Today we’re going to meet Linda Jones, an online seller from the Southwest United States. She’s been selling online for over a decade and has some great ideas about an unusual topic: dumpster diving!
Before you run for the hills, keep reading. Linda’s story is one of the most interesting I’ve heard and she’s got some great insights on how to get the most out of discarded packing materials and merchandise.
Keep reading to learn more and Linda’s online selling story.
How’d you get started selling online?
Over the years, I’ve had careers as a computer programmer (self-taught), a college teacher, a technical writer, and as an author. 12 years ago I was laid off from a corporate position. It was a big change and a big transition. I suppose I was burned out, in a big way.
I lived on my severance pay for awhile and decided one day that I was done programming so I sold off my tech books on Amazon. That started a big spark and I went out to thrift stores and hunted for more books to resell.
What was it about selling online that was appealing to you?
I’m a 54 year old woman with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s is High Functioning Autism. When you tell someone that, they tend to imagine Rainman or someone who is non-verbal, etc. which is not the case. What it means is that I’m a quirky person with neurological differences and issues with social communication.
For me, biggest joy of life as an online seller is the ability to work totally online and in peace with no human interactions. I always did miss out on some good sales or small estate or garage type sales because I don’t want to deal with buying from people (the whole social interaction thing) but I developed a regular route of thrift stores within a 60 mile range and I went to them religiously for nearly 10 years.
What have you sold over the years and what marketplaces do you sell on now?
Over the past 12 years, I’ve had books listed on something like 60 different sites, including Amazon and Ebay, of course.
Other than books, I’ve been doing toys for the past 8 years. When I was dumpster diving I sold Anything With Value.
Dumpster diving? How’d you get started with that?
I needed packing materials for shipping books and figured out that furniture stores had plenty. First I went looking behind businesses for boxes. While there I found unlocked dumpsters full of huge pieces of thin foam sheeting and tons of bubblewrap. I literally filled my car.
Did you have any initial hesitations about “dumpster diving”?
Of course! I’m a middle class white lady and was in my 40s at the time. I drove a decent car. I’m not who you would expect to see rummaging in a dumpster. But I needed boxes and I didn’t have the money to spring for brand new ones so there I was.
I pushed myself and I started looking. It felt wrong and weird to approach a dumpster and LOOK INSIDE.
Later it became more commonplace and eventually fascinating.
What are the tricks and tools of the trade?
Obviously I brought gloves because that made the most sense but after I got over the ICK factor I found I used them less and less. I always have them just in case.
When I couldn’t reach things I thought about a solution and found one of those extension claw things – the long stick that lets you reach objects on high shelves Comes in very handy for grabbing things out of a dumpster (without the need to get inside).
A flashlight is another obvious necessity because you can’t see and it’s dark!
I took plastic bags to put finds in, X-acto knife to cut things apart or open up or cut off twine, etc.
And a small broom for sweeping up. My theory was to not only lessen the burden of the dumpster by lightening the load, but to also tidy up the area. Often I’d find broken glass or lazy employee would toss out piles of loose paper and leave the dumpster lid open and the wind would blow it around. I picked up stuff and swept up. I was there anyway, so why not.
I kept a notebook in my car and noted down the pickup schedules for the dumpsters on my route. Arriving on Monday evening to find an empty, clean dumpster told me that was their pickup day.
A couple of years into this I did discover an online forum for dumpster divers and I joined it. I was shocked that some members entered No Trespassing areas or talked about possibly using bolt cutters to open locked dumpsters and chained enclosures.
That is 100% NOT OKAY. I guess it may be humorous to say there is a Code of Dumpster Divers, but I had mine and it’s no different than my code for my normal life. Be respectful of their property, obey signs that forbid entering any area, don’t damage anything and leave the area better than how you found it.
For specifically online sellers – dumpster diving has long been the way of locating packing materials.
I think if you’re diligent about hunting packing materials and if you broaden your horizon to peeking on other kinds of dumpsters instead of just furniture stores, you will be shocked at the amount of new, useable items that you find.
What are the misconceptions about dumpstering?
Clearly it’s the misconception that you must be poor, dirty, homeless, a beggar. You must have low standards and nasty hygiene to even consider such a lowly thing. This is not true.
People don’t realize that corporate trash and break room/bathroom trash is separate. There aren’t piles of loose spaghetti and coffee grounds on top of everything in a dumpster (thanks to the movies and their portrayal of trash).
Business dumpsters are mostly full of items that are thrown out for a great many different reasons. In the case of returned items, most manufacturers do not want the cost of having items returned to them so they credit the store, who credited the customer with the refund, and the item is destroyed (or at least tossed out).
Many times stores clear shelves to make room for new inventory coming in. They have limited shelf space and limited storage space so when a line ends and they’ve tried clearance and other sale options – into the trash it goes. Seasonal items are perfect examples.
Would you recommend dumpstering to other online sellers?
Everyone really should expose themselves to what is wasted in this country. I think after a few experiences of dumpster diving even the most finicky or squeamish person would be drawn in and there isn’t a person alive who can justify what is wasted and not see that it could all be used in some way rather than tossed into a landfill or crushed to dust in a compactor.