Curbside Treasures...Bonanza Edition

R has really been kicking it in the curbside treasure department this summer.  Some of the items I don't have a need for or want, so off to Craigslist they go.

We figure that it's a win win for everyone involved.  

1. We keep the item out of the landfill.

2. Someone gets an item that they need or want for a fraction of the price.

3. We get cash to buy something we need or want.

The number one item that sells fast and for a good price is the glass for glass top patio tables.  R brought home two glass top patio tables at different times and both sold within a week for $40.00 each.  These were tables with tubular frames and not a wrought iron table base.  Both frames were bent so we removed the top and cut up the base and added it to our scrap metal pile.

It seems that a lot of people break their glass top when they remove the umbrella when it is windy just before a storm hits.  The edge of the pole hits the edge of the glass hole and the table shatters into a million tiny pieces.  Plastic inserts are available to protect the umbrella hole but with exposure to the sun they crack and people throw them away.

You can easily find them, especially online.  Here is one at ACE Hardware and it is only $3.39.  That is cheap insurance against a broken glass top.  I may order some replacements for my tables.  The plastic plug becomes discolored from the sun and look bad.  The inserts also have a center piece that plugs the hole if you are not using an umbrella.  

When listing a glass top you need to measure the length and width of the glass 'only' and do not include the metal frame.  Make sure that you take a close up photo of one of the corners.  There are several different corner radius' and if they are buying it for the glass only, they need to have the correct corner radius.

Do not remove the metal frame from the table top because this protects the glass during it's ride home.  The fastest method to remove the metal frame is with a cut off wheel on a grinder.  Just go slow so that you do not make contact with the glass as you cut through.

Both buyers were pleased as punch because they priced new glass and it was more than a new table.

I was driving to my sister's house and noticed that a round table top with the frame still on the glass was placed out to the road for trash pick up.  I stopped and rolled it to the truck and proceeded to my sister's house.  When I got to her house, I asked her if she saw that table top that was out to the street.  She said that John (her husband) stopped but it was only the top.  I told her I picked it up.  I sold it within the week for 40 bucks and then called her and said "you snooze, you lose.".....LOL

Here are some other items that we picked up and sold so far this summer.

 Exercise bike $25.00

 Patio table and 4 chairs $40.00

Cargo carrier $25

  Snake plant $15

 Donkey planter $15

Snow plow $20

R also found a nice tubular table with glass top and 4 matching chairs.  We are keeping that set to use while we work on the back of the house.  I would rather damage this set than my vintage Woodard wrought iron set.  We will sell it when we are done with it.  I forgot to take a photo of it.

  

 He recently picked up two bar height patio chairs.  I think I will keep them for now because they are heavy duty welded aluminum frames and they swivel.  We have an idea for a patio bar and these would work perfect.  If not we could easily sell them for 50 bucks.

 Here are other items that we are keeping or might sell at a later date.

Mail box post.  We are keeping it in case the county snow plow mows down our mailbox.  We can use this mailbox post by putting it in a 5 gallon pail with sand, as a temporary set up until the ground thaws and we can replace our broken mailbox post.  I hope that we will never needs this post but it's nice to have it at the ready.

I love this heavy, grey resin flower pot.  It is large and I love the shape and you can never have too many flower pots.

This cement birdbath base is missing the top but we know where we can buy a replacement top. We already have two of  these and the birds love them.  The top is square and very shallow.  If you have bees you can put a big sponge in the water and the bees will land on the sponge to drink. 

R has been dying to buy a lawn roller because our lawn has so many ruts and holes that it makes walking treacherous.  But who wants to buy or rent one just to use it once a year. So this was a real score!!! This is a homemade set up but it has a very nice hitch and even has grease zerk fittings.  R was impressed with the zerk fittings and it was the first thing that he pointed out when he brought it home.  My son was looking at it and it was the first thing he pointed out, too.  It makes it easy to grease the bearings and with this being so heavy, you wouldn't want any additional drag from bearings that are dry.

R found this grill with the stand.  The stand was completely rusted away but yet the grill itself was just fine.  It came with the ash holder and two grates.  Just needs a stand.  Might build a stand or sell it.

We also sold a gas grill/smoker set up for $40.00 but I deleted the photo.

But the best curbside treasure of the summer is this riding lawn mower.  It was at the curb with a sign that said free to good home.  Roger was looking it over when the owner came out.  He had purchased a new mower because this one had a bent part.  No

 problem we have torches.  

R picked it up and took it directly to G's race shop and fixed it in a matter of minutes.  It actually took longer to get the torch and pry bars out.  Fire is an amazing tool.

The owner later stopped by and dropped off some extra seat springs that were still in the package.

That mower went to our rental house that we are selling next year.  We will add the small black lawn trailer that we already have in our inventory.  R picked it up curbside years ago.

I have these items that I need to list and sell.

Vintage stack able file cabinets.  They can be configured anyway that you want.  5 high or 5 horizontal or 2 or 3 high.

HUGE basket.  36 inches across and 39 inches high.

 Exercise equipment.  It is all there and similar to a Bow Flex but with thick rubber bands for resistance.

 Vintage wheel covers.  4 Chevrolet baby moons, 3 Dodge, and 2 heavy, Chevrolet wire wheel covers.

The table that the wheel covers are sitting on is another curbside treasure.  The table top is Formica and damaged.  The legs are solid wood and heavy.  The apron has a cool detail so I am keeping the legs and apron and will use at a later date for a table project that I have swirling around in my head.

How did we do???  Have you found anything interesting on the curb?

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