how to get by in a dumpster
The transfer station will charge you to drop them off and the scrap metal place won’t allow you to drop them off but I found a place that buys them at 20 cents a pound. So I was in the yard loading a big rolling cart up with ballast. That’s the long black box in a flourescent light that controls the flow of electrical current. The scrap yard is worried I’ll drop off the old ones that were filled with PCB laced cooling fluid.
The guy next to was sorting his metals and I asked if he had anything I could resell at the flea market.
“I got some Christmas decorations. Some other stuff too.”
I was expecting something from his metal pile, but he pulled out a box and showed me a bunch of stuff.
A merry-okee microphone that has prerecorded Christmas carols and a setting that pitches your voice to elfen heights caught my attention.
“How much for this? My girlfriend will love it.”
“Make an offer,” he countered.
I started at 2$ and got it for 3. With my money in his pocket he told me a secret.
“I get this stuff from the dumpster. After its on final sale they throw it out. I take it in and get credit on gift cards. They give me the lowest sale price but that’s cool. I’ve got a wallet full of cards, 180$ bucks all the way down to 75$. And there’s a Walgreens on every corner.”