Curb Shopping

You know those new tv shows about people who are hoarders? The people collect things until they don't even know what is in their house, and they sleep on piles of just "stuff," who knows what.

If I ever turn into a hoarder, I know what will have been my downfall - curb loot.

I have had some great finds on the curb. I found an over-the-toilet cabinet on the curb. That was a huge find, especially since it was in good condition (for an ikea piece). I needed that especially in my past two bathrooms, one of which only had a pedestal sink. No storage except a tiny medicine cabinet. It was horrifying, and any woman who is worth her salt can relate - we need more products than can fit in a medicine cabinet.

Unfortunately I had to re-curb my cabinet when we moved to Boston (sigh). But there is a happy ending to this story....

Want to know how much I paid for this?

That's right - it was FREEEEEEEEE!!!! Just a few days ago it was on the curb down the street from my house. I saw it while walking to the subway, but couldn't bring it back to the house at the time.

Now here comes the dramatic, suspenseful part of the story: When I was walking back from the train an hour later, I was planning on picking up these tubs. And there was SOMEONE ELSE looking at them. As he walked away from them (presumably to ask his wife if she wanted them), I knew I had to act fast.

I swooped in and got the big tower first (the one pictured above). I tried to ignore Tupperware-Losing Guy staring at me as I walked down the street with 4 feet of tupperware tower in front of me.

The first Rule of Curb Shopping: You snooze, you lose, Sucka!!!

All I had to do was grab the rest of the tubs in a second trip, and then I cleaned them off with Clorox wipes. Good as new, and all of the tubs probably add up $70 or so in a store.

Here is one of my less-impressive finds, but I have some plans for this piece:

I wish I was talking about the chair (it was not free, but $75 on Craigslist isn't bad either), but it's the broken chair next to it. I plan on sawing off the posts sticking up out of the seat, painting it, and using it as a coffee table. It's a little work, but I love the shape of it, and hey -- it was free!

And here, Ladies and Gentlemen, is my find that put me into Seventh Heaven:

I have been coveting one of these lightweight vacuums for the hard floors, and Lo, there it was on the curb! God bless the person who leaves a fully-functioning Hoover on the curb!

Now, I LOVE my Bissell Turbo vacuum with the detachable canister and stair/furniture attachment (that really works!). But that vacuum is a pain to haul around for a "quick" sweep around the hardwoods because it is heavy and hard to maneuver on a daily basis. If you have hardwoods, then you know about the need to sweep every day because every tiny piece of Whatever sticks to the bottom of your feet, and using a traditional broom and dustpan takes quite some time.

I try to control my curb-shopping, and am pretty good at putting up my own Curb Merchandise so that I don't end up on "Hoarders: Buried Alive." Sometimes it's just some furniture I have replaced.

Other times when I think I am getting Quality Garbage, I actually pick up a lemon and have to re-curb it. One time I picked up a really cool old trunk in our Seattle neighborhood of Queen Anne. I very quickly realized why it was curbed - major mildew smell! Gross. Luckily, someone else picked it up and drove away from MY curb with it on the same day, tee hee!

Another Curb-Shopping hazard: accidentally becoming a Curb Thief.

One time I assumed that the chairs in the driveway across the street were Curb Merchandise. I realized later that I actually stole those chairs - for some reason, the guy across the street likes to sit on a lawn chair in his driveway on a fairly busy street. Maybe he likes bus-watching?

Tell me about your best Curb Shopping score! Have you ever picked a lemon, or accidentally become a Curb Thief, like Yours Truly?