, and the fact that you make a living from this valuable work is wonderful. I wish there were a way for you to be paid a retainer! I am very grateful that you also make the time to write your blog and share your best finds with us.
I have lived in Westmount since 1984 and the rude and entitled behaviour you describe does not entirely surprise me. I like Meghan’s idea of leafleting every mailbox, although I fear that many of my neighbours would not even bother reading your post before assuaging their consciences by putting the leaflet into the recycling bin. Because we know that’s all it takes to be good green citizens, right?
If ever you write a book, I will gladly proofread it free of charge!
I’ve lived in Westmount all my life, since 1959. The house has been in the family since it was built in 1923, the year my mother was born. My mother said the house was given to my grandmother, she was a nurse and someone gifted the house to her for loyal service. I have no idea how much it cost then, or how the street developed afterwards.
There are lots of stereotypes about Westmount, they may be true for some, but.not everyone. A couple of years ago, at a meeting about an indoor pool, someone made the statement “not everyone in Westmount is wealthy” always something to remember.
I.have akways been secure, but for.most of my.life I.had little money to spend each week. I’ve never driven a car, have never been able tojustify a monthly bus pass, so walk most places. There was a time when too often I’d get stopped by the cops, in broad daylight and never a reason given. When it happens within blocks of home, it made me feel likd I don’t belong. Of course with the stereotypes, I have generally kept it hidden that I live in Westmount.
I count on garage sales and garbage and book sales to feed my.curiosity.
I don’t fit the stereotypes, yet peoole expect that I do.
I.may have to get rid of some things in the coming months, the good thing is mostly.things bought used or found in the garbage. But getting it to a proper place is hard without a car.
Stereotypes aren’t always valid.
Michael
Thanks for the perspective. It’s true that you can’t paint everyone in a neighbourhood with the same brush, especially one with lots of history like Westmount.
I’m often in Westmount for garbage on Thursdays & Fridays, so if there’s anything you think I might like feel free to leave it on the curb, and I can deal with it ha ha. Just send me an email that week so I know to go (sometimes neighbourhoods “go cold” so I skip them for a while).
If it’s a question of bringing things to a Eco-Centre, thrift store, or ReStore I could also do that. On weekends I’ll sometimes be in the area for a garage or estate sale, and could pick up some stuff as well. Happy to help… Westmount is not far for me so it’s not inconvenient.
Email is thingsifindinthegarbage@gmail.com
Hello!
Just wanted to comment and say that you can’t let people get you down. I think what you do is pretty amazing, and your blog is a public service, highlighting how much waste we have in our society!
I used to work in customer service and they told us that it takes ten positive comments to erase one negative one, so when you get a bunch of bad interactions it really takes it toll on your mental health. Hopefully all of your fans here can uplift your spirits!
I proudly dumpster dive and have zero fucks to give. I hope you have zero fucks to give for the haters.
Hey Marty, Based on the number of garbage bloggers with large followers besides you, (Mom the Ebayer and Taco Stacks, ( two off the top of my head) , I think garbage picking is gaining momentum and will join thrifting at the Goodwill and Salvation Army as ordinary pursuits shortly. I have read that consumers are becoming tired of mass produced products and clothing and repurposing, reusing and vintage is a trend on the upswing. . My favorite blog on this subject is The Thrifted Life. Think of yourself as head of the pack!!! Most importantly, your blog inspires and educates other people and I look forward to seeing your new finds and watching your ebay page to see what sold. Every person regardless of their occupation, feels disillusioned at some point. It’s normal.
I’ve wondered / worried about that for years. I’ve wondered if my blog would increase the popularity of garbage picking in Montreal specifically and affect my bottom line. A significant increase in pickers might make it hard for me to make a living. So far though it is not the case.
In the end I think the barriers of entry to garbage picking are too high for most people. For one there are the social issues like the one I mentioned in this post (plus, people feeling awkward about being seen garbage picking in general). Also, some people can’t handle the sights and smells. You have to learn how to recognize what’s valuable and what’s not, which took me years to figure out. And you have be able to recognize a potentially good pile when you see one. Also, you need the time and the energy to do it regularly, and most people prefer the stability of a normal job.
So I don’t worry much about my livelihood these days. I do think garbage picking is going to become more popular, but so far I think the increase in popularity has (so far) mostly translated to commercial dumpster diving (ie: behind shops at malls, grocery stores, etc), maybe because it’s easier to know where to go and spot the good stuff.
It’s interesting that people get so irate about someone salvaging something they’ve already thrown out. Maybe you should tell them you are saving them the trouble o_ having a yard sale! Or maybe they resent you “not working” _or a living. As i_ what you do is without e__ort. (Sorry about the letter gaps but my keyboard has decided not to print the sixth letter in the alphabet recently. Must replace it ASAP, it’s getting to be a real nuisance.)
Anyway, don’t let the crabby, mean people get to you. What you do is not a crime, it’s a service i_ you ask me.
You inspired me last week. My daughter went thru some stuff my brother gave us and set aside stuff to donate. It included some watches. I decided to see if any were gold. Thanks to you, I discovered one that belonged to my grandma or great grandma as it has her initials on it. I kept that one and may get it repaired!
Nice, good to hear. A lot of the time I find good stuff because I have the attention to detail that others lack for whatever reason. If you’re not paying that much attention, you’re much more likely to toss out a treasure.
If I have anything that could be of value or of use to someone, I put is beside the garbage so people can see it. If it doesn’t get picked up by someone I am greatly disappointed and have been known to bring it back in for another try next garbage day.
I have had pickers paw through all of the stuff that I had to get rid of before I moved and I was very disappointed in the mess they had made. I am quite sure that these people are fortunately, the exception.
I am fascinated by the stuff you find and enjoy reading about it. Thank you.
I also leave things I don’t want by the tree outside my house. Most are taken pretty quickly.
I always tell people not to make a mess because it’s one of the main issues that gives scavengers a bad name. Most of my interactions with the “tossers” are people telling me that they don’t care as long as I don’t make a mess. I always untie the bags when possible, but I’ve also developed a few different techniques for opening bags that won’t leave a mess (fortunately, the bags are pretty resilient and can easily be re-tied). Unfortunately, I think it’s mostly scavengers with addiction issues that make a mess, because they’re looking for the treasure and want to figure it out as quickly as possible. Some people are just lazy, though.
^ What they said! ^
Print this page and keep it handy so when you’re having a down day, you can reaffirm that what you’re doing does matter to good people. Not just the people you interact with personally every day, but it matters to me and to other people who have come to know you because you’ve chosen to share your experiences with us. The good and the bad. The things you save were created by people who cared to create them, you restore them to a dignified continuance, either recycled, or reloved and repurposed. That’s noble. This work seems to be feeding your soul, (and your cat), that’s a rare thing in the work-a-day world.
Thank you for what you do!!!
(And the earth thanks you, too.)
As long as you don’t leave a mess what’s the problem?! Keep up the work–I love hearing about your adventures and finds!
I think that what you do is fantastic. Wasteful people are the ones who should be ashamed in this world. I work in a thrift shop in the UK and the volume of donations we receive is huge. People generally have way too much stuff that they don’t want or need. I don’t see the problem with others repurposing or selling items, especially when they can’t be bothered to do it themselves. You are providing a valuable and necessary service to the world and I admire that you are self reliant in the world, whilst making it a better place. Keep up the good work. It is refreshing to see someone who sees value in things and cares enough to find a new home for them, when they have been carelessly tossed to the curb.
What you do is valuable. Saving and finding a home for these items. Every one of your sales is another person who appreciates and values your work. Of course, your worth is not based on money 😉
Your blog demonstrates the expertise involved in trash picking and the intellectual curiosity that drives fosters that expertise.
Keep up the good work!!
P.S. I check your ebay page to learn and feel happy when I check the sold listings!
Thank you!
My mom also keeps a close eye on my sold listings, lol. Here’s a link to anyone else interested, but keep in mind that it might ruin the surprise of future blog posts since sometimes I’ll sell something on eBay before I get around to mentioning it on the blog!
https://www.ebay.ca/sch/yuhaiwing/m.html?_nkw&_armrs=1&_ipg&_from&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2046732.m1684
Hard to believe folks would be upset by you saving valuable usable items, but there are jerks everywhere! You’re doing a true public service that I greatly value. I never comment, but I read everything you write and cheer you on from afar.
Have you heard of Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements? I’ll expand on #2 –
The Four Agreements are:
Be impeccable with your word.
Don’t take anything personally. ”Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”
Don’t make assumptions.
Always do your best.
Don Miguel Ruiz
People will yell at you as a reflection of themselves for whatever reason. I don’t dismiss that it’s hurtful, but without a doubt, you are doing an honest day’s work!
I read that years ago. It’s a pretty good and quick read. But, like most self-help stuff it is difficult to put into practice! Definitely some good ideas to keep in the back of your mind, though.
When they’re talking about you on Reddit, you KNOW you’re loved!
https://www.reddit.com/r/blogsnark/comments/cecc8i/bloggers_instagrammers_you_actually_like/eu4hkzm/?context=3
Please don’t quit blogging, you are inspiring. I also follow your instagram account. You save so much from the trash. If only the cops were called and instead of hassling you turned around and told the people who call them to quit throwing out perfectly good items – perhaps there should be laws against it (one can hope) eventually.
Love the blog, Love what you do, Keep it up even if you only post here and there. You are supported. JB from Florida!
martin- I loved your posting, as always! the overflowing comment section is equally fabulous. there are clearly many passionate folks out there who love and support your work. keep it up; it is worthwhile, environmental, and enlightening to your readers. as I read through the comments, I thought it would be cool to disguise your
self as a municipal employee and tell the disgruntled discarders that you would be sending them a ticket by mail for their ignorant practice.
Thank you! I don’t know what the legalities are of impersonating municipal employees, lol. I know impersonating a police officer is a definite no-no, but I guess you could pass as a city employee just by wearing generic work clothes. But then the people might wonder why I’m driving a Hyundai and taking their old books and whatnot. In the end I think I’m just bound to meet the buttheads as part of the job, and there’s not much I can do about it. I think I could improve my “pitch,” however, ie: explaining my reason for being there when asked. I usually say I’m looking for things to sell at garage sales, but I could maybe emphasize other aspects, for example the environmental benefits.
Outing myself as a fellow scavenger here, and honestly I think scavengers have the most self-respect possible. We respect history, we respect our planet, and we don’t want to see either trashed. When I think of some of the items I’ve saved from the trash (not nearly as amazing as what you’ve saved, but still good), I am proud. A lot of times I just put the items right out on my curb for others to take. I live on a busy street. Those items are gone in no time. I’ve had a lady bring me flowers as a thank-you and had more people than I can count stop to thank me for leaving those items out. If someone wants to yell at me or threaten to call the cops on me they can be my guest.
At least in the States, trash on the curb is public property. If anyone confronts me, I tell them they should be ashamed for polluting the planet with items that are still useable. I’m on the board of a recycling nonprofit to boot, so I am always glad to state as much and give them information on reusing and recycling. Usually shuts them right up. Stop caring what other people thing of you. These people are stupid and lazy enough to throw out historical, valuable items in the first place. Their opinion is worthless as they have no respect for the planet or for history.
Thanks. I like the “ashamed” line, maybe I’ll use that one if the situation is right…
You’re a recycler. Why shouldn’t you be paid for your work? It’s a lot of work to pick, transport, clean, photograph, research, list, pack and post/mail stuff for sale. In recent years, I’ve had to deal with a lot of crap belonging to family members. I’ve had to dump a lot because we just can’t deal with selling it. It breaks my heart to waste stuff but it’s the only way to get through it. I wish you’d been there to salvage some of it.
Yes it can be difficult to deal with all this stuff (especially when it belonged to other people), which is why I try not to judge too much when people are trying to clear out a family members house. Even I have to throw stuff out, for example if it’s something that hasn’t sold over the course of a few yard sales. I leave my purged items in open boxes so that others can save what they can, but inevitable some stuff will end up going to the dump.
The people yelling have No self-esteem,i mean, seriously, refusing to share what you throw out? How needy*greedy can a person be?
In northern italy there’s an Awesome traditional sausage called Muzette,or Muzetta,which we eat with a kind of sauerkraut made from white turnips that ferment 6 months with the grape mush leftover after having made wine, the story goes that the rich would buy the pig, cut off the head on the way home & chuck it off the horse drawn wagon onto the side of the road, where it would IMMEDIATELY be grabbed by a local,muzette is related to the french word museau,which means generally, animal snout, thus the origin of the aforementioned awesome sausage.
What rich &,or brainwashed folks consider beneath them is what, until recently,pretty much the majority of even the western world did pretty much weekly; Popular Mechanics mag anyone? They could’ve called it “upcycle monthly” !;) Picking mushrooms, herbs,ail-des-bois in the forest, urban version? Freeganism 😉 I’m a picker & d.i.y-er myself &
my dad was a master airplane mechanic,Nothing ever got thrown out, only given to friends or renaissance or such,
keep up the good work, when things go sideways, who do people come to for solutions? Us! Probably since time immemorial. 😉
The greeks used to say that all it takes to kick-start civilization again from zero is an olive tree & a boat.
I do believe we pickers are the same 😉
It always amazes me when people will criticize and snub their noses at resellers, scavengers etc., but yet think they are so ethical to go and buy a thing from Walmart? Amazon anyone? Nestle, Coca Cola? Even a half hearted study into the legendary unethical practices of corporatism would leave you semi knowledgeable at least before you opened your mouth.
I think Martin if you weren’t doing this, you would still need to be living in some form of creative, entrepreneurial lifestyle because you are just not one of those people who can feel fulfilled by trying to live …“in the box”.
Life requires a tough skin you know and for those who are different (and want to be different!) it’s all the tougher still. Try not to let the sheeple wear you down. You are trying to march to the beat of your own drummer Martin and kudo’s to you for doing it! Never for the faint of heart this life approach.
I don’t know what I would be doing if I wasn’t trash picking. I think you’re right that I would have a hard time working a “normal” job. I’m honestly not sure if I’d be capable, my brain just isn’t cut out for it. Fortunately, this lifestyle fell into my lap largely by accident and it’s been good to me thus far. I love history & old junk, so I imagine that even if I were to move on from trash picking “full-time” I’d be in the industry in some capacity. Either that or I fulfill my childhood dream of becoming Prime Minister of Canada, lol.
Dear Martin, I had been missing your posts. You are doing such a wonderful thing for your community. Especially when you rescue local history items. And it’s such a great way to make a living. Keep up the good work!
Keep up the good work! I find your posts interesting as is and you are saving objects from the landfill. It is definitely admirable. Some people are just shortsighted and unhappy. I’m sorry to hear that you had to bear the brunt of their issues.
I think you are awesome. You are finding a way in this world that may not be everyones idea of a life but you support yourself. You divert tons of stuff out of the garbage and you recycle it too. It is a win win for you and us. The jerks that yell at you are only ashamed of their own behaviour and instead of saying thanks they yell bc they know they are wrong. They should have recycled or taken it to thrift store. But bc these dummies do not know how to deal with their uncomfortable feelings they chose to find a way to blame you. This is their Karpman Drama Triangle. Be glad you do not live with them!
Martin, your blog is so interesting! It is obvious you put a lot of time and effort into your business searching, sorting, researching, cleaning, recycling and selling. You do it the right way by being polite, getting permission when possible and not leaving a mess behind. You educate and entertain us. Hope you keep it up!
It’s what you do to pay your bills and it’s not illegal. Keep doing what you do.
I don’t have time right now to read all of the previous comments, but I wanted to mention that with the number of followers you have, I suspect you get a lot of traffic and could make some money with advertising. I’m a blogger, too (I’ve recommended you to my readers a couple of times) and I work with MediaVine. If you have 25,000 or more sessions (not pageviews) then they’ll consider you (and probably take you on).
Right off the bat I started making $600-800/month. You are paid by the click. At first I was hesitant because I didn’t want to impede my readers’ experience on my blog, but really, for all the time and effort I put into it, I need/want/deserve to make a bit of a living off of it. In the 14 months that I’ve had the ads, I’ve only had one complaint. Nowadays, people expect ads. You also have control over the types of ads and their placement, but MV will tell you the best locations for making money.
If you take any videos of your “work” (how about a video of one of your garage sales?), MV can add commercials to them and they tend to make good money.
As far as whether to continue scavenging or not, I’m sure I echo what everyone else has said and that is that your blog is great and what you’re doing/promoting is just wonderful. One idea I had was to print up some [cheap] business cards–you could go humorous or serious.
How about “Martin” “Professional Scavenger” “Reducing Waste One Landfill at a Time” “I leave your garbage looking better than when I found it.”
Or, skip your name and profession and jump right to “Free Waste Management & Reduction.” Then add a reference to the local or state law that allows garbage picking or that states that once on the curb it’s fair game.
Chin up!
I don’t know if it’s worth it for me to do that kind of thing at this time. My readership is still fairly small, I average about 6000 visitors a month (not sure how a session is defined, and WordPress doesn’t give me a stat for that).
I’m also pretty skeptical about promoting products. I feel like the number of stupid, gimmicky products increases by the day, and a lot of these things end up in the dump haven’t contributed nothing to the world but pollution.
In addition, I’m kind of sick of seeing ads everywhere. I’d guess that ads are forced upon us now more than in any other point in human history, and from an aesthetic perspective I hate it. I don’t really want to contribute to that.
On the other hand, nearly everyone has their price. For 6-800$ a month it’d be tempting to add ads since that would basically pay my rent for the year. At this point though I’d probably be lucky to make a quarter of that, which isn’t enough to tempt me. I guess it’s worth looking into though.
One thing I could do is promote my eBay Partner Network thing a bit better. Currently I make around 10$ a month through that, which isn’t much but is better than nothing. But if all my readers did their eBay shopping through my blog, I bet I’d make a fair bit more.
Business cards are a good idea. Something to think about. I doubt the yelling people would benefit from them, but it might get me more free junk from people who just want to get rid of things.
I should have mentioned the purpose I had in mind for the business cards: to hand out to any homeowners you encounter as you’re scavenging. You could also tape them onto garbage cans as a way of educating the public about the rightness of what you’re doing. To out there??? 🙂
Maybe too out there, lol. I tend to think staying under the radar is a good thing. The idiots are unlikely to change their minds, and are likely to complain to the police / neighbourhood security who might feel like they have to do something about it. At least by being under the radar a lot of the idiots will never know of me, and won’t notice that I’ve looked in their trash.
I agree with all that was said before. Please keep picking! Also please keep blogging. I really enjoy reading your blog and you are inspiring others to pick. It is all really good for the environment. Finally, if you decide to put ads on your page it would not bother me at all. I don’t even see them when I read a page and it would help your bottom line, so it is all good in my books. Thanks for everything!
You are keeping things out of the landfill! I took a chair from my neighbors trash and took it to Salvation Army. I try to give away stuff free.
I love what you do, don’t give up!
Live in small town BC. A person from Quebec just landed here for a job. Got off the plane with 2 suitcases. Found and apt. Just about 30 mins before closing walked into a thrift store and furnished the new apt for $800 . This awesome person had everything they needed and the store closed . The store staff helped to get the stuff ready and organized so that nothing was forgotten. It is being delivered by store staff today. I know someone who works at the store and this was told to me. I think stories like this need to be told. You Martin with your blog are telling a story too. keep it up.
I work in the corporate world, I’m a single soul in a company of over 30 thousand people, and I’m fascinated by the the parallels between our businesses. (i.e. The development of your selling channels, your collection process, your reporting, your marketing, your growth over the years and more) . Your experience as an entrepreneur is worth gold! Keep up the great work. As feedback, I miss the more frequent updates to your blog. Your really creative in your presentations! All the best!
1. Please don’t quit this blog! I love reading your stories
2. What you’re doing is amazing and important. So much valuable stuff going in the trash because people are too lazy to separate trash, donate, etc.
3. Ignore these idiots, continue doing what you do.
4. Sitting at my desk all day, I sometimes envy you – must be thrilling to find some gold or designer stuff.
Hey bro: I think you do great things and I love the blog. Ignore the haters, you’re doing an important function for the city, the country, and the Earth! I couldn’t ask for a better brother and I’m so proud of you.
One July 1st I came upon some old Mac equipment. It was on a shelf in an alley, abd nothing I wanted.
But as I looked it over, someone passing by said something to the effect that it wad nasty simply because it was garbage.
It made me think that maybe some people can’t see what’s in the garbags, they onle see a pile of waste, taboo to touch.
Even some who see a chair or something useful may lament that it’s going to the garbage, rather than see something they couod bring home.
Michael
Yes, there’s definitely a stigma associated with garbage. Some people can’t see past the stigma at all, while others can see through it somewhat.
The stigma is strongest with the black trash bags, which is funny because that’s where I find my best stuff. People are often surprised when I mention this, likely because the image of the black garbage bag is often the symbol of “garbage” itself. You see the image posted on signs, sometimes with stink lines coming out of them, so the implication is pretty strong that there’s nothing worth finding inside. That’s actually true in 99.5% of cases, but fortunately I’m good at spotting the 0.5% that contain something good. Of course, sometimes I’m wrong and open up a bag of kitchen waste or kitty litter, lol, but you’ve gotta take the good with the bad.
Martin just keep on being you ! You have many many fans who look up to you for inspiration.
I wonder how many of those jerks who made rude comments to you would have said something
to someone who was truly hungry and was digging for their dinner?
Just keep doing what you’re doing. I thought of this song when I read your blog post-Don’t Let it Bring You Down by Neil Young. I really enjoy your blog. Thank You!!
When they’re talking about you on Reddit, you KNOW you’re loved!
https://www.reddit.com/r/blogsnark/comments/cecc8i/bloggers_instagrammers_you_actually_like/eu4hkzm/?context=3
If only kindness was valued and practiced first and foremost. What a different world we would live in! I very much enjoy seeing the wonderful varied things you share. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to post everything. Each find has its own joy and thank you for sharing with us.
Martin, I’m sorry that you have faced discrimination and scorn from small-minded people. If that gentleman who asked if you had any self-respect was in fact a human with a heart, he might have felt and demonstrated COMPASSION toward you. He might have assumed that your only option was garbage-picking and he might have come to you with some curiosity and openness and concern for a fellow human being.
Sadly, he did not prove to be that kind of being. Instead, he threatened and tried to shame you. On behalf of all the beings who LOOK human but fail to prove it by way of showing their humanity, I apologize. PLEEEEEEASE keep up your important, socially-responsible, INTERESTING work!!! I love you enough for all the dummies out there who don’t bother to understand what you are doing and why.