Free Stuff - Look at what I got today.

I'm always keen to gather good quality free stuff. Most mornings, I check the free sites on the internet.

This fine chair was posted minutes before I checked. I had to drive 4 city blocks. It's a rare find. The elderly lady who gave it to me, got it from her father. He brought it from England.

This is a perfect project for me. It needs some glue and leather work. My woodworking skills have never produced anything of this quality so my talents are better spent on preservation.

I'm willing to barter this chair to someone who is good with leather. Or a good cushion and back cover might be a low-tech way to go. I'd hate to devalue it with the wrong fix up. The old brass upholstery tacks will be difficult to extract without ruining them.

This chair is not as huge as the photo makes it appear. I think it would be a great fit for a woman under 5' 10" . Perfect for crafty work since the wings lend support when knitting etc.

Any suggestions welcome.

Drop in photos of your restorations and the steps taken.

This just in! On Craigslist Victoria, there's a free treddle powered lathe. A good grab for the right guy.

Found more free stuff. The torch and tank both have propane in them.

The various liquids saved from the trash will come in handy. Using the shoe goo on some leather boots.

I have recived hundreds of stings from yellow jackets and wasps while poking around in attics and crawl spaces, so the bug killer is welcome.


The Douglas Fir boards are 10 inches wide and 5 ft. long. As shelving in this basement they are about 80 years old but were never nailed. They are quite hard and will resist nailing now.

And more stuff.

The first photo is of some concrete wall board that would be good for tile or backing for a stove. 6 sheets brand new. I don't give away stuf of this quality. --- The stove was given to a guy who is setting up a basement appartment. He took the fridge as well. This saved my customer at least $50 and saved me from having to lift these things on my own.

I gave the laundry sink to a guy who is putting it just outside his greenhouse so it can be used to clean up vegtables from the garden as well.

The porcelain coated sink will bring me $25 - $50

Often, people have stored items for several years before I get called or they put stuff up on the net for free. They just want their garage back.

All of the stuff in the last 6 items pictured came from a job where I charged $30 per hour for clean up except for the composter and bricks which were on the side of the road. The composter now adorns a friend's yard.
This is the best deal in town for my customers since I give away lots of junk and keep what I want. This saves them $200 per ton in dumpage costs.

My #1 sales technique in securing these jobs is to explain that the stuff will be advertized on the freebee site so that dumpage costs and trucking costs are minimized. I sometimes show them my I-phone which contains hundreds of names of Victoria's hard core cheapskates and photos of mountains of stuff I have given away in the past. I love being the go-between in these free transactions. Everybody is happy with the deal and I monopolize all of the best stuff to either keep or sell later. The freebee ads seldom bring in those willing to pay for anything. I can respect that.

Nice! I've been hoping yo pick up a free sink to install as a veggie wash and trim station in my garden area... That would be a pre-kitchen area for washing turnips and carrots, trimming some cabbage leaves, and maybe peeling burdock and salsify...

I gave away enough of this stuff to fill a truck to overflowing. The guy in the truck was first to arrive and he grabbed all the best fir and shelving.

Yesterday I grabbed this oak corner cabinet for a friend who had just renovated. This unit is real wood with plywood backing with no glue together sawdust crap. Dovetail joints and good hinges set this one apart from the cheap stuff. After picking it up I learned that my friend had someone custom build something for the corner of the tv room. It isn't nearly as nice as the one I got for free, and it cost $800.

So there I was with a cabinet sticking a foot beyond the rear of my mini van. I thought of dropping it at the Salvation Army store but then decided to go through my phone list. After the 3rd call, I found a buyer. It is now a display case in an upscale thrift/art/coffee shop store. Sculpture will be displayed on the swivel shelf that originally held a tv. I got $50 for it with less than an hour in actual work and 20 min. phone time. KaChing. Whenever my daughter gets some overtime or experiences some financial windfall she says Ka Ching, so I guess it's a word.

I grabbed this beam while dumping garbage. Some moron threw it in a compactor and I helped the young lady attendant to fish it out. This gives me a beam to sell and my net weight on departure was higher, so I paid for less garbage. KaChing.

The geode was left in a pile of junk that I was paid to haul. I'll advertise it for $20 and insert it in cob if unsold.

The tiles contain shells and bones. The price tags say $19 each. I may include these in a cob bench. There are 7 of them.

These wood turnings are from a long gone buffet. They're grapefruit sized. These will adorn the RMH .

Nice finds! I too like finding free stuff. As I always say, "Free fits my budget quite nicely!"

Troy Young wrote:Nice finds! I too like finding free stuff. As I always say, "Free fits my budget quite nicely!"

I like that one. I often say "that is more than I was prepared to pay" I prefer to be paid to get rid of things. Most of my "finds" are stuff salvaged from junk I'm paid to deal with. My brother used to be a full time junk hauler. He would give people a price on hauling their junk to the dump and instead dump most of it at my demolition sale to be sold or given away.

This really well built commercial grade garbage can was a good find. I have inherited about 200 cans over the years but only a few with perfectly functioning wheels.

The oversized brown can set inside the giant one is more typical, flimsy and the handles are weak.

The dutch hoe was left behind by someone who used it during a break in. Some criminals aren't too bright. A pry bar and bolt cutters would seem a better choice.

I heard a funny limerick about a Dutch "hoe" from Rotterdam, but this is not that kind of forum.

More stuff. # 3 is an ongoing deal that will be worth thousands over time.

1. This home made carving knife was in a basement drawer of a demo house. Blue sky is rare here in March, so I included it.

2. This splitting axe was left behind at a firewood pile that I control. I painted it to match all of my other tools. Orange stands out at messy jobsites. Losing tools ls not frugal. I had a big firewood give away event and I was left this as well as a shovel and a jacket. Whenever people leave stuff, I run an ad in the same place as the ad that brought them in. Stuff seldom gets claimed. --- The jacket contained marijuana which I gave to a young man who was helpful at the event.

3. This pile of old growth cedar is from a mill where I have a clean up deal. Every day the mill produces enough scrap to fill about 5 trucks. Most of it is firewood but there are often good slabs that could make tabletops, posts etc. I have free reign on all of it. I may get into some re-saw scenerio but will first attempt to market them as is.

1. Every day they dump piles that look like this.

2. Some of it is converted to firewood.

3. And some chunks are just too good to burn.

This is the best free stuff I've come upon since I grabbed a free house 16 years ago !!!

Only one little problem. I haven't found a sale for any of it yet. If I'm able to market it as fast as it comes in, I could see it becoming something I would spend 10- 20 hours per week on. If it dosen't sell, then I'll just grab what I need for my own projects and the waste will continue. I've lived in B.C. for 18 years but was unaware of the scope of this resource until last month.

Could you use that would for simple beehive style compost bins? Some screws and maybe some "L" brackets could be a cheep investment for a simple project. Raised garden beds? Smaller thicker pieces could be drilled for mason bee houses. If you could find a market for things like that you could be in business. Of course scraps can be bundled and sold as camp firewood. Bark could be raked up and bagged as course mulch. Maybe really nice pieces could be sold at hobby stores for wood carvers. Start a hugelkulture business. Depending on the type of wood it is, you could sell some as cooking/smoking wood for restaurants that use wood fired ovens or smokers. I see a lot of cedar wood planks being sold to cook salmon filets on.

I could see setting up a business that processes the wood into each of these components just the same way a lot of municipalities sort trash now. If there were a market for all these products then you could hire enough people to sort and process it all and end up with probably very little waste (if any). With a few saws, drills, and basic tools you could really have something there. Best of luck.

In order for the quantity to not take over my life, I can't entertain manufacturing anything fiddly. I would rather become a supplier to those wishing to use the wood. The irregular nature of the slabs lends them more to artistic, one off creations and less to mass production. They would be very useful in cob structures, where the rough parts could be inserted in the cob. Table makers and landscapers could both use cedar slabs. As for bundled kindling, there are large mills with automated splitting and bundling for that sort of thing and it dosen't represent the best use of old growth.

I'm going to post a brain storming thread in green building concerning what to do with it all.

I found lots of interesting stuff in and around this huge stately house that I am preparing to travel by barge to a new home. I'll post a thread in green building, documenting the complete process of prepping, lifting and barging this house. It's available for $125,000 delivered and set up on blocking, which is a steal for one so well built and so big. You'll need a good sized lot on or near the ocean in B.C. or Washington State to accomodate this one. The Gulf or San Juan islands are the usual destination for big oceanfront homes barged out of Victoria and Seattle.

After a 6 month drought without any house moving work, I'm finally starting a good project.

Some twit has flagged this tree with tape in the hopes of preventing its removal. The tree will produce about one good pick up truck full of wood. My friend who lives 3 blocks away will get the wood. The house weighs close to 200 tons. The amount of resources saved far outweighs the value of this tree. The house can't be extracted without an opening. If the "save the tree" guy was to somehow win or cause a delay, I would be forced to take covert action against the tree, to move things along.

This is the fullest of 3 garage bays of this multi unit house. I have dibs on it all. Most is junk but look at this cast iron sink.

The interior will produce a few minor treasures and about 1000 bricks.

Furnishings and shelving from this house is pictured in the thread about my cottage in the green building section. Some of it will be used in the cottage.

The interior produced lots of useful stuff. Some of it is pictured here and much of it is posted on the thread about my cottage since it will be used there.

I don't think I will find the head for this wooden horse. There was a break in and several other things disappeared. I have it locked up solid now.

These collector plates are the type that "froth at the mouth" salespeople pitch at 3am. on cable tv.

This appears to be the good china, but it is made in Japan.

My helper will enjoy the pop and hard lemonaide. Theres also some whiskey under the sink.

I think the bird is a phoenix. This house is leaving Victoria but it will rise like a phoenix as a new home on one of the gulf islands.

I'll never have to buy another broom, dustpan, garbage can, dish soap, light bulb, roast pan, butcher knife or toilet plunger as long as I'm in demolition. People leave me more of this stuff than I could ever consume.

A forgery? It's possible that Vincent didn't paint this one and he didn't sign it either. The shiny paper and aluminum frame gave it away. My camera flash turned it into a very starry night.

I don't like plastic flowers but the vase with a $35 tag could bring a few bucks.

4 litres of motor oil, kneeling pad, rubber gloves, enamel tub paint, organic cleaner and a giant allen key.

It took 3 big loads to haul all of the free stone. Both the stone pile and the customer who ordered a planter are on Fairfield Rd.

The load of bricks were the result of a wanted ad.

This scythe was found at a different house moving job. Might be handy in gathering goat feed ?

Dale,

Could you get in touch with me? I live in Victoria BC and look for various scavenged stuff often. Right now I'm looking for brick or stone for an herb spiral I'm putting in on Vining.

Let me know

PedaltoPetal@gmail.com

-T

Trevor van Hemert wrote:Dale,

Could you get in touch with me? I live in Victoria BC and look for various scavenged stuff often. Right now I'm looking for brick or stone for an herb spiral I'm putting in on Vining.

Let me know

PedaltoPetal@gmail.com

-T

I took down more brick today than I have in months. There's also a lot of free plants and some really cheap T&G. Labour works as well as money. Dale 250 588 3366 . I'll try the link as well.

----------- copied from other post. --- Hey Trevor, my computer didn't link to the site you sent me to in regards to your need for brick, stone etc. I have more today than I've had in months. Also some free wood, plants,and a garage full of misc stuff. I sell the bricks but you get a couple hundred free for the good work you do in Victoria. I've seen you out there doing it. This stuf has to move quickly.

I also get mountains of free firewood and other resources. We should meet.

Dale 250 588 3366. The stuff needs to move by Monday. If you know Trevor, call him. I'm sure he has others who could benefit from this bonanza.

Though not in the 'collectables' class like much of your stuff, while browsing a Craig's List, I clicked on the "Free" section, and saw this:

"Free straw. 45 bales that have sat outside all year. I want it gone by Saturday."

(It sat out all year in an area that gets about 20" of rain per year.)

John, that should read free compost kit..lol

cleaning up a place for a lady the other day, she gave me an almost new Massey Ferguson scraper blade..and fifty feet of three eights inch proof coil logging chain.

Today I was not on the receiving end of the deal. I'm working on cutting a building into a few pieces so that it can be moved. All of the plantings are being quickly dug up by neighbors. Some really nice magnolias and rhododendrons and a dozen things I don't know the names of.

All of the perfectly maintained trees must go. If nobody takes them I'll whack them and get about 20 10 inch logs 10 ft long. I'll wait until other options have been exhausted.

My brother, Brady showed up hours late for the plant bonanza and found that none of what was left would fit into the small car his girlfriend drove. They toured the pub for 45 minutes while he scrounged piles of scrap wood that had no real value. I finally convinced him to leave it and try another day. Just before leaving, he climbed up to check out the bin. When the owners cleaned out the restaurant, everything was piled into the bin. Brady yelled, "it's full of stainless steel, restaurant equipment and there's some stained glass". He was as excited as a junkie who finds a bag of dope, so naturally, I decided to mess with him as I said that the bin was off limits. --- Finally, I told him to go for it and he got hundreds if items. He kept at it until 10 pm.

He will return tonight with a truck. He knows a few restaurant owners and will sell them coffee makers, microwaves and new dishes still in the box.

The pub left behind aprox. 50 lb of pennies. When the key was handed over, I asked if he was taking the pennies. He said go for it, which was music to my ears.

Today, I inherited a big stainless sink, this pile of bricks and a walk in freezer. I have until Monday to sell bricks and then they'll be sent for fill.


The kitchen stuff at this large building move was for sale by someone without a clue about how to market it. I bided my time and got one 7x7 and one 4x7 fridge for free when the clock ran out.

Often, I go to see a demolition where some attempt is made to sell some items. When I first saw this one, I was tempted to buy a few things. The coolers really had me dreaming of the possibilities. I knew there was a good chance of losing them to a scrap dealer or that they might be sold. The decision to wait was influenced by the fact that they planned to keep operating until the last minute. Farewell parties, and paperwork combined with the daunting task of cleaning up all of the contents of the building made it unlikely that the sell off would be successful. So, I waited and scored this time.

Patience grasshopper.

1. This home made carving knife was in a basement drawer of a demo house. Blue sky is rare here in March, so I included it.

Not a carving knife...looks to be an oyster/clam knife useful in opening shellfish.


Paul B.

Stonewall Greyfox wrote:
1. This home made carving knife was in a basement drawer of a demo house. Blue sky is rare here in March, so I included it.

Not a carving knife...looks to be an oyster/clam knife useful in opening shellfish.


Paul B.

You may be right. My only experience with knives like this comes from selling what I find to Coast Salish wood carvers. Whenever I find knives, chunks of yellow cedar or animal hides and antlers, I take them to the waterfront where numerous carvers, painters and jewelers sell their art to tourists. They may shuck some oysters as well. I have seen sharpened spoons used as gouges, car springs converted to draw knives and knives cut from the mouth of an old true temper shovel. Carvers are a frugal and ingenious bunch. They are always happy to show off homemade tools of the trade. My daughters have gotten some nice jewelry in exchange for this stuff

My niece lives in a small apartment and needed shelving. I got this stuff from the side of the road.

She's an artist and a hoarder, so the shelves filled quickly.

Looks like I only took a picture of this shelf. There is another shelf and a wardrobe. Tara calls me her "rich uncle Dale". She finds it funny that I'm so tight with my money that I live in a van at jobsites. I get mountains of stuff but can't keep much of it.

The organic dry goods on the lower shelf were left behind at a house that I recycled.

My brother, Bevin is Tara's dad. He is the foreman of a large demolition crew. She'll never run short of free household stuff. When my kids were little, they enjoyed picking through toys, art supplies and other stuff people leave behind when they move. Their playhouse, trampoline and the house we lived in were all aquired at demolitions.

Jasmine used to run out to the truck to see if I had found anything for her room or playhouse. Now that the girls are 17 and 24, they are quite pickey. They're no longer interested in "junk".

This antique porcelain Santa Claus was hiding within a maze of big air ducts in the attic of an old pub.

His hands are crossed as though he's hiding something. If he were in a horror movie, an ice pick would be hidden in his coat. In such a confined space, I wouldn't have a chance.

Woohooo - we went to collect some bees last night, and while we were there a guy turned up with a pick-up with some oil drums in the back. I asked where I could get one and what they cost, and he said I'd have to wait til Monday and to buy him a beer.

Rocket stove project is almost under way!!!

Two perfect drums slipped away from me two weeks ago. They were for grease at a restaurant that I was salvaging. The grease collection company took them a day before I was to send them away to my storage.

1.This step ladder was left in a house that I worked on moving. I'm usually the first on the scene during these jobs. The first thing I do is run around finding anything of value left by former owners. All small goodies go into my van. Tools get painted with my chosen colour so that no one else thinks of grabbing them.

2. This morning someone put a box of junk kitchen stuff at the road. The only thing I valued were 2 candelabras. They are bronze and about 13 inches tall. Heavy.

3. A guy came to the job and did a sloppy job of wrapping some asbestos with plastic. I fixed his mess. He left this stuff behind and I have claimed it. Anyone who fails to do a good job can expect similar treatment of their stuff. It's my bonus for cleaning up after them.

This nicely finished rock has a gold edging. This was in a pile of stuff that was destined for the garbage.

Duuuuude--got any more pics of that scythe? Looks like it might be a "dutch" pattern blade and it has a "grass nail" attached to keep clippings getting caught between the snath and the beard of the blade. What's the mounting collar look like? I'm a HUGE American-pattern scythe nerd.

Benjamin Bouchard wrote:Duuuuude--got any more pics of that scythe? Looks like it might be a "dutch" pattern blade and it has a "grass nail" attached to keep clippings getting caught between the snath and the beard of the blade. What's the mounting collar look like? I'm a HUGE American-pattern scythe nerd.

I had no idea that the world held "scythe nerds" . I'll take some photos next time I go to where it is. To me, it's a possible $50 so if you live near by we can make a deal. I'll have to first check to see if my tennants who have goats need it for gathering forage.

I'm in Maine in the USA, so I doubt it'd be worth sending over due to the crazy shipping that would be involved. I actually just got done mowing down about an acre of nothing but buttercups and red stemmed dogwood using mine! I've actually been using my spare time to compile a user guide to the American pattern scythe, as there's not really a lot of info out there for beginners to reference and the tool isn't very intuitive. It works like nothing else once you figure it out, though! I'm hoping to add some historical information for users of vintage scythes (like myself) regarding differences to look for, potential condition issues, and different mounting collar designs (there are TONS!) so photo references come in handy.

Benjamin Bouchard wrote:I'm in Maine in the USA, so I doubt it'd be worth sending over due to the crazy shipping that would be involved. I actually just got done mowing down about an acre of nothing but buttercups and red stemmed dogwood using mine! I've actually been using my spare time to compile a user guide to the American pattern scythe, as there's not really a lot of info out there for beginners to reference and the tool isn't very intuitive. It works like nothing else once you figure it out, though! I'm hoping to add some historical information for users of vintage scythes (like myself) regarding differences to look for, potential condition issues, and different mounting collar designs (there are TONS!) so photo references come in handy.

Here are a few photos. The handle has a hand made look to it, while the metal is definately a factory job.

Thanks for the pics! Looks like it has what's referred to as a "patent" blade, which is two-piece riveted construction. This was done on economy scythe blades as a cost saving measure. Combined with the limited curvature of the snath (harder compound curves increased the cost) and the simplistic mounting collar (which is of a style I've seen before!) I'm going to guess the the original owner was either not very well off or was a bit of a spendthrift. The numerous snath repairs reinforce this theory.

Looks like it would need a lot of TLC to get back in usable shape, if it's even possible.

Great finds!
Victoria is an amazing place to scavenge.
As a young punk in that city i never bought furniture.
I also have never owned sooo many nice bits of furniture, my yard sales looked like I robbed the antique road show. I had an amazing wood sofa with scroll carvings. It went great with my Patti Smith and Ramones posters.