She writes:

Hi Pam,

One day, David & I were on our way “thrift-storing” when we drove by our locally owned hardware store and saw people with lamps lined up AROUND the building. Considering my obsession with lamps – I rebuild, reburbish, make and collect lamps, we doubled-back and HAD to see what was going on.

Turns out the hardware store & our public electric company had a promotion going, bring in your old lamp and they would trade you for a new one. (The new one was so bland and generic that no one with any taste would’ve wanted it.)

So Dave and I go ’round back where the people are handing off there old lamps and the electric company guys were THROWING them into a giant crate. CraSH, BaNG, cRAck… You get the picture.

I asked the men what they were going to do with the lamps in the crate and was told they were to be dumped. I then asked if I could have some of them. “Sure, help yourself.”

To the right and in the back, laying on the ground, I see this lamp on its side and squealed (quietly) . I am wondering why it’s not in the crate. “What about this one?, I asked. One of the men, (mind you- he certainly didn’t look like a man that would appreciate such a thing) takes a look at me and then the lamp. He says, “I was saving that aside for myself.”

Heart sinking, it must have been visible on my face. He smiles and says, “No, I just couldn’t see it broken. You can have it.”

“THANK YOU!!” My free Art Nouveau lamp is one of my favorites.

We actually ended up loading the van with many barrel-shaped lampshades and a few other cool lamps. Hey – just made their work a little less, saved a few precious lamps from landfills and made Dave and I REALLY happy!!

Laura
(Dave’s note: at one point Laura was upended in said crate. At 5’1″ all I could see were her feet! lol)

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Hi Pam,

My house has sort of become the last resting place for so many trashed items, for which I have developed an acute hawk’s eye.

From my whole living room, which you can see here on flickr, there is probably just one chair and a set of lamps that were actually purchased new, the rest has all been found or given to me and then restored.   This is in Puerto Rico, where most people would rather have a new home (or throw away old furniture pieces) than deal with the hassle of remodeling. The attached mannequin was found together with a lovely set of swinging patio furniture.  I can’t even saw a button, but headless has become the hold-all for christmas or halloween decorations. Thanks for your great site,
Carlos

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Jsnugbear aka JohnQ sends today’s entry in our Found Objects…Found Art contest. Found in the trash at the side of the road, I swear:  Soon, next we will start a photo gallery of Dumpster Divers Anonymous.

Jsnugbear writes:

Hi Pam,
Here is my entry. I was tag sailing in Hadley, MA and saw this clock sitting on top of a pile of stuff on the ground. I asked how much they wanted for it and they said “It came out of our grandma’s house. Its from the 50′s or something. Its in the trash pile to be thrown out. If you want it, its free”!!! I rescued it from the pile and brought it home. I had to replace the mechanism and clean the face but its an original Starfire brand Danish Modern clock from the 60′s. It has become one of my favorite pieces. I have recently seen new reproductions costing hundred’s of dollars!!!!

John Q

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