Dumpster Diving; Trash or Treasure?

I live at an apartment complex in a fairly nice neighborhood. The complex utilizes several large dumpsters in discreet areas for residents to throw their trash away. This creates the phenomenon known as "Dumpster Divers." No, these are not competitive swimmers who practice in residential trash piles (corny, I know). Rather, it is an interesting group of folks who sift through other people's trash in order to find valuable or rare goods.

This may seem like a niche hobby, and you're right. But, a lot of websites are devoted to the topic, and many offer valuable tips and advice. I'll turn to WikiHow for this link: http: //www.wikihow.com/Dumpster-Dive

Now, the point of my article is not to convert you to the art of dumpster diving. But it's not really to condemn the practice either. Let me instead present a somewhat objective argument on the subject.

The Pros:

People do tend to throw away a lot of pretty decent stuff. Some furniture is salvageable (unless "BED BUGS" is spray painted on the item, but that's a whole different post), such as lamps, tables, storage bins, etc. If you take cans or bottles to recycling facilities in certain states, for example, you can get cash for them. This article has some pretty good ways to earn money while recycling: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/4-ways-to-earn-cash-from-recycling.php

In addition, shows like "Pawn Stars" and "American Pickers" have added a flare to the art of "picking" and "junking." The average people shown in these series have become famous simply by buying and selling weird stuff. This gives incentive to many other junkers to pursue their hobby to the fullest.

The Cons:

The first thought that comes to mind when I think of this hobby is the awful garbage I throw away on a somewhat regular basis. Not to be too graphic, but the thought of wading through smelly old food, used tampons, baby diapers and many other less-than-savory items does not appeal to me. I've seen divers at my apartment sans gloves or protective gear. Clearly, these were not professional divers.

Also, the thought of striking gold may be enough to motive some divers, but not everyone will have such luck. One may spend years of their life searching for "the find," only to discover they have wasted a lot of their time in a dumpster for meaningless trash. Plus, the History Channel can only make so many shows about this type of thing.

The Outcome:

If you're looking to save a few bucks and you see a somewhat attractive, sturdy table on the side of the road, pick it up. But, if you're looking to turn this into a business, you'd better be ready to be knee-deep in crap. I think I'll stick to spying on my local divers through my window from the comfort of my nice, clean apartment.