(Sounds nicer than saying dumpster diving eh?)

We can learn a lot about a society just from looking what we throw away (see Garbology).

When I lived in Berisso it was really odd to see on the curb something that worked or was fixable.

Here in La Plata and without even trying I stumble upon stuff that is just a little bit broken if not working (albeit a tad old).

This last two months among other things I picked up with my bike basket:

• A vacuum cleaner, complete with hoses. Only needed a carbon brush replacement.
• Home audio amplifier. The cd tray is stuck but we feed it from the line in. A bit heavy but very nice sound.
• Mantle top fan. Works fine as a fan but the pivoting mechanism is acting up. Just needed a thorough cleaning.
• Leather briefcase. Sold in less than a day as a theater prop.
• Wooden wine rack. Works fine for other beverages too.

This is not exactly dumpster diving but I also helped the widow of a neighbor silent key to clean up his shop.
Out of the deal I got:

• Two 100Mbps rackable switches. They work but at that speed I only want them for the chassis and supplies
• An antique lamp. Already restoring it.
• A Commodore 1541 dirve and some original CompuServe disks. On their way to a museum.
• A very old (when telegraphs were the norm) glass insulator and threaded pole made of hardwood. Has the right volume to make a shot glass.
• A modern medium voltage insulator. It’s quite heavy but in nice condition. I’ll probably make a lamp out of it.
• Lots of heatsinks and coolers.
• Old cans of candy and medicines. They don’t have a high monetary value but are collectible and can be traded for something else.