I figure a good way to start this is to mention that bulk pick-up is this coming week(end). Here in Austin, the city sends trucks around a couple of times a year to collect our "large waste items." I always get excited when I receive the notification about bulk pick up because about 85% of the time I find at least 1 or 2 "useful" items.

I think at the last bulk pick-up I found a rocket box for my car. We used it when the fam drove to the beach for vacation. I have also found a bass cabinet, smashed guitars, old console organs, lawn furniture, and landscaping rocks. I have found much, much more than that. One of the most recent *golden* bulk pick-up finds was an awesome 60's/70's record cabinet... you know, the ones with speakers, a radio, and a turntable. The one I found is a super cool retro-modern model.

Every time there is a bulk pick-up, you see people in beaten down pickup trucks hauling around trailers full of random junk... Usually old appliances. I always hope they don't notice the kinds of items I hope to find. Sometimes it is hard to check out every pile because someone may be coming from another direction and you don't want to hold up traffic. The city does mention bulk pick-up on there website, but they never advertise the actual dates to try and avoid just this. I think if you were "in the know," you could find a bulk pick-up date at any given week. I only know when it happens in my neighborhood... or if I randomly stumble upon bulk piles in another hood.

The most common stuff you see is old wood, tires, broken-down appliances, and mildewed egg-crate mattresses. There are diamonds in the rough, though, so hopefully I'll have some time to go scavenging this week and find some good spoils.