What is your best skip or scavenge find?

[beadsbydesign]

I think that as crafters and artistic folk, we tend to hoard and store away things that might be useful.
I for one cannot walk past a skip with out looking in and hoping that there will be some treasure waiting for me!
My best finds have been:
a rocking horse (as detailed in anothe thread)
fitments from an old tabaconists that was being gutted.
a chair
a bike
Now maybe I got this wrong and now you all think "what a dirty girl" Don't hold it against me... I just can't help it and my DH is thoroughly ashamed of my behavior.... (still loves me though!)
So come on.... what have you lot found?

[mollymandy]

Im just the same your not alone got loads of good bits over the years,i think the best one was when i was walking along brigton sea front there was a huge skip outside this lovily big house they were clearing out my bags were full but heavy as i found a stone like cherub that stands pride of place by my fish pond my son walked away way in front down the prom lol.

[swirlyarts]

I don't think yo are a dirty girl at all!! My dad is a dustman and we always got loads of stuff that people just threw away - Levi's, videos, a watch that my dad got valued at £300!! I love scavenging around for stuff - coloured plastic bottles off the street is my thing!! I probably look like one of those mad women that you see around!!

[Le Rayon de Cartes]

i am soo glad i'm not the only one and my hubby is just as bad as me! (his mum is a crafter too and i think some crafty habbits have rubbed off on him!)

i haven't really found anything too interesting in a skip but you should see whats in shop bins (now who's the one that shounds bad!) we found a load of kids light things (look like a snowglobe on a handle and push the button and the lights spin around i hope you know what i mean) my son loves them and has had them for years now!

and loads of christmas decs in the skip at the homebase i used to work in we now have enough to decorate three homes baubles coming out of our earholes!

and i keep me junk mail to for use with my punches. i am going to need a bigger flat soon!!!

[Craft Chick]

Ooops I think I accidently started a similiar thread- maybe someone could delete it?

I salvaged a stack of coffee tables from a skip that now take pride of place in my lounge. I felt a bit cheeky doing it- i think it's one of those guilty pleasures! But I rubbed them down, stripped them, painted them and also embellished the legs with painted climbing ivy.

This is a very inspiring trhead, although worryingly it makes me want to go and rummage in a skip.

[swirlyarts]

I must admit that when I walked up to nursery this morning I was looking around for skips to rummage in!!

[Craft Chick]

I know what you mean! Whenever I browse these forums I just find myself itching to go out and renovate something or tidy up my collection and make something new. I got some fab beads from a charity shop at the weekend but I am horrified to discover I am currently suffering from Beaders Block! I keep getting all my stuff out staring at it for ages and then putting it away, not knowing what to make!!! I hope I can shake this off soon, I'm wasting valuable time here!

[Abigail Fielding-Smith]

Dear all

I work for a magazine called the London Review of Books and am researching a piece on rubbish, what happens to it, the different ways people use it etc. I'd love to interview one of you about your scavenging forays, would make a nice bit of fun for an otherwise rather serious piece.

If anyone's available, please email me on afsmith@lrb.co.uk

Best wishes

Abbie (Fielding-Smith)

[swirlyarts]

Oooooh - fame!!! Count me in - I'll email you later!

[indri]

I don't scavenge myself, but my dad seems to be an expert at it. So far he has scavenged a desk, filing cabinet and carpet for my house and a nice piece of mahogany that he made a bookend with (and still has loads of it left!). I think he makes a hobby of scavenging at work.

[swirlyarts]

It's great! Hubby nearly died the other day when I asked a couple if they had finished with their brightly coloured juice bottle and please could I have it!! They said yes but looked at me strangely!!