Curb Shopping

**RyanScrap** · 10-28-2013, 03:34 PM

I am just wondering what personal guidelines everyone has when curb shopping.

Today coming back to work from lunch I saw two tvs sitting close to the curb (with nothing written on them) facing the street.

Before this I saw some sheet metal that looked worn/rusted sitting on the corner of this property near the curb with nothing around it.

The tvs were at the front of the one house, and the metal was at the back of the land for the other house in a very far corner of the property by the curb(laying completely flat).

I have looked up threads to try and figure out what is acceptable behavior when curb shopping, what the gray area is, and what the absolutely wrong is.

So far I have found that stealing is wrong (completely agree). But when is it stealing? When is it ok?

Being new it is hard to know what is acceptable, what could get you talked to, and what will land you in a bad place you do not want to be.

Quite a few of the curb shopping videos I see nobody is communicating with the owner of the house or
stuff that has been thrown away.

So to get to the point of what I am wondering:

How does everyone discern when something is, and is not ok to take.

Anything and everything else you want to add to this please do, because I want to
curb shop, but I do not want to get in trouble or hassled when doing so.

Also in addition... do these same things apply to dumpster diving and what are the
further risks to dumpster diving when compared to curb shopping.

Thanks!

**auminer** · 10-28-2013, 03:51 PM

When in doubt, don't take it.

If anyone's home, knock & ask. Hand them a card.

Bicycles are off limits no matter what.

But if it's piled out alongside other things that are clearly trash (brush, bags of paper, etc) I'd say it's fair game.

**ginofrater** · 10-28-2013, 03:55 PM

It all depends on where you are doing it.

You should get informed,every city is different.

When i started i went to the police station in my neighborhood and asked for guidance.

That is how i go about this business.

Get informed and good luck!

**RyanScrap** · 10-28-2013, 04:13 PM

One of my biggest hurdles is that I do not have a truck in order make things easier to load and transport. I am going to have to do it out of my car which is a 2009 and in good condition

... plus it does not look as professional.

The business cards are a great idea, and I will start getting to work on it.

Maybe I will take pictures today, and then post them on this forum to give opinions.

I am trying to get a good feeling for what is a definite no go, and what is definitely ok.

It would be great if I could get all the info from the Police Dept. but I am concerned they would
frown on it (even if it is not necessarily illegal).

**Russell** · 10-28-2013, 05:27 PM

Be careful of lawnmowers and bikes in the summer. Homeowners may leave the mower inadvertently near the garbage. Sometime they run out of gas or go to get a lawn bag a drink or whatever. Be careful of bikes because kids sometimes lay their bikes down near the curb and run off. As stated: if in doubt, go ask. Asking is polite and it also is a convienant excuse to hand out a business card.

Before you do any of this; I would seriously consider getting the proper vehicle. Its a long slow climb if you are going to try and haul 10 pounds in a 1 pound bag. If you are truly stuck with what you have for hauling consider looking for certain items. Stick to high yielding items that take up little space. Car batteries, wire, car rotors.

**RyanScrap** · 10-28-2013, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by Russell

Be careful of lawnmowers and bikes in the summer. Homeowners may leave the mower inadvertently near the garbage. Sometime they run out of gas or go to get a lawn bag a drink or whatever. Be careful of bikes because kids sometimes lay their bikes down near the curb and run off. As stated: if in doubt, go ask. Asking is polite and it also is a convienant excuse to hand out a business card.

Before you do any of this; I would seriously consider getting the proper vehicle. Its a long slow climb if you are going to try and haul 10 pounds in a 1 pound bag. If you are truly stuck with what you have for hauling consider looking for certain items. Stick to high yielding items that take up little space. Car batteries, wire, car rotors.

Thanks for the advice. Sadly I will be limited by the car until I get some type of low dollar truck. I am wanting to go big on collecting every type of metal I can
but like you said in a car it is impossible. I like what you said about sticking to smaller high yield items, and for now that is what I am going to do.

Have to start some where

right? I am sure there is someone else on this forum that started small and expanded into a bigger operation.

**Russell** · 10-28-2013, 05:46 PM

I did

**mikeinreco** · 10-28-2013, 05:51 PM

with limited hauling capacity I would try to stick to Ewaste

**DiamondN** · 10-28-2013, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by mikeinreco

with limited hauling capacity I would try to stick to Ewaste

Also, always keep a look out for copper (e.g. wiring, cords, elec motors, plumbing, etc...)

Good Luck...

**billygoat** · 10-28-2013, 06:15 PM

I used to go curb shopping in a car, so it can be done. I only took smaller things, leaving things like stoves behind for others. Be leery of taking items that contain refrigerants like air conditioners and dehumidifiers, since it is illegal to release the Freon into the atmosphere.

Here's the reason I stopped: It seemed like I was spending more in gas than I was getting in scrap. Also since it's illegal here I figured it might be a good idea to get out before I wind up with a ticket.

I suggest that if you do decide to start, keep track of your mileage. Always fill up your tank so you can keep an average MPG record of what your vehicle actually gets. I do both now and at the end of the month I do the math to see what I've spent on gas each month and it gets recorded in my ledger as an actual expense. I forget what website I used to find the formulas to figure out my business-related gas expenses, but a site shouldn't be hard to find using a simple web search.

**Gravitar** · 10-28-2013, 06:31 PM

Two words: Always ask. This will leave no doubt as to if you can take it or not.

**auminer** · 10-28-2013, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Gravitar

Two words: Always ask. This will leave no doubt as to if you can take it or not.

^This^

Plus, there'll very often be more goodies they want rid of if you hand them a card, and appear professional.

**Ironhunter** · 10-28-2013, 08:46 PM

LOL I once put a 36" TV at the end of my driveway HOPING someone would take it (before I started scrapping of course..) No takers.. Probably should ask but if there is a TV were the garbage gets picked up and its out in weather I would say it was free for the taking,. JMHO

**Mechanic688** · 10-28-2013, 10:09 PM

If anyone's home, knock & ask. Hand them a card.

The business cards are a great idea, and I will start getting to work on it.

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...ess-cards.html

**cummins** · 10-29-2013, 01:13 AM

i never grab bikes unless they are "in the garbage" i mean leaning on the bin or on top of a bin. if some one has ever stolen your bike as a kid you know why i drive by them. i might stop and grab 9 out of 20 bikes

but from what your saying all that stuff is fair game by the sounds of it. but ya like was said before if its early i bang on the door with a biz card and ask if they mind if i take it.

**Shippsrecycling** · 02-03-2014, 03:11 PM

Also watch the lawnmowers and weedeaters a lot of people leave them by the curb to take a break from cutting the yard

**parttimescrapperMD** · 02-03-2014, 03:16 PM

I would always ask. They might have more inside that hadn't gone out yet. Great way to make a business contact for the future.

**cummins** · 02-03-2014, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by auminer

When in doubt, don't take it.

If anyone's home, knock & ask. Hand them a card.

Bicycles are off limits no matter what.

But if it's piled out alongside other things that are clearly trash (brush, bags of paper, etc) I'd say it's fair game.

ditto on the bikes unless ints "on the trash pile" its not worth taking some little mans bike. if it was my daughters bike i'd be pissed and kids leave sh*t everywhere

**AdmiralAluminum** · 02-04-2014, 12:58 PM

I've been scrapping out of a '98 Lumina for a year now, just because it's all I have available to me most of the time. Even I was shocked when I discovered I can get a dishwasher in their! It never hurts to try, and only being able to pick up little stuff means no heavy lifting!

**Curbside shopper** · 02-06-2014, 05:36 PM

Bikes I don't touch unless they have bags piled around them or a sign on them. Same for mowers, and trimmers in grass cutting season.

Passed a guy once setting right at the curb on the main road working on his trimmer with the toolbox beside him, made my circle in the plan above and passed there again and he must have went in for a drink...left the trimmer and an the toolbox wide open setting at the curb, I drove past and just kind of shook my head. I guess the heat dulls your logic...I don't leave my mower unattended for 5 seconds next to the road. LOL

If something is clearly in the trash, I figure it's fair game, anything else I ask. If someone's outside when I stop... I ask, and I say "thank you" after it's loaded.

If I put furniture out I normally hang a sign on it...I also find a lot of kid's toys sometimes, that little tykes stuff...and I'll grab them before the trash truck does if they're in nice shape, give them a bath, and stick them out next to the road with a "free" sign on them since I'm on the main highway. Gotta give back.

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