I really would not know where to start. I guess that I would say that I personally LOVE dumpster diving. I began my love for dumpster diving in the mid 80's when I began delivering freight on a flatbed to the Chicago area. Our product, warehouse rack, typically was delivered to new warehouses that were just nearing completion. For all that don't know, at the end of the "job," the contractors will throw away most every supply that was not used. It would go into the dumpsters at the job site. My job (and my sanity) dictated that I get up very early and get on the road as I usually had multiple deliveries in "the city," plus I always wanted to be ahead of the rush hour traffic. That would put me at the job sites earlier than anyone else. So, with the free time I would dumpster dive onsite. I have brought everything home from plywood to conduit to windows. I once went to an office building that was being closed. After the fire dept. and other depts. for the town had went through the office and picked out everything that they wanted to reuse at their offices, they called us in to haul out the remaining. It was to be scrapped with the stipulation that the "drivers" (me) could have what they wanted. Another time that I was delivering to a "rack warehouse" (place where they store warehouse rack to be sold at a later date and then assembled (think Home Depot,) they were scrapping thousands of pounds of warehouse rack. They gave me several "bundles" of unassembled rack which I sold later for a cool $500. I don't really have a "best" from a dumpster dive, and technically all were not from a dumpster, BUT as far as salvage goes, I certainly gleaned the salvage of Chicago for many years. As I sit here and ponder, one item DOES come to mind. I was delivering warehouse rack downtown Chicago one time to my friends business. He was cleaning out all of the "corners" of his old old warehouse and had filled a scrap hopper. I looked in and there laid an "ACE" brand stapler, made in USA in the 40's or so. It was the kind that you pound on with your hand when you staple. I took it home and cleaned it up and to my surprise, after taking all of the oil and crud off of it, it looked brand new. It works perfectly and has served as my "go to" stapler for many years. That was a long story to get to the end; I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for letting me share.
