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

[trevthecat]

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?!

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

Yes I've heard this too!

We got 2 brand new corona side tables.

Not many skips round here but in the nearly 4 years I have lived here my "street shopping" haul includes 2 slatted, folding garden chairs circa 1930s, a chubby metal chicken garden ornament. a large, perfect earthernware jar, a ceramic bread bin and a wooden dollshouse. People tend to put stuff on the pavement outside their houses if they want rid including some lovely pieces of furniture no room in my house and the system seems to work.

A local bar here was closing down and the owner put up on facebook that he was getting a skip on Tuesday morning so people were welcome to call on Monday to see if there was anything they could use. I got two fab leather bar stools for my island unit. Some lovely still boxed wine glasses and he gave my a case of wine to drink with them. My mom got some fab kitchen equipment (she loves kitchen stuff).

Other people got tables and chairs and stuff. To this day I don't understand why he did not sell the stuff. He kept saying that he wanted to share his luck!

My friend found an early tampon vending machine, made out of wood! It was amazing and looked great with a plant in/on it.

A real period piece arf arf!

4 heavy oak kitchen chairs about 10 years ago. We're still using them day to day.

My friend got a huge pile of le cruset - 2 casserole dishes, a couple of saucepans and a frying pan

I rescued a vintage Lloyd Loom blanket box out of a skip. Repainted it and gave it a new top and it fits perfectly in a window alcove in my DD’s bedroom

Someone once took a bin bag of dirty nappies out of a skip we had once - god knows what they thought was going to be in a black bin bag in a skip

My husband.

@JocastaElastic

I literally climbed inside a skip to retrieve an old wooden architect's plane chest, which I then sold for £800!

I dream of owning one to keep my bigger pieces of artwork in. Not unless I get a bigger house though. Can’t believe someone was binning one, they go for loads

I rescued a kids tractor from the rubbish outside a kids soft play centre. The axle was broken but it still looked new. I went in and asked if I could have it. They looked at me as if I was nuts. My dad fixed it easily and my son loved it!
I have also had some great furniture from freecycle pages etc.

@trevthecat

Really good thread post idea op.

i am tempted to do this myself now.
I miss charity shops being open.

I wouldn't be able to see into a skip as I'm too short. I found a snake plant though, outside someone's house with a sign saying 'Help yourself'. I carried it home and still have it.

When my cousin first moved into his flat, he furnished it from skips.

Years ago my builders put some left over new wood in our skip. A man knocked on the door asking if he could have it. I said yes and enquired what he would use it for. To build book shelves. I was delighted it was going to good use.

A quinny buzz frame which fitted our car seat and did sterling service until I sold it all on after the dc grew up. All sorts of other bits through the years- It kills me to pass something by and I’ve been known to rescue good bits, give them a wipe over and send them to charity shops!

I once got something out the skip at the council tip, I told the man working there my sob story and he said he was going to walk slowly to the other end of the tip and if it was in the back of my car when he turned around it was mine. Officially once its in the skip only the people who work there can take it out, so he was very kind.
Skip wise, hardly anyone around here seems to get them, which is very disappointing considering some of the finds on here.

From a skip, a huge penstemon plant which is growing quite happily in my garden. It's a beautiful pink and white one.

From next to a skip, a cast iron small bedroom fire surround with all the bits intact and just needs paint stripping and cleaning up. It's from a neighbour quite close by, and original to the house. We've been looking for one to reinstate in our bedroom, so this is perfect. Or will be when restored.

@livelyredjellybean Awww that's so nice! That's one lucky tortoise.

@Emeraldrabbittail

I've never seen anything decent in a skip. Years ago when I was a child my parents found a beautiful large cream rug in a skip. I'm not sure what it was but it was some sort or animal skin. Not sheep skin, closer to hair. I remember it being very soft and rolling around on it. My parents were convinced it was worth alot of money. Unfortunately we all started scratching. The rug was riddled with fleas and was sent straight back to the skip a few hours later.

🤣

Some half used hair oil. Was OGX and I'm still using it

I had a very embarrassing non skip find.

Twice a year we have a hard rubbish collection from the local authority. People put things out early so you can peruse the streets and find great stuff.

A few years ago I found a kids bike.

Until a few months later on the ride to school a mum pointed out to my (mortified) dh that our son was on her child's stolen bike. Apparently the child had left it out overnight and it was taken. I had to negotiate the purchase and DH refuses to let me do any more skip diving.