Our sofa was destined to be thrown away by my husband's sister's family -- we needed one, that one had been rebuilt a few times with 2x4s, so it's pretty sturdy, but the upholstery is a disaster, so I bought a throw cover from eBay and it's the focal piece in our living room.  My daughter's bed mattress and box spring was something one of the neighbors had set out for the trash, that I spotted when I was walking the dog. 

I subscribe to my local Yahoo Freecycle group, and we've acquired a cellphone for my daughter from there, since her's broke before her contract was up.  There are "curb alerts" at the Freecycle group all the time, where people will post something they see at the curb on trash day that they think is usuable.

In college we cruised neighborhoods for old couches and chairs....found a gem. A red leather chair in a heavy red frame. Carted it off in a Ford 150...shlepped it up 3 floors....that chair lived with me for 4 years. Reading, making out, BS all nighters, trials and tribulations. Had to give it up at the end of college. I mourned "Old Red".

You just reminded me of it and the fun I had in that total freebie. Gave it to friends who were sophomores. That chair is probably still there!

Thanks for sharing Karen, I've gotten two sticks of 1 gb desktop ram, two sticks of 2 gb laptop ram, a power supply, dart board, and a Zippo lighter.

That's cool Doc, glad I could stir up some happy memories! ........it would be cool if it was still there!

......the lunch room at work is filled with old couches and chairs!

I'm not personally afflicted with the yard sale bug, but I know my aunt is. Whenever they go somewhere, it always takes 3 times as long as it should due to my aunt stopping at every yard sale she sees!

even so, there has to be at least one thing You've fonud over the years......... a guy I know found a laptop, and all it needed was a new battery and power adapter, He eventually upgraged the ram........but, other than that, it works!

Then you probably avoided the bed bugs too.... 

  good one Doc!

I'm into collecting old movie posters.

Imagine my surprise when I found this poster in a neighbor's yard sale!!!

I once found a 1940's soda syphon complete with the duffle cap in a rubbish tip shop for 3 bucks, it was the best antique find I have ever bought. I still have it.

my second favourite find was an antique gladstone bag in a vinnies shop, i still have that too, and use it often.

Once, I found a foreign man in the garbage can.  I should of left him there...  

I generally don't look though others throw-aways or go into op shops... but I once left my ex-missus out with the trash, hoping she'd become another man's treasure, but no such luck.

Hmmm, well lets see here.  How about going into a Goodwill thrift store several years back and buying 2 pieces of 14K gold jewelry selling for $3.75, then turning around and taking them to a jeweler and selling them for over $110.  Now that was a fun day! 

Uh oh! Someones sleeping on the couch tonight...or maybe the curb!

You're awesome Seth! 

Cool stuff Kitty!

Does that mean You took Him home????

That's a real score Tom!

That reminds Me........ I was doing a stop at an appartment building and on top of the bags was a mattress and then a large rug on top of that......... My partner went to grab the rug and a guy jumped out from under it. He must have been out the night before ...... passed out drunk  and pulled the rug over himself........... My partner was so startled He almost knocked the guy out!

Nah, that was the ex... she's been gone 25 or more years now, so I'm sleeping inside tonight.

I was caretaker at a posh highrise and you wouldn't believe the beautiful stuff they just threw out. Keyboards,signed pics, blankets,lamps,tv's. But the best ever was toilet paper. I guess new place new toilet paper.

(I should mention there was a huge table one could put their unwanted stuff on in the garbage room.)

I grabbed an old Macintosh Plus with manual. Apparently the third they came out with. It's only worth $25.00. 

But I love it.

Sounds like some good finds IROKONESS ......as for the TP, maybe they just didn't like the type, I prefer the straight foward sturdy stuff, all that fluffy stuff just breaks appart on Me.... or maybe they think they're going to catch some germs.

Before My current occupation I worked in a hardware store/home center, they were always throwing out damaged or defective items. I was able to get parts to maintain My BBQ grill that I had won in a contest, at the time it was a $700 grill and although I no longer work there and have had to invest $100 since....it's lasted Me 10 years so far!

One of these...same as the one on the right....

Orrefors Crystal Decanter .... in a garage sale [that's what we call a yard sale] .... $2.