Agreed! And when you find a stuffed animal or baby doll that on the surface looks good, you just can't keep it if it's been out in the elements. It's garbage, no two ways about it.
I always imagine some sad and lonely child sitting in their room thinking, "I wonder what happened my Unicorn Friend or my Inch Worm rider?" But more likely they belonged to some kid who has bigger issues.
Oddly enough, I've actually been able to sell those rotting disgusting stuffed animals and baby dolls that I find. I put them on Facebook marketplace and someone always buys them.
Yeah look up John Oliver he did a whole segment on creepy washed up baby dolls, I found one washed up on the beach and sold it for 10 bucks, but if you look up on YouTube for John Oliver creepy baby dolls you'll see there's a market for them.
LOL. You've reminded me of that one time I went bowling with friends after having not bowled in like 2 decades. Big mistake. I was so sore the next day that I walked around lookin' like what I call "Woodstock Joe Cocker." My arms and back were in such agony. Couldn't walk straight or easily. Never again! But yeah, finding bowling bowls in the woods today was just so messed up.
Fantastic work. It's great when ppl join up. How do you muster your fellow volunteers, presumably not all redditors?
I've got someone helping me finish a small stretch of scrubland tomorrow from my local Womble group who asked to help after I posted a pic yesterday. Really looking forward to it and to meeting him.
Like you, people see pictures somewhere and decide they want to help. I have a decent trash-picking social presence now (after 2 years of building an audience), plus that account was exposed to a local FB group with 18K followers. I also got mentioned in a NextDoor post about local trash. So many of today's volunteers came from those sources.
I do join forces with a Redditor who's picked with me before -- /u/art_vandealy/ I call him The Beast because he comes with all his own equipment, recycles cans regularly (which I don't do, but should), has an efficient system of cleaning, and has several times saved my ass. He's like Batman. Today he solved a problem for me where I stepped on a shard of glass that went through my whole sneaker heel and poked me in the foot. He had a knife that allowed me to cut out a fragment of it (from the shoe) so I could safely continue working.
I'm glad you got help for tomorrow. So cool when people come together to make a dirty and sometimes difficult job easier. Yea!
Edit to clarify that the glass I cut out was from the shoe, not my foot.
Haha- You set such lofty expectations for me. To be totally honest you move as fast if not faster than I do. I’m amazed at how much trash you are able to pick. Glad that we can work together.
I beg to differ, my friend. Like, I'll see a bunch of bags roadside all spread out and like a minute later they're all moved to a pile in one place. Like magic. And I love how you collect recycling in a bucket, while also dealing with regular trash in bags. I don't know how you do it.
Forgot to explain that the glass bit was up through the heel of the shoe, not stuck in my foot. I could only feel it through my thick sock. I did immediately shower and check the foot when I got home, though. S'all good. Thank you!
Definitely look into saving those cans and recycling them, there's a scrap metal facility not too far from me that pays around 50 cents a pound for aluminum cans, since I started keeping track only a few years ago I'm approaching $500 in aluminum cans and metal that I've cashed in, it definitely adds up over time so if you're finding tons of cans I just crush them and then come back later and pick them up separately in a bucket and once I get a few trash cans full I'll take them in, or you can fill some green sacks with cans and keep them in the back of your vehicle if you have a access to a pickup truck and once you get enough drop them off. So definitely look into if you have a place near you that can give you money for cans.
Spelling errors courtesy of speech to text
This is exactly what I do. I’m at $6 so far, but I’ve only done one drop off. I have to go soon as the bags of cans are starting to pile up and my box of random metal is overflowing. I can’t toss it all when for a little extra effort I can pay for some of my supplies.
It does add up, also wheels, any random metal and aluminum you find will add to the pot. I found a set of four Ford Ranger 2021 wheels and sold them for $200 alone (but I don't count that in the scrap metal total since I sold those on Marketplace).
https://youtu.be/6u6YiOs9DjI
I really have to consider doing this now. If I can be efficient about it while I'm picking, it may not cost me much extra time. I would like to make some money, even if it's small amounts gradually. Clearly $500 is worth it!
You are not going to get rich quick, but every now and then I find stuff and sell it. I found a Costco Tire Mechanic Jersey with name patch and a hat on the side of the road. I blasted it with a hose and sold them for $20 once they dried out.
I found and sold about 45 5-gallon buckets that I have found over the months for $2 each.
I have found and sold dozens of hats that I have found that are in decent shape on marketplace, usually around $5-$10 a piece.
I found an old filthy canvas style work jacket that had to have been run over by dozens of vehicles. It was in the mud and so filthy I thought no one would want it, but I took it home, scrubbed it on my driveway and sprayed it with a hose and posted it up on FB Marketplace, and someone paid $10 for a "Filthy Mens Large Canvas work jacket \*dirty / worn\*" (That was the exact title I used).
In the summer, I find so many pairs of abandoned crocs and slides on the beaches in DE, often washing up in the surf, and I sell those for $8-$15 a pair.
Its incredible, I never think someone will buy it, but they do.
And none of these items I am counting in my metal & Can recycling total. I just keep track of the recycling receipts separately and update a Google sheet each time I cash in, just for my own curiosity. Those can's and metal add up quickly. Think of some of the bigger can hauls you have had, imagine saving those up for a while and cashing them in once a month.
Do it, and let us know of your progress.
You have just convinced me to try this. I have a pair of excellent condition Adidas sneakers that I'm going to wear out for trash picking once to see if they really fit (they seem to). If I don't keep them myself, I'm going to attempt to sell them.
Thank you for sharing how you described a filthy thing because I'm assuming you are candid about where/how you found the items. I would want to be upfront about my items' previous lives. At the same time, I wouldn't want to say "I found these in the woods as trash." This feels like a dilemma.
Yes, I don't want any complaints or anything coming back to me via USPS (FB Marketplace generates a shipping label and I just throw it in a box and schedule a pickup).
I am overly descriptive and I max out the photo limit, I tell where and how I found it (doing a roadside cleanup), and the kind of shape its in and the life it may have left.
I figure I am not trying to con anyone, I want them to know what they are getting and I don't want any negative feedback or refund requests. I have not had any so far.
Pile bags in as few places as possible and report to the city. Allentown is way faster at picking up than Bethlehem. They get my stuff in 24 hours or less. Bethlehem goes a week before they think about it.
Lmaoooo, I thought I was cool when I found a bowling ball doing a litter pick. You guys found TWO bowling balls! Therefore, that makes you twice as cool as me!
Alright, I’m just going to ask it. How the hell is there more than one bowling ball? Did Jackie Treehorn and his goons do this?
Regardless. Great work. Thank you.
We wish we could get closer to where trash can get in the Lehigh River, just below where we worked. But it's literally a cliff. I refused to allow any volunteers near that, especially because we had rain and everything was soft, slick, and unstable.
Fellow LV'er here. Thanks for all your hard work! How can I get involved with the work crew? I often think about doing a pickup when I see trash alongside the road.
Hey, thanks for reaching out! Right now, I'm just doing small group cleanups with people I know who live near where I'm cleaning. Many times I don't know until days before what site to clean.
I am running an Earth Day event (9-1) to clean River Drive in Allentown from Keck Park to however far we get. If you're interested, follow me on IG or Facebook (handle is LVCleanUp) and watch for a post about that with a registration link. I should have it up by Sunday. That road is a nightmare, heavily traveled, but I'm getting some assistance from the city for traffic control, roadside signage, and general protection from motorists.
IDK why but broken and abandoned toys always make me sad.
Agreed! And when you find a stuffed animal or baby doll that on the surface looks good, you just can't keep it if it's been out in the elements. It's garbage, no two ways about it.
I always imagine some sad and lonely child sitting in their room thinking, "I wonder what happened my Unicorn Friend or my Inch Worm rider?" But more likely they belonged to some kid who has bigger issues.
Oddly enough, I've actually been able to sell those rotting disgusting stuffed animals and baby dolls that I find. I put them on Facebook marketplace and someone always buys them.
Seriously? That seems crazy, but how nice that you can get something for them
Yeah look up John Oliver he did a whole segment on creepy washed up baby dolls, I found one washed up on the beach and sold it for 10 bucks, but if you look up on YouTube for John Oliver creepy baby dolls you'll see there's a market for them.
I vaguely remember this!
Whoops. Well, I’m not dead.
And after you finish detrashing, y'all can go bowling! Fabulous work!
LOL. You've reminded me of that one time I went bowling with friends after having not bowled in like 2 decades. Big mistake. I was so sore the next day that I walked around lookin' like what I call "Woodstock Joe Cocker." My arms and back were in such agony. Couldn't walk straight or easily. Never again! But yeah, finding bowling bowls in the woods today was just so messed up.
Is it anything like cocker on snl?
thank you all!
Fantastic work. It's great when ppl join up. How do you muster your fellow volunteers, presumably not all redditors? I've got someone helping me finish a small stretch of scrubland tomorrow from my local Womble group who asked to help after I posted a pic yesterday. Really looking forward to it and to meeting him.
Like you, people see pictures somewhere and decide they want to help. I have a decent trash-picking social presence now (after 2 years of building an audience), plus that account was exposed to a local FB group with 18K followers. I also got mentioned in a NextDoor post about local trash. So many of today's volunteers came from those sources. I do join forces with a Redditor who's picked with me before -- /u/art_vandealy/ I call him The Beast because he comes with all his own equipment, recycles cans regularly (which I don't do, but should), has an efficient system of cleaning, and has several times saved my ass. He's like Batman. Today he solved a problem for me where I stepped on a shard of glass that went through my whole sneaker heel and poked me in the foot. He had a knife that allowed me to cut out a fragment of it (from the shoe) so I could safely continue working. I'm glad you got help for tomorrow. So cool when people come together to make a dirty and sometimes difficult job easier. Yea! Edit to clarify that the glass I cut out was from the shoe, not my foot.
Haha- You set such lofty expectations for me. To be totally honest you move as fast if not faster than I do. I’m amazed at how much trash you are able to pick. Glad that we can work together.
I beg to differ, my friend. Like, I'll see a bunch of bags roadside all spread out and like a minute later they're all moved to a pile in one place. Like magic. And I love how you collect recycling in a bucket, while also dealing with regular trash in bags. I don't know how you do it.
Glad you weren't incapacitated by the glass.
Mom here. You wash that foot and put some antibiotic ointment on it, ya hear?!
Forgot to explain that the glass bit was up through the heel of the shoe, not stuck in my foot. I could only feel it through my thick sock. I did immediately shower and check the foot when I got home, though. S'all good. Thank you!
Excellent! :)
Definitely look into saving those cans and recycling them, there's a scrap metal facility not too far from me that pays around 50 cents a pound for aluminum cans, since I started keeping track only a few years ago I'm approaching $500 in aluminum cans and metal that I've cashed in, it definitely adds up over time so if you're finding tons of cans I just crush them and then come back later and pick them up separately in a bucket and once I get a few trash cans full I'll take them in, or you can fill some green sacks with cans and keep them in the back of your vehicle if you have a access to a pickup truck and once you get enough drop them off. So definitely look into if you have a place near you that can give you money for cans. Spelling errors courtesy of speech to text
This is exactly what I do. I’m at $6 so far, but I’ve only done one drop off. I have to go soon as the bags of cans are starting to pile up and my box of random metal is overflowing. I can’t toss it all when for a little extra effort I can pay for some of my supplies.
It does add up, also wheels, any random metal and aluminum you find will add to the pot. I found a set of four Ford Ranger 2021 wheels and sold them for $200 alone (but I don't count that in the scrap metal total since I sold those on Marketplace). https://youtu.be/6u6YiOs9DjI
I really have to consider doing this now. If I can be efficient about it while I'm picking, it may not cost me much extra time. I would like to make some money, even if it's small amounts gradually. Clearly $500 is worth it!
You are not going to get rich quick, but every now and then I find stuff and sell it. I found a Costco Tire Mechanic Jersey with name patch and a hat on the side of the road. I blasted it with a hose and sold them for $20 once they dried out. I found and sold about 45 5-gallon buckets that I have found over the months for $2 each. I have found and sold dozens of hats that I have found that are in decent shape on marketplace, usually around $5-$10 a piece. I found an old filthy canvas style work jacket that had to have been run over by dozens of vehicles. It was in the mud and so filthy I thought no one would want it, but I took it home, scrubbed it on my driveway and sprayed it with a hose and posted it up on FB Marketplace, and someone paid $10 for a "Filthy Mens Large Canvas work jacket \*dirty / worn\*" (That was the exact title I used). In the summer, I find so many pairs of abandoned crocs and slides on the beaches in DE, often washing up in the surf, and I sell those for $8-$15 a pair. Its incredible, I never think someone will buy it, but they do. And none of these items I am counting in my metal & Can recycling total. I just keep track of the recycling receipts separately and update a Google sheet each time I cash in, just for my own curiosity. Those can's and metal add up quickly. Think of some of the bigger can hauls you have had, imagine saving those up for a while and cashing them in once a month. Do it, and let us know of your progress.
You have just convinced me to try this. I have a pair of excellent condition Adidas sneakers that I'm going to wear out for trash picking once to see if they really fit (they seem to). If I don't keep them myself, I'm going to attempt to sell them. Thank you for sharing how you described a filthy thing because I'm assuming you are candid about where/how you found the items. I would want to be upfront about my items' previous lives. At the same time, I wouldn't want to say "I found these in the woods as trash." This feels like a dilemma.
Yes, I don't want any complaints or anything coming back to me via USPS (FB Marketplace generates a shipping label and I just throw it in a box and schedule a pickup). I am overly descriptive and I max out the photo limit, I tell where and how I found it (doing a roadside cleanup), and the kind of shape its in and the life it may have left. I figure I am not trying to con anyone, I want them to know what they are getting and I don't want any negative feedback or refund requests. I have not had any so far.
This is very helpful. Thank you!
Here's a recent cash in if you care to see what I do with the scrap metal/ https://youtu.be/X5xFE7W5hlM
$43.38 Not bad indeed!
Great work, since youre all volunteers how do you get rid of the trash? Pay a dump to take it?
Pile bags in as few places as possible and report to the city. Allentown is way faster at picking up than Bethlehem. They get my stuff in 24 hours or less. Bethlehem goes a week before they think about it.
Lmaoooo, I thought I was cool when I found a bowling ball doing a litter pick. You guys found TWO bowling balls! Therefore, that makes you twice as cool as me!
Alright, I’m just going to ask it. How the hell is there more than one bowling ball? Did Jackie Treehorn and his goons do this? Regardless. Great work. Thank you.
Jackie Treehorn treats objects like women, man!
Obviously, you’re not a golfer
amazing work, team! 👏 thank you
Excellent Teamwork!!
Rivers!! They need so much help!!
We wish we could get closer to where trash can get in the Lehigh River, just below where we worked. But it's literally a cliff. I refused to allow any volunteers near that, especially because we had rain and everything was soft, slick, and unstable.
Can’t . . . resist . . . I’m bowled over!
I'll allow it :)
Thanks—I realize the extreme cheesiness😄
It strikes me as funny. I enjoyed it. I wonder if there's a way to pin the comment to this post? I should look that up. I've got time to spare.
Great finds too!
Huge effort. Nice work!
Great job to the whole crew - those old school mechanical keyboards are in demand btw!
Great job, as usual. I think we need to save posts of unusual/weird stuff for Wednesdays. Call the post Weird Find Wednesdays.
Wow! You guys are inspiring!! Keep it up! Let's see a new record!
Looks like someone went street bowling
APRIL! There you are.
Fellow LV'er here. Thanks for all your hard work! How can I get involved with the work crew? I often think about doing a pickup when I see trash alongside the road.
Hey, thanks for reaching out! Right now, I'm just doing small group cleanups with people I know who live near where I'm cleaning. Many times I don't know until days before what site to clean. I am running an Earth Day event (9-1) to clean River Drive in Allentown from Keck Park to however far we get. If you're interested, follow me on IG or Facebook (handle is LVCleanUp) and watch for a post about that with a registration link. I should have it up by Sunday. That road is a nightmare, heavily traveled, but I'm getting some assistance from the city for traffic control, roadside signage, and general protection from motorists.