Curbside shopping

[Thrift Shop Romantic]

Oh dear! NO cascading in the house! :-)

Good advice, Alexandra. I never would have even imagined that.

[Mattie]

Wilbur the Wonderdog was incontinent the last year or so of his life.  He spent much of his time on a chair I'd thrifted many years earlier.  His diapers often leaked.  One morning after he died, I dragged his chair out to the curb.  I decided to be totally honest so nobody would get a stinky surprise if they took it. 

When I got home from work, there was nothing left but four streaks on the sidewalk from the chair legs being dragged to a vehicle. 

There's somebody out there who will take ANYTHING.

[alexandra]

We bought our home from a couple who did a lot of curbside shopping.  The guy was a city building inspector -- so he was out in his truck and driving around the city all day.  His wife was an uphosterer.  This lady had talent.  I've never seen anyone who so meticulously matched up seams and patterns.

Anyway, this guy would find old furniture and upholstered peices, bring them home, and she would transform them.  When they moved, they didn't take all the stuff with them.  Some friends salvaged from the barn and we were left with the rest.  Some of it had to go -- as I do not possess any upholstery talent -- but some cool stuff remained.

As a result, we have some pretty odd stuff (old windows, etc.).  But... if her husband had grabbed your chair, she'd have gutted it and redone it.  Actually having to pay a pro to do that can make these finds less than a bargain!

I did get a lovely arm chair at an Estate Sale, and I had an uphosterer recover it.  I sent along two cane chairs that this couple had salvaged, and had the guy upholster the seats in the same material as the chair.  That wasn't too pricey because the labor was nominal, and he cut me a break because of the bigger  job.

If all the stuffing is removed and the frame cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner, there should be no residual urine.  Cleaning with enzyme and then putting on a couple of coats of polyurethane is the best bet.

For anyone else -- the only hope you have to get pet odors and waste out of anything, is to use an enzymatic cleaner.  Even if you can't see the stain or smell anything, cats and dogs will.  Enzyme solutions break down the protein molecules, while non-enzymatic cleaners only remove them visually or mask the smell.

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[navajo6000]

I HAVE BEEN CURBSIDE SHOPPING FOR 25 YEARS.  IT STARTED WHEN I FOUND A BEAUTIFUL CRIB AND MATTRESS A LADY WAS PUTTING OUT, AND SINCE I WAS NEWLY PREGNANT (4 WEEKS) I COULDN'T RESIST. MATTRESS STILL HAD WRAPPING SHE SAID IT WAS A GIFT AND SHE DIDN'T LIKE IT.
WELL THAT GOT ME STARTED CAUSE THE NEXT MONTH WAS TRASH WEEK AND I HAULED 26 CRIBS AND ABOUT 12 EXCELLENT MATTRESSES HOME. DISINFECTED ALL, OILED WHAT NEEDED IT AND TIGHTENED WHAT NEEDED. OUR LOCAL FREE PAPER HAD FREE ADS FOR THINGS PEOPLE SOLD SO I PUT ADD IN FOR "CRIB" W/MATTRESS LIKE NEW $25. WELL I GOT SO MANY CALLS THAT I SOLD ALL OF THEM AND MADE A COOL $650.00
WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY I GOT HOOKED
WE STARTED TO "HOG" EVERYTHING WE COULD GET OUR HANDS ON AND STARTED HITTING THE FLEAMARKET CIRCUIT SELLING
I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT BY THE TIME MY SON WAS BORN IN SEPTEMBER I HAD A COMPLETE LAYETTE BOUGHT EVEN A BOBBY MAC CARSEAT/STROLLER $159.99 (1982 IT WAS THE BEST) (I HAD NO BABY SHOWER)PLUS WAS ABLE TO BUY A NICE USED STATION WAGON FOR $2,200.
ON AVERAGE I GROSS BETWEEN $5,000-$18,000 A YEAR "JUNKING"
BOUGHT MY HOUSE FOR CASH, PAY ALL MY HOUSE TAXES, INSURANCE, REPAIRS
NOW I GOT ONE GOING TO COLLEGE THIS YEAR AND ONE NEXT SO I AM SAVING FOR "COLLEGE" XTRAS
AND THE OLDEST THAT STARTED THIS IS A JUNKER PRO
HAPPY JUNKING

[tiamatgreen]

You guys are all so great and smart with your finds!  I envy those of you with designated trash pick-up days in your neighborhoods.

Except for the chairs and a 60s print pic, I haven't really taken much from curbs, though I have seen a lot of great stuff thru the years, I didn't/don't really have room in  my home or a place to store it. 

Dianne, thank you for the lovely compliments!  I know exactly the art you are talking about...I think the WWII guys had Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth and their look-alikes on their planes. Very naughty, in a delicious way! And the 50s stuff!  Tres ~kewl~ there's a model named Betty something- or-other ( a movie just came out about her last year, I think) that really personifies that 50s pin-up look you love.

Bettie Page! I love her! And all that 50s pin-up type artwork, the Vargas girls and such. I trash-pick as well, although I haven't made a point of driving around to check out the piles in a while, but if I see something cool I will stop to take a look.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I've picked up so much from the curb its not funny.  Here are some of my best finds though...  A black & red vinyl streamline style beauty chair (you know, the one with the hair dryer on top), an orange 60's modern armchair, a 50's vintage mini console stereo, vintage vacuums, etc.

-Jay

[Tammy]

The town next to ours started their throwaway curb weekend last night.  I realized I have no patience when we were driving over there as my husband seemed to be puttering along the back road to the town.  He seemed to be puttering but was driving exactly the speed limit.  I probably would have been going 5 over.  Anyway, there was stuff out but I'm about to get my son up so we can run over again as more people will probably put stuff out this morning.  So far I've picked up:

4 snow shovels
3 brooms
2 square tomato cages
4 crib sides to use to prop my tomatos up - 1 of the cribs is really pretty with spindle wood
3 long sections of that really tall garden fence that looks like it's upside U's at the top.  I think it's like 3' high
several sections of the smaller same upside u border fence
a metal chair that was broken that has the coolest design in the metal.  I'm thinking use the back piece for garden junk. 
(funny I can imagine this stuff and make it look really pretty in my head but I never seem to get it done)
berry boxes and cute larger wooden berry decorative boxes
4 canning jars with lids - thought they'd be handy for something
2 of those tall Halloween /fall scarecrows in excellent shape  (can I put one in my garden or will the rain ruin it?)
more pcs of pvc pipe and another pcv frame like they have that you use as a hamper ( I use these as playstands for my parrots)
a really nice bird feeder that was sitting on someone's sidewalk by the end of the drive.  Husband thought maybe it blew out of a tree but in the excitment of a bird feeder I grabbed it. 
Another bird feeder that is on a wood post with a squirrel guard on it.  We don't have squirrels but they drive my mom nuts so maybe I'll take it to her house.
Also for my mom, a new package of garden edging for the little tree we got her for Mother's day.
A garden hose that is in a gray hose holder. 
A huge box of Xmas lights that I saw at a garage sale there last weekend for $5
a box of misc phones/caller ids
Some really nice decorative baskets

Several things I saw that I wanted but my Ranger was packed to the top of the topper, were a little tikes picnic table, a glider/rocker chair, a dresser. 

Guess I'll get him up and we'll run over again.  What fun!!!

[stewardmmj]

Today, I was heading home from the bank and I spotted some Denise Austin Free Weights with the stand in good condition.  The owner told me that I was welcome to them.  I cleaned them up and disinfected them and these are a great addition to our home gym.   

[valleythriftshopper]

I love roadside freebies!  During tag sale season if I don't get up early on a Saturday morning, I will drive around in the areas where there were listed tag sales to check out the free boxes, people usually start putting them out around noon when they are ready to give up on their sales.  I have found some nice stuff