Recycling For Profit - 25 Recent Items Found For Free & Sold For $2,000 To Show You How It's Done
This post is about taking action and showing proof to motivate others.
No drama. No BS. No wasting time bickering over trivial elements of Steem and/or Steemians. No snark or sarcasm. No self-interest.
It's plain and simple... this is all about results so people can get ideas and inspiration.
I'm barely motivated to post these days, but I do feel a sense of responsibility to keep my pro-recycling spirit alive on Steem until it catches on. So many people think recycling means throwing things out in the right bin... and that's so unfortunate.
With Steem thinning out these days, perhaps now is a good time to be productive in the real world and prioritize helping our environment.
It just takes one item to start, and to see how easy and rewarding it is.
These are all recent sales of items I recycled/salvaged from the curb recycling in my neighborhood.
I take about 3 walks around each week (4 at most) for about 60-90 minutes each.
I also recycle an endless amount of shipping materials as a bonus.
It's so easy a caveman could do it, but I'm literally just about the only person in the area who cares enough to reduce the waste outside of cans and bottles. Everyone else simply walks by and expects the magical trucks to come and make it disappear.
It's sad, but also exciting. There's endless opportunity for me, and I make good money from it.
You can too with some simple genuine effort.
The Finds:
This YoYo+ stroller was found collapsed in a clear plastic bag.
I sold it for $220 cash, one day after listing it to someone who felt they got a great deal.
This Nuna stroller was found across the street from my apartment.
I sold it for $95 cash.
This YoYo+ stroller ride on board was found in a clear bag on the curb with a second one by UPPAbaby. It was like new so I listed this generic pic on Craigslist to save time.
I sold it for $80 cash to a guy who couldn't believe someone threw it out.
This MacLaren stroller was found a few blocks from my apartment on the curb.
After a little hand-washing, I sold it for $75 cash.
This functional printer was just found loose on top of a pile of bags with 60% toner left.
I sold it online for $125.
These CFA books were found on top of a recycling bin.
I sold them online for $80 with cheap media mail shipping.
This lock making kit was found in a clear plastic bag along with some other electronics.
*I sold it online for $300. I could've sold it for $400 if I waited longer.
These books were found in the same pile as the others above.
I sold them online for $80 with cheap media mail shipping.
This luxury coffee maker was found loose on top of pile of clear plastic bags near my apartment. It worked, but was missing pieces.
I sold it for parts/repair online for $120.
This amplifier was found on a weekend at the corner of a busy intersection.
I sold it untested online for $163 with local pickup to avoid shipping costs. He was smart as I had overcharged on shipping at $60 thinking that I'd profit on that, so his local pickup request bit me in the ass a little.
I found this old disk drive in a clear plastic bag filled with office telephones.
I sold it untested online for $80 within half a day.
I took this main board out of a TV that had a cracked screen.
I sold it online for $60.
I found a high-end power conditioner with its power cable cut, but broke it out into parts.
I sold several other components in the past, but this set below sold online for $60 for parts/repair.
This sealed copy of The Divine Comedy from 1983 was found with a whole bunch just like it in clear plastic bags on the curb a few blocks away.
I sold it online for $50 with cheap media mail shipping.
I found and took these new hair care samples... because why not?
Sold them online for $25.
This math textbook wasn't in the finest shape.
But, I still sold it online for $35.
These mint fitness DVDs were found in a clear plastic bag.
I sold them online for $28.
This power & main board, plus printhead were taken from a working printer that had no ink.
I sold this online for parts/repair for $40.
And the printhead online for parts/repair for $43.
Another printhead sold untested online for $31...
What kind of recycling post would it be if I didn't have a vacuum part in it?
This hose was sold for $38.
I could post endless vacuum parts, but I'll spare you after a few more...
This hose was sold for $40.
This motor base was sold for $57.
This power nozzle was sold for $40.
This pedal and switch set was sold for parts/repair for $30.
I could go on and on, but this drives enough of the point home.
I brought in ~$2,000 by having fun and at absolutely no cost outside of some nice evening walks where I practice singing.
Revenue is before shipping and fees when not dealing in cash.
Think about how many pounds of plastic, metal and paper I saved with simple effort. Tack on all of the shipping materials I recycled as well.
It's time to wake up and help.
This is also just some of the stuff I've sold. I've also FOUND a lot more than this that's in the process of being listed/sold.
Please look around your house and be aware when cruising through your neighborhoods. There is often money to be made all around IF and WHEN you choose to start paying attention. Find some motivation and make it happen. We have enough people around here gaming Steem for pennies that I hope people realize the potential here and refocus on what's far more important for our planet.
As always, I'm always here and happy to help anyone who can use any guidance on getting started or pricing things.
...After 2 baseball games on Sunday (pitched 6 innings for a dominant win, allowing 4 hits and 1 earned run with 6 strikeouts and no walks), and another catching behind the plate tonight, it's time to go out and find some more...
Thank you,
@steemmatt
You rich yet man!? :D
We're all waiting on Bitcoin.
Amen to that brother! <3
I continue to be GOB-SMACKED at what people throw away, and at your vision and the profitability of fixing-repurposing and selling. GREAT work!
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@ecoTrain
Thank you for keeping in touch on my efforts and giving some recognition. It's helping me find some drive to post more often when there's such a small audience.
Love the old computer stuff, people think it is worthless but it is getting rarer by the day and people want it!
Exactly. Plus, there are funky collectors out there who just want this stuff for their off-the grid bug-out shelters (I'm assuming).
Great post. It continues to amaze me the stuff people throw away in the western world. Your posts continue to reinforce that and I'm sure inspire others to keep their eyes peeled.
I agree with your sentiments about posts about STEEM. People (including myself) need more balance in producing original content to attract people from the outside versus preaching to the choir. A lot of activity here is cannibalistic IMO.
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Hopefully you can get a few bucks yourself or just some extra pride from saving something from these ideas. Almost everything has some type of resale value, it's just whether it's worth the time and effort to those who come across them. There's a nice domino effect once you find something or a niche you can recycle/resell to get the process started.
Man, the things people throw away without thinking to check online is crazy. I find also crazy that people buy this stuff at those prices. Amazing! I need to check if I can sell my stuff that I don't need.
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I think a lot of people simply don't care to even look. They have money and it's probably not worth their time to sell it. What sucks the most is that they're too lazy to donate it...
That's the spirit. If I can help you identify, find or save just a few things, that's a win for both of us. Good luck looking around your home. It all starts with just one success and then it starts catching like wildfire.
How the fuck did I only just see your also a LandPirate! Man I am also a hardcore recycler and Im usually bloogin the findings but its so quite here and takes so long to document it all, i totally get that 😂
I made a token on steem called Dumpsterdive [Dump] to use as rewarding people recycling, especially for selling the things they find.
I will do a post soon on the plastic bottles here in Norway, they can be easily returned for 20euro cent , which at the moment is pretty much 1 steem 😂
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Glad I'm not the only one! My neighborhood doesn't call for dumpster diving because there are obscene piles of clear plastic bags of plastic and paper loose on the curbs. I just walk about and pluck what's showing or sitting right on top. Some piles can run up to 50-60 feet long for major apartment buildings... no kidding...
fuck!!! you must be in america then right, and a rich area?! Yesterday I got a set of garden funiture chairs and one is slightly damaged and I thought if you would reply.. The cool thing is I got a single chair of the same style a month or 3 ago so i have the full set to sell online. Was ment to check the rrp price but did yet. Are you tech minded? I got the DUMP tokens issued and thats my limit to tech knowledge, shame theres not many others that we know of yet upcycling for cash!
Yep, I'm in the USA in a large metro city. It's funny how things pop up that we either need or can use along with other finds. So many times I've needed a part to a common household item I have to complete what I have or allow me to test something, and poof, it randomly shows up a few blocks away a few nights later for me. It's truly uncanny at times. Nice job with the chairs. I don't have the capacity for much furniture, so I usually leave it behind. I do have a luxury BoConcept egg chair that retailed for $3,000+ with its ottoman here, but have been too lazy to list it. I could probably get about $500 for it used. That takes up so much space in my apartment that it's a good reminder for me to leave the other furniture behind.
I'm not that tech-minded, sorry. I'm not a developer or coder to know how to handle any airdrops or token management.
We can definatly manisfest what we need and find it in the trash thats what I believe from experience anyways! Just like you say when you need something it shows up a few nights later.. I spent a year in spain reclaiming a piece of abandoned land, and as I progress I needed certain tools like shovels ect, all of which showed themselves after starting to do something else and then I had the tool to finish of the last thing i had started like a chain of events- and not only tools.. it was quite insane hahahah
Awesome to meet you on here, i havent yet came across anyone else into what I label #landpirates
activitys :)
I know the feeling 100%. One Steemian challenged me to find a keyboard on night, and I found one the same night on the last street after a 2 hour walk. It was uncanny. Let's manifest some cool stuff today.
I forgot to say also, start using @actifit app on all playstores if you are not already, it goes hand in hand with walking around and looking at trash!
I appreciate the wise tip, but like to maintain my privacy a bit where I don't feel comfortable with an app like that on my phone/with my credentials.
I love this article!! I've been diving deep into upcycling and polishing up my maker skills lately and this is inspiring for sure! I'm about to tackle fusing plastic bags into a sort of "fabric" to make reusable bags, etc and have a whole new perspective on my family's recycle bin now. Inspiring to see you progress and I may have to take a long walk next week when I'm visiting folks in a heavily populated urban area! ;)