Author Topic: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain  (Read 7037 times)

Dicey

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #50 on: February 03, 2024, 10:03:38 AM »
Love this thread! One college I attended started a very cool program where stuff left behind in dorm rooms at the end of the spring semester is now stored in sections of the football stadium building over the summer and then sold back to students in the fall. The prices are affordable for the incoming students, the money raised goes to local charities, and a couple barge's worth of desk chairs and such doesn't end up in the landfill. It's fantastic..
This is brilliant! Kudos to whoever thought of it and followed up on it!


Metalcat

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #52 on: February 03, 2024, 02:03:41 PM »
I知 trying to picture a bar cart designed as a globe. I知 going to go Google those words and see what comes up.

They were super popular for awhile and then came back in popularity as a retro item.


BlueHouse

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #54 on: February 03, 2024, 05:24:31 PM »
I知 trying to picture a bar cart designed as a globe. I知 going to go Google those words and see what comes up.

Like this. They used to be trendy for a while.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/c/bar-furniture/home-bars?t=24415&featuredproduct=20176603&featuredoption=33524241&ci_sku=26069479-000-000&cnc=US&cid=323894&type=pla&targetid=&track=pspla&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pspla&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzonEgNqPhAMV2UpHAR2XuQIrEAQYAiABEgI1GvD_BwE

That is exactly it!  I put it out on the sidewalk today and it disappeared after 40 minutes.   I think all men want these and all their wives put the kibosh on it!  Wonder if I'll see it out on the street again on another block!

FireLane

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #55 on: February 04, 2024, 09:30:41 AM »
The other week, I saw a big, beautiful red leather suitcase out on the curb for bulk pickup. Nothing wrong with it, it wasn't even scuffed. I had to take it home. I don't need luggage, but I have plenty of old clothes and books in my attic that need to be organized and stored.

My only rule is that I wouldn't take anything with fabric parts. I'd be concerned about bedbugs. Everything else is fair game.

Dicey

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #56 on: February 04, 2024, 10:47:08 AM »
The other week, I saw a big, beautiful red leather suitcase out on the curb for bulk pickup. Nothing wrong with it, it wasn't even scuffed. I had to take it home. I don't need luggage, but I have plenty of old clothes and books in my attic that need to be organized and stored.

My only rule is that I wouldn't take anything with fabric parts. I'd be concerned about bedbugs. Everything else is fair game.
If it's small, you can put it oi a plastic bag, seal it up, and check on it in later. If there are bedbugs, you can just toss the whole bag.

GuitarStv

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #57 on: February 04, 2024, 02:40:52 PM »
The other week, I saw a big, beautiful red leather suitcase out on the curb for bulk pickup. Nothing wrong with it, it wasn't even scuffed. I had to take it home. I don't need luggage, but I have plenty of old clothes and books in my attic that need to be organized and stored.

My only rule is that I wouldn't take anything with fabric parts. I'd be concerned about bedbugs. Everything else is fair game.
If it's small, you can put it oi a plastic bag, seal it up, and check on it in later. If there are bedbugs, you can just toss the whole bag.

. . . or put it in the plastic bag in the hot sun for a few hour (over 50C will kill 'em in about 20 minutes, over 45C takes about an hour and a half).

former player

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #58 on: February 04, 2024, 05:24:47 PM »
I live near a beach and the amount of stuff that gets left behind over the summer is astonishing.  I will never be short of a dog towel.

Just Joe

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #59 on: February 10, 2024, 01:51:06 PM »
I just found a couple mirrors on the side of the road today, so I'm going to see if there's an artful way to arrange them in the basement to brighten it up a bit.

Rewatch Indiana Jones. Apparently sunbeams bouncing around off of shiny things can be dangerous...

Gerard

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #60 on: February 12, 2024, 09:40:12 AM »
I just found a couple mirrors on the side of the road today, so I'm going to see if there's an artful way to arrange them in the basement to brighten it up a bit.
I just saw something in a shelter magazine where people put the mirrors on the ceiling near the window, rather than on the walls where you'd expect them. A lot of basement-window light is reflecting up from the ground, so a ceiling mirror would really help to bounce that farther into the room.

GuitarStv

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #61 on: February 12, 2024, 10:11:41 AM »
I just found a couple mirrors on the side of the road today, so I'm going to see if there's an artful way to arrange them in the basement to brighten it up a bit.
I just saw something in a shelter magazine where people put the mirrors on the ceiling near the window, rather than on the walls where you'd expect them. A lot of basement-window light is reflecting up from the ground, so a ceiling mirror would really help to bounce that farther into the room.

I've thought of doing this.  Need to figure out a good way to hold them in place though.  I can rig up a simple wooden wall holder, but the ceiling seems like it would require more support in the middle of the mirror (they start to flex and bend a bit when held out like that).

haflander

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #62 on: February 12, 2024, 10:17:07 AM »
DW just picked up some raised garden beds yesterday in my truck. Bonus for me: I won't have to build her any from scratch for the spring. Most of the things we find are from our local equivalent of a FB buy nothing group. It's just named after our neighborhood. It helps that we're in a quirky liberal college town and people value old stuff and giving it away instead of trashing it. Other free FB finds recently include a nice high chair.

People often put stuff on the curb. I found 2 nice toddler walk/push toys + a hose reel cart that way. We got rid of our old high chair + unwanted framed crap with "curb specials." + an old patio table set pitched in favor of a new one we got for free from family.

This is all in the past year. I'm sure I'm forgetting several things found in years past, like the wood rolling office chair I'm looking at right now.

When we lived in apts there was often stuff around the dumpsters. Plenty of nice and clean boxes for storage or moving. My favorite ever find was ~100 old Playboy magazines in good shape. I had to get rid of half of them when moving, they're just so heavy and take up a lot of space. I'm afraid they would get destroyed (eaten, rotted, nested) if I put them in the attic. Hoping that I can cash them in for at least a few hundred dollars when we need $ (they date back to the 60s, IIRC). Or give them to the DS when he's in his 20s as a funny/stupid inheritance, who knows.

LiveLean

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #63 on: February 13, 2024, 01:18:34 PM »

We're in the process of downsizing having also just cleared out a deceased parent's apartment. A few things to consider:

1. Nobody wants furniture. It's tough to even give away. I rented a truck and took stuff to the Salvation Army. Even waiting around on FB Marketplace idiots to pick stuff up for free wasn't worth the aggravation.

2. Because nobody wants furniture, the built-ins trend is growing. Our new home has built-in dresser/entertainment center in the master bedroom and built-ins in the closets and throughout the home. We'll give 70-80 percent of our existing stuff away.

3. I miss the glory days of Craigslist -- 2012-2018. You could buy and sell anything in the $100-$300 range. We turned over a lot of furniture. FB Marketplace has conditioned everyone to want free only. So many times with my dad's stuff I'd put it up for $50-$75 and get crickets. But the moment I put free I'd get 50 DMs. If you wanted it that badly, wasn't it worth $50?

GuitarStv

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #64 on: February 13, 2024, 01:28:45 PM »
Picked up a new scarf from the ground today.  Looks nicer that the scarf I found a couple months ago, so after it's washed I'll put it in rotation.

Sanitary Stache

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #65 on: February 13, 2024, 01:44:22 PM »
I just joined the built in craze. Loft beds, desks, a bench, closets, shelves.

Also just picked up a reusable plastic shopping bag in good condition. I added it to my pile of bags.

Poundwise

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #66 on: February 21, 2024, 07:43:45 AM »
Hilarious, I was about to post about how there is no such thing as free curb stuff in Newfoundland because they will sell literally anything.

FB marketplace in NL is packed with literal garbage listed for real money. My local "antiques" shop is literally mostly old garbage, like selling a "vintage" WD40 can, which is really just a half-empty WD40 can from 2005, for $10.

This is actually pretty sweet, that nothing is wasted.

I wish there were somewhere I could donate open containers of things that I don't need anymore or that didn't work out for me. Sometimes I'm able to find a friend who will take an open container of something, but I am not aware of any thrift stores that will accept open containers of anything.

@FrugalShrew I'm coming late to this conversation, but I had great success in posting open containers on the Craigslist free sales section. The trick is to bunch things up, because it's not worth people's while/fuel to travel for just part of a container. When I was emptying my parents' home, I posted on Craigslist a picture of a (clean) garbage can plus a bunch of partially used cleaning liquids and a couple of mops. I got dozens of responses, I accepted the person who was willing to come soonest to take all of it, and it they were gone within two hours. Same thing goes for shampoos, conditioners, or even food that weren't a good fit.

ChpBstrd

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #67 on: February 21, 2024, 08:30:26 AM »
I scored a pair of USA-made 2001 Klipsch RF-3 floor speakers off the curb in January.

One of them had a dull-sounding tweeter. A replacement titanium dome was ordered on eBay for $19 and new ferrofluid for $10. It worked, and they now sound great.

Will put them up for sale soon at an asking price of $125 or $150.

FrugalShrew

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #68 on: February 21, 2024, 09:17:12 AM »
@FrugalShrew I'm coming late to this conversation, but I had great success in posting open containers on the Craigslist free sales section. The trick is to bunch things up, because it's not worth people's while/fuel to travel for just part of a container. When I was emptying my parents' home, I posted on Craigslist a picture of a (clean) garbage can plus a bunch of partially used cleaning liquids and a couple of mops. I got dozens of responses, I accepted the person who was willing to come soonest to take all of it, and it they were gone within two hours. Same thing goes for shampoos, conditioners, or even food that weren't a good fit.

That makes sense about batching things. Thanks for the tip, @Poundwise!

neophyte

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #69 on: February 26, 2024, 07:02:07 PM »
A word of caution. I'll be moving soon and I'm planning to throw away almost all my furniture. Maybe suitcases. Probably a bunch of clothes and other things too. I may deface it all before I do. Why? Bedbugs.

I didn't get them from dumpster diving, but I'll never be as comfortable getting secondhand things as I was before.  We saw the first one crawling across the living room floor two days after we moved to this terrible apartment. I cried.


Metalcat

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #70 on: February 26, 2024, 07:06:11 PM »
A word of caution. I'll be moving soon and I'm planning to throw away almost all my furniture. Maybe suitcases. Probably a bunch of clothes and other things too. I may deface it all before I do. Why? Bedbugs.

I didn't get them from dumpster diving, but I'll never be as comfortable getting secondhand things as I was before.  We saw the first one crawling across the living room floor two days after we moved to this terrible apartment. I cried.

Ugh, I would too. I'm so sorry, what a nightmare.

Cranky

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #71 on: March 07, 2024, 09:29:32 AM »
In our old neighborhood in Ohio, pretty much anything I set out at the curb got taken. The scrappers snapped up anything metal, no matter if it was truly junky.

Now we're in a much more prosperous area, and the difference is pretty interesting. Stuff just sits at the curb until the Big Stuff Trash truck makes its rounds. I've trash picked a zillion nice big pots for gardening, and loads of storage bins. A metal patio table. An unopened bag of charcoal.

And Buy Nothing here is amazing. I for one am happy to take your box of random cleaning products.

Metalcat

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #72 on: March 07, 2024, 12:21:37 PM »
Good point, I kind of forgot about BN because the BN group in my part of town is kind of a dud. There's supposedly a more active one in the downtown area, but I don't think it makes sense for me distance-wise. I'm glad at least some people have places to offload their open containers and leftover birthday cake. :)

Oh no, it's absolutely worth it.

I joined a BN group for a neighbourhood further away because my area is quite poor and the next neighborhood over is extremely wealthy.

It's worth the drive for some of the stuff they give away. I recently got a Colombia down parka. I have really good winter gear but I've always preferred short coats, but with the giant titanium rod in my femur, my uncovered leg gets super cold, so I wanted a nice, thick, warm parka until I can get the rod out. But even used they're a couple hundred dollars.

So yeah, I was absolutely willing to drive to go pick up the coat, which I'll probably just relist on the BN group in my poorer neighbourhood once the rod it out.

Today I'm picking up a Rubbermaid bin of wool and cashmere sweaters.

Wow, you could not have provided an example that was more convincing. I used to avoid wool and cashmere as too fancy, but as a perpetually cold person, in the last year or so I have gotten hooked because they are so warm! Also trying to move away from synthetic fibers. Your sweater haul sounds so amazing.

It really is.

I'm currently wearing one oversized thin cashmere sweater that is the only one that had some tiny holes in it, but it's perfect because I've been avoiding wearing my nice cashmeres/wools around the house because I don't want to damage them, and a lot of them are fitted.

This one is like a slouchy cashmere pyjama top, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to practically live in it.

I just wanted to come back and comment that I just noticed yesterday my slouch cashmere pyjama top that I do practically live in is apparently Armani, which explains why it is by far the richest cashmere in my collection.

I can see why someone would throw it out because it has a few tiny holes around the neckline that can't reasonably be fixed, but even though it's the only top I have that I wouldn't wear out in public, it's the one I get the most use out of, so I'm actually glad it has a few holes, because that means I wear it literally all the time around the house (I work from home), and it's the softest cashmere I've ever felt.

So it might be someone else's junk because it's not longer useful as a fancy designer shirt, but holy crap is it a luxury pyjama experience.

Dicey

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #73 on: March 08, 2024, 11:22:12 AM »
Good point, I kind of forgot about BN because the BN group in my part of town is kind of a dud. There's supposedly a more active one in the downtown area, but I don't think it makes sense for me distance-wise. I'm glad at least some people have places to offload their open containers and leftover birthday cake. :)

Oh no, it's absolutely worth it.

I joined a BN group for a neighbourhood further away because my area is quite poor and the next neighborhood over is extremely wealthy.

It's worth the drive for some of the stuff they give away. I recently got a Colombia down parka. I have really good winter gear but I've always preferred short coats, but with the giant titanium rod in my femur, my uncovered leg gets super cold, so I wanted a nice, thick, warm parka until I can get the rod out. But even used they're a couple hundred dollars.

So yeah, I was absolutely willing to drive to go pick up the coat, which I'll probably just relist on the BN group in my poorer neighbourhood once the rod it out.

Today I'm picking up a Rubbermaid bin of wool and cashmere sweaters.

Wow, you could not have provided an example that was more convincing. I used to avoid wool and cashmere as too fancy, but as a perpetually cold person, in the last year or so I have gotten hooked because they are so warm! Also trying to move away from synthetic fibers. Your sweater haul sounds so amazing.

It really is.

I'm currently wearing one oversized thin cashmere sweater that is the only one that had some tiny holes in it, but it's perfect because I've been avoiding wearing my nice cashmeres/wools around the house because I don't want to damage them, and a lot of them are fitted.

This one is like a slouchy cashmere pyjama top, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to practically live in it.

I just wanted to come back and comment that I just noticed yesterday my slouch cashmere pyjama top that I do practically live in is apparently Armani, which explains why it is by far the richest cashmere in my collection.

I can see why someone would throw it out because it has a few tiny holes around the neckline that can't reasonably be fixed, but even though it's the only top I have that I wouldn't wear out in public, it's the one I get the most use out of, so I'm actually glad it has a few holes, because that means I wear it literally all the time around the house (I work from home), and it's the softest cashmere I've ever felt.

So it might be someone else's junk because it's not longer useful as a fancy designer shirt, but holy crap is it a luxury pyjama experience.
Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

Metalcat

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #74 on: March 08, 2024, 01:47:43 PM »

Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

Goooood to know! My pyjama merino is light, light blue, so that makes sense. It's sooo soft.

crocheted_stache

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #75 on: March 10, 2024, 09:27:52 AM »
We live in an affluent area, so we have some pretty good trash and secondhand things. We have a pair of trash-picked Waterford crystal goblets, which we keep in a china cabinet that, with its matching table and chairs, we inherited from a family friend who was cleaning out her late mother's stuff about when we moved in.

Shout out to the local Buy Nothing group for taking many of the things thrift stores can't. Someone else mentioned half-eaten pizzas and cakes. I've given and received excess foods from various delivery services, including stuff that went to the wrong house and can't go back. Gardeners offer excess crops, seeds, divisions, and cuttings. I'm sensitive to fragrances and not sure what all I'm allergic to, so when a shampoo, lotion, cleaning product, or some such makes me sneeze or itch, I can give the rest to a neighbor who's happy to have it.

Our BN group also has a lending library, in which all kinds of things make the rounds: tools, folding tables and chairs, small appliances, and things like kid-sized snow gear (only needed for travel out of our mild climate) and a travel case for flying with a car seat. I once asked to "borrow," and received, a much smaller quantity of Shoe Goo (adhesive) than comes in one tube. I made my repair and returned what remained.

We even exchange services and skills. One member is a notary. I helped someone mend a favorite bag that was a little too well-loved. Neighbors have helped others transport larger furniture that's given. Occasionally, someone will help a neighbor is moving out to list their excess stuff for the group.

I think it was either the blog or this forum that introduced me to the idea of "storing stuff on Craigslist." It's not an exaggeration that I store stuff on Buy Nothing. Knowing that I can reach into this network and come out with all kinds of things and even assistance saves me money, space, and stress.

Dicey

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #76 on: March 10, 2024, 10:06:23 AM »
Yesterday, someone offered half a warehouse-size tub of golden kiwis. Mr. Dicey picked them up while out doing errands. I sent along a jar of homemade apricot jam as a thank you. The giver added a jar of recently canned mango-jalapeno jam in return. The kiwis aren't yet ripe, so I don't have to rush to use them up, and I used the jam as a glaze for grilled asparagus last night. Yum.

Raenia

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #77 on: March 11, 2024, 08:06:19 AM »
Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

This is good to know, though I'm very sorry to hear it. I'm very sensitive to scratchy textures and have been hoping to add more wool and cashmere to my collection - but I also lean toward jewel tones rather than pastels. Seems I'm going to have to shop more carefully than I thought.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #78 on: March 11, 2024, 09:10:02 AM »

Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

Goooood to know! My pyjama merino is light, light blue, so that makes sense. It's sooo soft.

To keep the holes from becoming any bigger than they are, have you considered embroidering or adding applique around the neck? For just a couple dollars and some effort, you could dramatically extend the life of what's obviously a high quality garment, while possibly enhancing its appearance.

GuitarStv

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #79 on: March 11, 2024, 09:14:13 AM »

Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

Goooood to know! My pyjama merino is light, light blue, so that makes sense. It's sooo soft.

To keep the holes from becoming any bigger than they are, have you considered embroidering or adding applique around the neck? For just a couple dollars and some effort, you could dramatically extend the life of what's obviously a high quality garment, while possibly enhancing its appearance.

And if that doesn't work they make duct tape in many colours now.


Metalcat

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #80 on: March 11, 2024, 09:19:50 AM »

Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

Goooood to know! My pyjama merino is light, light blue, so that makes sense. It's sooo soft.

To keep the holes from becoming any bigger than they are, have you considered embroidering or adding applique around the neck? For just a couple dollars and some effort, you could dramatically extend the life of what's obviously a high quality garment, while possibly enhancing its appearance.

Not a bad idea

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #81 on: March 11, 2024, 12:05:23 PM »

Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

Goooood to know! My pyjama merino is light, light blue, so that makes sense. It's sooo soft.

To keep the holes from becoming any bigger than they are, have you considered embroidering or adding applique around the neck? For just a couple dollars and some effort, you could dramatically extend the life of what's obviously a high quality garment, while possibly enhancing its appearance.

And if that doesn't work they make duct tape in many colours now.



Including Red and Greene.

mspym

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #82 on: March 11, 2024, 01:39:48 PM »

Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

Goooood to know! My pyjama merino is light, light blue, so that makes sense. It's sooo soft.

To keep the holes from becoming any bigger than they are, have you considered embroidering or adding applique around the neck? For just a couple dollars and some effort, you could dramatically extend the life of what's obviously a high quality garment, while possibly enhancing its appearance.

Not a bad idea
There痴 some fantastic videos on visible mending out there.

FrugalShrew

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #83 on: March 11, 2024, 03:25:40 PM »
Good point, I kind of forgot about BN because the BN group in my part of town is kind of a dud. There's supposedly a more active one in the downtown area, but I don't think it makes sense for me distance-wise. I'm glad at least some people have places to offload their open containers and leftover birthday cake. :)

Oh no, it's absolutely worth it.

I joined a BN group for a neighbourhood further away because my area is quite poor and the next neighborhood over is extremely wealthy.

It's worth the drive for some of the stuff they give away. I recently got a Colombia down parka. I have really good winter gear but I've always preferred short coats, but with the giant titanium rod in my femur, my uncovered leg gets super cold, so I wanted a nice, thick, warm parka until I can get the rod out. But even used they're a couple hundred dollars.

So yeah, I was absolutely willing to drive to go pick up the coat, which I'll probably just relist on the BN group in my poorer neighbourhood once the rod it out.

Today I'm picking up a Rubbermaid bin of wool and cashmere sweaters.

Wow, you could not have provided an example that was more convincing. I used to avoid wool and cashmere as too fancy, but as a perpetually cold person, in the last year or so I have gotten hooked because they are so warm! Also trying to move away from synthetic fibers. Your sweater haul sounds so amazing.

It really is.

I'm currently wearing one oversized thin cashmere sweater that is the only one that had some tiny holes in it, but it's perfect because I've been avoiding wearing my nice cashmeres/wools around the house because I don't want to damage them, and a lot of them are fitted.

This one is like a slouchy cashmere pyjama top, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to practically live in it.

I just wanted to come back and comment that I just noticed yesterday my slouch cashmere pyjama top that I do practically live in is apparently Armani, which explains why it is by far the richest cashmere in my collection.

I can see why someone would throw it out because it has a few tiny holes around the neckline that can't reasonably be fixed, but even though it's the only top I have that I wouldn't wear out in public, it's the one I get the most use out of, so I'm actually glad it has a few holes, because that means I wear it literally all the time around the house (I work from home), and it's the softest cashmere I've ever felt.

So it might be someone else's junk because it's not longer useful as a fancy designer shirt, but holy crap is it a luxury pyjama experience.

Free Armani cashmere to wear around the house=stuff of dreams. It's funny how freeing it can be when stuff isn't "perfect" anymore. I really need to replicate this imperfect, around-the-house cashmere experience!

eyesonthehorizon

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #84 on: March 12, 2024, 05:34:01 AM »

Pro Tip: when raw cashmere is being sorted, the naturally darker material is used for deep tones, and the naturally lighter material is saved for whites and soft pastels. The lightest ones are invariably softer.  Try this if you're in a store with an array of colors. Your hand will feel the difference. Typically the cost is the same, which has always been a mystery to me.

Goooood to know! My pyjama merino is light, light blue, so that makes sense. It's sooo soft.

To keep the holes from becoming any bigger than they are, have you considered embroidering or adding applique around the neck? For just a couple dollars and some effort, you could dramatically extend the life of what's obviously a high quality garment, while possibly enhancing its appearance.

Not a bad idea
There痴 some fantastic videos on visible mending out there.

A number of artists now sell appliqu駸 direct (usually as patches) too because embroidery machines have gotten so good. I was planning on handmaking my own for the last round of cheap moth-munched merino I bought, but haven稚 gotten around to it yet.

Metalcat

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #85 on: March 12, 2024, 05:40:38 AM »

Free Armani cashmere to wear around the house=stuff of dreams
. It's funny how freeing it can be when stuff isn't "perfect" anymore. I really need to replicate this imperfect, around-the-house cashmere experience!

It really is, I've been fussing with my around-the-house wear for some time, and now I'm just always happy.

And you're right, the big haul of wool stuff also included another ultra soft, pale cashmere top, but I rarely wear it because it's perfect and I worry about spilling on it.

The holes in the lounge wear one are a feature, not a flaw. Lol.

Dicey

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #86 on: March 12, 2024, 09:03:16 AM »

Free Armani cashmere to wear around the house=stuff of dreams
. It's funny how freeing it can be when stuff isn't "perfect" anymore. I really need to replicate this imperfect, around-the-house cashmere experience!

It really is, I've been fussing with my around-the-house wear for some time, and now I'm just always happy.

And you're right, the big haul of wool stuff also included another ultra soft, pale cashmere top, but I rarely wear it because it's perfect and I worry about spilling on it.

The holes in the lounge wear one are a feature, not a flaw. Lol.
Of course, but should you have a change of heart, you could always invite @deborah for a visit. She could turn your holy [sic] sweaters into works of art.

Josiecat22222

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #87 on: March 12, 2024, 07:09:14 PM »
My MPP is I don't have a luxurious holey Armani cashmere sweater to lounge in.


Dicey

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #88 on: March 13, 2024, 12:13:37 AM »
My MPP is I don't have a luxurious holey Armani cashmere sweater to lounge in.
How hard have you looked for one?

Metalcat

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Re: Stuff people just throw out - their loss, my gain
« Reply #89 on: March 13, 2024, 05:11:46 AM »
My MPP is I don't have a luxurious holey Armani cashmere sweater to lounge in.

It's long too, almost sleep shirt length.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!