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FormerHSPrincipal
Penny Sorter Member

 USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2010 : 08:07:29
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Road finds !!!
Although not a pastime I do a lot of talking about, one activity I have been doing for years is to scour the edges of roads I travel for anything I believe my be of benefit to me at a later time.
Agreed that some would find this utterly distasteful, but for me, it helps keep countless driving miles from becoming oh so boring. AND, occasionally I find some real treasures.
Some of the more common items that I find include rubber straps, work gloves, tools, pieces of metal, plastic buckets, and various kinds of lumber.
I have not yet found a suitcase filled with $100.00 bills, but I am still looking.
So, my question to those of you that read this, and do this kind of activity … What are some of the things that “YOU” have found that were worth the effort of stopping your car, walking back, and picking it up. (And in the case of any clothing … taking it home and washing it!)
Respectfully,
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silversaddle1
Penny Pincher Member
 

USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2010 : 10:59:54
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I always stop for road treasure! Latest find. a new aluminium ramp for a ATV trailer. 4 foot x 5 foot in size, just laying there! |
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Treasurekidd
Penny Sorter Member


USA
39 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2010 : 13:59:54
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I've made quite a few bucks over the years by stopping for hubcaps. Sometimes you get good ones, and I just clean them up and sell them on Ebay. Most original equipment hubcaps have part numbers on the back they will help indicate what kind of car they goes to. Other times, if it's too beat up, as long as its aluminum, it goes on the scrap pile and cashed in with my other stuff. If it's just a cheap plastic aftermarket cap, it goes in the recycle bin. If nothing else, I'm cleaning up the roadside! |
Ebay Stuff: http://shop.ebay.com/pktchng/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25 |
Edited by - Treasurekidd on 03/07/2010 14:00:58 |
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cptindy
Penny Hoarding Member
   

572 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2010 : 14:26:58
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I love this thread!
I have found tools (hand tools and power tools), furniture (all sorts I have refinished and sold or just sold outright), paintings, musical instruments, I have never purchased a bbq new (haha), I have found many appliances that contained coins (mostly dryers my biggest find was $22.00 and change in one machine)I take the machines apart and sell the components or swap parts and sell used. Automotive body parts and accessories(trailer hitches and such)Plenty of backyard kid toys that sell fast, restaurant equipment, industrial machines, lawn mowers, Uh, I can go on and on.
I love this countries consumer habits and waste it is a mountain of opportunity for the quick and wise.
I will never stop picking up the unwanted products most see as junk, almost everything has a buyer.
A month ago I picked up two cement machines and sold them as scrap after dissecting the valuables for a $1500.00 profit for 6 hours of work (which consisted of letting them load it on my trailer). Yes America keep on consuming and throwing away your "trash". |
"It is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting"
" The average man doesn't want to be free. He wants to be safe."
H.L. Mencken
http://silver-news-today.com/ |
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CrazyTom
Penny Sorter Member


USA
52 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2010 : 16:24:01
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Abandoned dead car batteries are the best! I keep a pair of leather gloves in the truck for handling such things. |
Read Atlas Shrugged if you want to know why this country is in the crapper. |
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Flbandit
Penny Hoarding Member
   

USA
851 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2010 : 17:13:01
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I've gotten aluminum ladders, a 6" angle grinder, A SS mirror assembly from a Big Rig, and an aluminum running board from a truck. That doesn't even count change, or smaller metal items! |
Are you throwing that out? |
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simplicitycounts
Penny Hoarding Member
   

USA
535 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2010 : 23:14:56
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I don't stop to often for things but on a country road I stopped for a piece of flashing (I thought it was aluminum, ended up being steel) and a metal garbage can lid. Prolly flew out when someone was hauling trash. I stopped for a blanket on the highway once when no one was coming. It was a uhaul blue packing blanket, brought it home and washed it. Still use it for moving furniture. I live in town so I will often walk the sidewalks or side roads looking for cans and pieces of scrap metal. Cans are 1.4 cents each in MN for their aluminum value right now, no redemption. My dad found a freon removal kit when he was out jogging once. He called all the local HVAC places in town and no one knew who it belonged to. He ended up giving it to a local mechanic. I have heard of a lot of people finding wrenches. Someone leaves them on the bumper when they are working on a car and they vibrate off down the road. Never know what you will find. |
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GA-Silver
Penny Pincher Member
 

USA
238 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2010 : 12:30:45
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I found a half full container of hand sanitizer in a parking deck this weekend. |
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nologiks
Penny Sorter Member


83 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2010 : 13:18:36
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I have picked up bags of alum cans.. Thats is the extent of my pick up.. But I hadnt thought of picking up hubcaps.. Ill have to keep the eye out. |
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coppertone
Penny Sorter Member


Canada
63 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2010 : 17:05:19
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A dandy set of booster cables! |
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Hirbonzig
Penny Collector Member
  

USA
451 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2010 : 17:17:57
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As more and more snow melts I'm finding alot of Al cans. Also found an old wheelbarrow with broken tools in it. |
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Mcprice302
Penny Collector Member
  

USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 07:45:48
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It used to be that I could go out on the day before city trash pickup and within maybe 3 or 4 hours have my truck and 16ft. trailer loaded up with appliances, aluminum windows, and other scrap. It's nothing like it was back 2-3 years ago around here. Too many people doing it now, and I think alot of the property owners are cashing it in themselves now as well. There will probably be some opportunities come about when it gets warmer and people start doing home repairs again, at least I hope. As far as what all I've found, I dont think the forum has enough space to hold all that information, lol. Ahh, the good old days... |
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copperhead57
Penny Collector Member
  

USA
255 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 11:04:39
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Over the years, I have found hundreds of collectible bottles and cans along roads. I frequently pick up old hub caps too, but only if they are from the 50's and 60's. I found a decent 1956 Ford grille a few years ago, and I sold it for $50.00 on eBay. 
I also found a 12 gauge shotgun a few years ago. I reported it to the local sheriff, and he told me that if the owner could not be found, I could keep it. He kept his word, because it is mine now.  |
copperhead57 |
Edited by - copperhead57 on 03/10/2010 11:13:35 |
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FormerHSPrincipal
Penny Sorter Member


USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 14:33:33
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Today I got very lucky. On what is one of the last snow / ice piles along the road, I spied something shiny hanging out the side of the ice pack. After pulling off and running back to the spot, I found a section of heavy chain. After a few minutes of pulling and kicking, I became to proud owner of a 12 ft. chain with two clevis hooks on it. As most of you know, one can never have too many heavy duty chains. |
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cptindy
Penny Hoarding Member
   

572 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 16:20:56
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Very Nice Find! |
"It is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting"
" The average man doesn't want to be free. He wants to be safe."
H.L. Mencken
http://silver-news-today.com/ |
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thogey
1000+ Penny Miser Member
    

USA
1617 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 16:25:54
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Man that is a great find,
Those chains are expensive. I use them all the time. I was really POed when we lost an 8 footer. But happy again when I dug a 30 footer (heavy) with hooks out of someone's trash heap. |
Come to the new and improved realcent: http://realcent.org
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pencilvanian
1000+ Penny Miser Member
    

USA
2209 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 20:26:57
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My dad was the king of road side/found in the middle of the road finds
he found- Several screwdrivers several pairs of pliers a Craftsman socket wrench gloves a zippo lighter
And these were just the items he found in the midde of the road!
I have not mentioned the goodies he found while junking!
While junking/looking for aluminum cans he found- $18 cash a 10K gold ring a 1.5 gram 14k playboy bunny charm along with aluminum cans
he really was the king of finding good stuff.
The only item I have found worth mentioning was a salt water fishing reel I found in the middle of thestreet, I gave to an uncle who was an avid fisherman.
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scooter
Penny Pincher Member
 
240 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2010 : 21:11:21
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I found a half full container of hand sanitizer in a parking deck this weekend."
haha a 1/2 container, are you sure this wasnt a crime that you may have commited with out knowing it, A container in a parking lot is not a item found on the side of the road,
i hope you dont make a mistake that could cause you trouble. |
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FormerHSPrincipal
Penny Sorter Member


USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2010 : 20:54:01
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What is the old saying about, "Possession is 9/10 of the law". Hopefully it is still true ... |
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GA-Silver
Penny Pincher Member
 

USA
238 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2010 : 13:05:10
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Well, the parking deck was empty, so I don't think that I broke broke any law. |
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GA-Silver
Penny Pincher Member
 

USA
238 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2010 : 14:44:32
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Pelts.....the new "green" scrapping! |
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Dumpster Diver
Penny Collector Member
  

USA
474 Posts |
Posted - 03/27/2010 : 20:44:45
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Locked the brakes up the other day to retrieve a spool of copper wire...2 lbs stripped at best  |
"You're not really gonna throw that out...are you"? |
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wavecrazed
Penny Sorter Member


USA
69 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2010 : 21:54:37
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Ok this was a good find for me. The other saturday heading to the recycler, I make a sharp left turn at the 4 way intersection. I see a big tree limb about 4 inches in diameter and 7 feet long like it fell off a truck. I get to the recycler and see a guy weighing tree limbs on the scale. Duh, I high tail it out of there and go back and pick it up. It was about 4o lbs of insulated copper wire. Bling easy 40 dollars at another recycler as they closed at 1. |
scrappin" all over |
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cpthnsolo
Penny Sorter Member


50 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2010 : 15:53:26
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The coolest thing I've found in recent memory has to be the decoy deer that I found. It's quite weathered but it looks great in my buddy's back yard .
It looks similar to this:
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DSK
New Member

Australia
7 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2010 : 22:06:22
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I picked a porn mag once....For the news content of coarse... |
DSK |
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FormerHSPrincipal
Penny Sorter Member


USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2010 : 05:20:13
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Nice Buck ... Hopefully this picture was taken "before" you practiced your archery skills, rather than afterwards! |
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