Gleaning at the City Dump #106

9/6/2012

Brand "spanking" new stuff at the city dump! You can see on yesterday's blog I walked away with a new Columbia Sportswear jacket. Today I've got myself a new soldering iron that someone had tossed away.

It's obvious that there is a lot of wasteful packaging involved with these tools. I continually find these honkin' big plastic cases...the kind that new tools come in. Apparently, nobody really wants these cases after purchasing the tools (probably because they take up TOO MUCH ROOM). These cases can't be reused as they are molded to specifically fit the tool that came in them when purchased. What a waste!

This red one is mine. It's been sitting empty in my garage for a long time. I got it when I purchased a reciprocating saw quite some time ago. I don't store my saw in it...it's just not handy...and it takes up too much room! Needless to say, I will be throwing it away.

I've also got myself a new popcorn popper. It was in the dump and still wrapped as a gift in shiny silver paper...as if going to someone's party.

5 Comments

Jimmy Gray link

9/6/2012 11:26:01 am

By the way I'm a fan of your work so don't take this comment as an attack. You are an assemblage box artist and you can't think of what to do with big plastic tool "box" with lots of strange empty spaces and shapes. I admit it may not be your style but look again, you might find a use for them after all.

Greg

9/7/2012 02:46:20 am

Hi Jimmy...thanks for your comments... these kinds of plastic boxes have "no" interest for me at all in my assemblage work. They are unyielding, hard to work with...too many difficulties with glues and paints, etc. If these same kinds of tool boxes were made from wood (or cardboard), I'd grab them in an instant.

MELODY

9/6/2012 02:46:06 pm

This is so crazy! The things you are finding is so much fun. I'm thinking you could almost make a living there at the dump. I sell on ebay and know you could get good money for some of those things. For instance,the diary you found.I've seen those go for substancial amounts. I was practically drooling, I wanted it so bad. (If you wanted to sell it, I would gladly buy it)This has been the most interesting web site I've ever found. It is really so much fun to see what pops up. I will definetly have withdrawal when it;s over and it's going to be soon. Greg, ask for an extension!!!

Greg

9/7/2012 02:49:31 am

Melody...thanks for joining me here on my blog ! I probably won't be requesting an "extension," as that doesn't happen. It's a once-in-a lifetime kind of experience. A new group of artists will take their positions at the dump early next spring for six months. I hope they will be blogging regularly about it.

Cindy link

10/25/2012 10:25:44 pm

Hi Greg,
I love your work and enjoy your YouTube channel! Glad I did a blog search and found you here :)

Your 'gleaning' stories make me want to organize something like it in our community. You are absolutely right about those silly plastic cases! and they never have recycle symbols - which really irritates me. If you don't want it, you can't recycle it - your only choices are to toss it in the trash or keep it forever. On a happier note: we have a Stir Crazy popper and LOVE it! We've used it 3-4 times a week for 10 years and it's still going strong. What a find!
Cheers,
Cindy

Gleaning at the City Dump #106

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