An interesting read-6 reasons to keep old

[Neighmond]

My old house living friend from MO posted this on FB and I thought I would pass it along

https://savingplaces.org/stories/six-re ... kVJ-r8YFTx

[Wackyshack]

Preach it Brother!!!

[Sashguy]

I don't think that anyone goes to La Carafe in Houston for the sole reason of purchasing a drink. They go there because it is historic, is relatively untouched and very interesting.

[phil]

I was impressed on my trip to Italy this year. Of course the buildings are extremely old by comparison. the thing that struck me though was that they seemed to get it with regards to preservation. Like the door above , it looks like it was never painted and I could see many such examples where the same held true in that a lot of the woodwork did not seem to just get painted by some silly person that thought it would brighten things up.In Italy's case, even over a thousand years a lot was never painted. I think the mentality is much different there.

[Powermuffin]

Ah, yeah, the mentality is different in other countries. Ours is one of new is good, expensive is even better and since we are defined by our material acquisitions, big debt is OK. It makes me sad. As many of us know, when we preach about reuse, recycle and the beauty of old stuff, most people turn a deaf ear. Every time I go to the dump, I am absolutely astounded by the perfectly good things that are thrown in the pile. My husband went to the dump this last weekend and saw a lady throw out a MCM nine-drawer dresser that was in excellent condition. My husband debated about saying something to her, but in the end decided to mind his own business. I wish I knew how to turn this trend around.
Diane

[phil]

about 10 years back some municipalities started a cleanup week. they set a day everyone was to put out anything you didn't want. the first year was a frenzy, it went so well. there was some fuss because scrap guys would come and say break windows to get the alunimum frames or cut cords off everything just for copper, but all the kids got a bicycle that needed one. the most wasteful was all the fisher price plastic kids toys and computer printers.
I of course being a scrounge at heart had a field day and my family..
some complained because of the steady stream of cars driving around looking at everybody's trash.
at the end of the week the city picked up everything left.
.

in more recent years the same has happened but to a lesser extent without the city picking up unlimited amounts. what morphed from that was the common exchange of items, it is just an unwritten rule, you can put anythign you don't want on the curb at any time and people will take it if they want it.

I don't know what other areas are doing. lots of good stuff goes to the dump but many items have changed hands by people just putting stuff by the street. sometimes people put couches and mattresses and it rains so it can have some unsightly situations but for the most part it is a system that works well.

[kelt65]

Plaster is also quite common in Europe, and is more or less the standard in the UK

[wletson]

it is just an unwritten rule, you can put anythign you don't want on the curb at any time and people will take it if they want it.

.

I'm not sure about other areas of Ontario, or Canada, but that is absolutely the rule in my area. I have rid myself of lots of stuff that way, when moving from my previous home and here when I determine I no longer have a use for it. Someone told me about trying to get rid of a working set of washer and dryer. They put it out at the curb, nobody took it. They put a sign on it, asking for $50... the next morning it was gone.

[phil]

it is just an unwritten rule, you can put anythign you don't want on the curb at any time and people will take it if they want it.

.

I have had that experience with craigslist, several times! I went to sell a leather recliner, put 50 , no response but listed at 100 and some girl came and was so happy to get it so cheap. I did the same with my table saw and other items, raised the price and they sold. I think if it's too cheap people think it's junk

I found a nice kayak that way, it seemed too good to be true so I knocked on his door. He was just waiting for his fishing buddy to come with his pickup. meanwhile my dad was in the van saying aww c'mon just chuck it in and lets go.. lol Mistakes happen. sometimes I think I should carry a "free" sign to put on anything questionable but I'm not so inclined... I just think of these things. I'm sure people have lost mowers and kids bikes this way.

Phil

[Don M]

Those are good reasons; urban renewal in the 1960s destroyed many town centers like Watertown, NY my mother's hometown. Binghamton, NY only avoided destruction because it was too slow to act.