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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask what's the best thing you have pulled out of a skip!!

96 replies

trevthecat · 07/02/2021 13:54

Just that really, we have a skip on the drive and it's a constant stream of people rummaging! It's only got house renovation crap in it!

Once there was a skip outside a bar in town and I took a silver champagne ice bucket out! It's in my mums garden now with plants in!

So, what's the best thing you have pulled out of a stranger's skip?!

OP posts:

groovergirl · 08/02/2021 07:34

@SavannahMiasMum Fantastic find, and now it will keep you cosy for years!
I shudder to think of how much new material goes to waste in builders' skips. Always worth a rummage, I reckon.

userxx · 08/02/2021 07:59

I don't understand how people can throw away expensive boots, why not take them to a charity shop. Pure laziness.

Over lockdown, skips round here are being filled rather than emptied, my dad was walking the dog early one morning, a very nice Audi pulled up outside a house with a skip, the man jumped out and chucked 3 bin bags in there before driving off, the lady who lived in the house was banging on the window. Better than fly tipping I suppose but still cheeky.

SavannahMiasMum · 08/02/2021 08:02

[quote groovergirl]@SavannahMiasMum Fantastic find, and now it will keep you cosy for years!
I shudder to think of how much new material goes to waste in builders' skips. Always worth a rummage, I reckon.[/quote]
It’s madness. Apparently according to the builders there it’s the same every job they are on loads of materials thrown at the end of the job instead of been collected and moved to next job.
But yes I am very happy as it has made massive difference in my home as such a lot in the attic has really made a huge difference in it staying warm

HeidiHaughton · 08/02/2021 08:07

There was a time when we didn't buy any of the DC bikes for a few years because dh had collected various sizes from skips. They'd often be carefully placed beside or on top ready for collection.

Mumisnotmyonlyname · 08/02/2021 08:16

Years ago, a Victorian fireplace.

HitchFlix · 08/02/2021 08:32

People actually come and rummage in your rubbish?! How embarrassing.

LakieLady · 08/02/2021 08:35

A washing machine.

I'd bought my first house a couple of years earlier, and the massive interest rate hikes of the 1980s meant I was perpetually skint. I used to take my washing to the launderette.

My then boyfriend was an inveterate skip diver, and when I spotted loads of white goods in a skip outside a house that was being renovated, we went back with his van (and a strong mate) and loaded it up.

I used that washing machine for over 10 years.

Petitmum · 08/02/2021 08:36

Neighbours a few doors up were clearing out their shed and loft. They threw away two reasonable looking adult mountain bikes. Dh is good at repairing bikes and was shocked to see these going to waste so knocked and asked if he could have then. Neighbours were happy as they gained more room in their skip..... one bike had a flat tyre and the other had a puncture. Dh fixed them and we gave one to my niece and one to a cousin.

userxx · 08/02/2021 08:37

@HitchFlix

People actually come and rummage in your rubbish?! How embarrassing.

Why? It's all going to end up in landfill so why not make use of things.

LakieLady · 08/02/2021 08:38

@BitOfFun

All the windows for my allotment shed!

That shed must be the envy of every allotment-holder, @BitOfFun, it's wonderful!

whoamongstus · 08/02/2021 08:42

@HitchFlix

People actually come and rummage in your rubbish?! How embarrassing.

What a weird take. Why would you not be glad something wasn't going to go to landfill?

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 08/02/2021 08:42

@HitchFlix

People actually come and rummage in your rubbish?! How embarrassing.

I find the throwing out of perfectly serviceable items more embarrassing.

F1res1deFlame12 · 08/02/2021 09:04

Loads of free wood for our wood burner

unmarkedbythat · 08/02/2021 09:05

Full set of IKEA cutlery, heavy bottomed griddle pan and a vintage pyrex casserole dish. Love a skip dive!

Grendalsmum · 08/02/2021 09:24

DP is a veteren skip diver - l'm too short to see in generally! Over the years we've had lots of wood, a shed, two slat back victorian kitchen chairs, big ceramic planters, a giant cheese plant, an afghan rug ( l did get it cleaned first ) and a sweet little bedside chest of drawers and a guitar among other things ... He always asks before he jumps in though.

livelyredjellybean · 08/02/2021 09:27

My uncle rescued a tortoise out of a skip some 60 years ago it must be now... said tortoise still lives with my parents now!

MrsPinkCock · 08/02/2021 09:35

@covetingthepreciousthings

Oh I love this thread! I've never found anything in a skip, though I do always wander very slowly past them just in case.. much to my DH's judgement..

Is there a skip etiquette though?? I mean, I know it's stuff that's going to waste.. but should you knock on the door and ask first? For future reference incase I see anything

Well, legally it’s classed as theft to take items from a skip, because they don’t belong to you.

However in reality I find it brilliant when people have taken stuff out of ours overnight. It just makes room for more of our crap

Probably sensible to knock and ask permission, although I’ve never cared personally.

yearinyearout · 08/02/2021 09:39

A vase in the shape of some celery with a face. Not a valuable item but it started me collecting other vegetable related vases with faces from car boots etc. which cheered my kitchen up.

Haha my nan had those, she had an onion one that was my favourite.

VinylDetective · 08/02/2021 09:48

@HitchFlix

People actually come and rummage in your rubbish?! How embarrassing.

Not embarrassing, environmentally friendly.

Lemonsyellow · 08/02/2021 10:18

@livelyredjellybean

My uncle rescued a tortoise out of a skip some 60 years ago it must be now... said tortoise still lives with my parents now!

Thank goodness he did. How could people be so cruel to throw it away?

theruffles · 08/02/2021 10:23

I live in an area where people regularly put things outside their houses for people to take - we've had some brilliant things for DC that have just needed a wash/tidy up; massive slide, see saw, musical activity table, scooter, xylophone, etc. We've put things outside too that are still useable but we no longer need and they disappear so quickly.

Grendalsmum · 08/02/2021 15:34

Maybe every neighbourhood should have a sort of help-youself-zone where people could put things they want to pass on? Sort of like freecycle but without all the idiots ... l'm sure someone once told me that in Holland or Germany or somewhere they have a special day where you put all your random stuff outside and then it's a big old help yourself bonanza ( l've never mentioed this to DP as he'd want to move there immediately! )

Piglet89 · 08/02/2021 15:41

My skip rug, which I have 10 years later. It is folded over the back of our sofa and I put it over myself when I feel a little chilly watching TV.

Tigerstripe20 · 08/02/2021 16:02

My cousin used to go out on certain days in Sydney when they put stuff out for people to take if its not wanted, we went out together one day and I was amazed at the stuff put out my cousin picked up an almost new microwave and a comfy armchair its scandalous what goes to the tips over here I don't know if they still do it over there, but it would be good if we did it here.

DH is trade and often gets told to help himself by owners if he sees something in the skips, he also gets given loads of stuff

Including a huge spotlight from a swimming pool
Fireplaces
An electric guitar
A new Vax ( customer thought it was broken so Vax sent a new one , the pipe just needed tightening )
And about £1k worth of Italian non slip marble tiles which are in both mine and my mums en -suite
We had a skip once when we did our drive and loads of people knocked and asked if they cold go through it ..crack on !

WonderousWizzyWeWoveYouSoMuch · 08/02/2021 16:06

@BitOfFun

All the windows for my allotment shed!

@BitOfFun - Shed? It’s more like a pavilion. It looks fantastic!

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