posted by Mike Madison at 10:56 AM /
Most people in Mt. Lebanon know that you can get good, lightly used stuff by keeping an eye on what neighbors leave out with their garbage. Some of us are "sellers" in this market; putting lightly used things out with the sidewalk and intending that it will get picked up before the garbage collectors come around. Some of us are "buyers," picking out the good stuff and taking it home.
Some people call this "sidewalk shopping," and Mt. Lebanon has no monopoly on the practice [the link takes you to a Boing Boing post about the Japanese] - or on publicizing the fact that it goes on. I'm posting today because a nearby blog posted some nice photos of good stuff that was picked up at "sidewalk sales" around the Municipality recently. On the one hand, I'm startled by what appears to be the waste associated with "throwing out" perfectly good stuff. On the other hand, there is a weird efficiency at work. On trash day, Mt. Lebanon's sidewalks and parking strips are a kind of instant thrift shop, where everything is free for the taking.
Some people call this "sidewalk shopping," and Mt. Lebanon has no monopoly on the practice [the link takes you to a Boing Boing post about the Japanese] - or on publicizing the fact that it goes on. I'm posting today because a nearby blog posted some nice photos of good stuff that was picked up at "sidewalk sales" around the Municipality recently. On the one hand, I'm startled by what appears to be the waste associated with "throwing out" perfectly good stuff. On the other hand, there is a weird efficiency at work. On trash day, Mt. Lebanon's sidewalks and parking strips are a kind of instant thrift shop, where everything is free for the taking.
4 Comments:
Mike,
Allegheny County Freecycle is a yahoo group where people can post things to give away instead of increasing the size of our landfills. One person's trash is another person's treasure.... I have made the same observations about trash day in Lebo as well....
As a kid growing up on Pinetree Road we called it junk picking. Some of our best finds involved stacks of albums older kids were tossing, old toys and then I have very distinct memory of me and my buddy Larry hauling home a big table that my mom promptly told us to take back where we found it!
Marjie Crist
We call it "Garbage Picking". If you live in Sunset Hills, look for the guy in the white beat up pick up truck. He's there every Wednesday night.
I was thrilled when I put out our daughter's strollers and saw them gone the next day.
I've also heard it called, "Seagulling", "Vulturing" and most interestingly "Beer Goggling". The last one referencing that items somehow looked better the night before than they do the next day.
Our neighbors once threw out a china cabinet and matching buffet which I restored and now sit in our dining room.
This is starting to sound like an episode of Antiques Roadshow.
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