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I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

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Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#241

Post by bawolff »

thephyber wrote: post #155
dkga wrote: post #150

A few „anthropological“ impressions from this text. First, why do people throw away tennis shoes, unopened food etc? Why not take with them on to their next destination? Second, why not just put on the street so that other people can come and collect items? This is very common for example here in Switzerland - you put unwanted things ranging from old kid toys to books to furniture on the sidewalk with a sign saying „…

College students (undergrads) aren’t full adults yet. They are transitioning from living under the protection of their parents to living on their own. Throwing away things that could be sold could be a matter of (1) frustration/exhaustion with the end of the semester, (2) no place in their car / plane luggage for extra items, (3) indifference of kids who don’t know the value of a dollar (the Ballenciaga slides are li…

> Throwing away things that could be sold could be a matter of (1) frustration/exhaustion with the end of the semester, (2) no place in their car / plane luggage for extra items, (3) indifference of kids who don’t know the value of a dollar (the Ballenciaga slides are literally the most expensive version of a slide you can buy — I usually get mine for less than $10).

Or you know, them being rational actors who know spending an hour to sell something for $5 is not a good use of their time.

The author did find a couple of allegedly more expensive items, but is also e.g. talking about used pyjama bottoms. How much money do you really think you are going to get for used pyjama bottoms? Is it worth it? Almost certainly no.

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#242

Post by [deleted] »

dkga wrote: post #150

A few „anthropological“ impressions from this text. First, why do people throw away tennis shoes, unopened food etc? Why not take with them on to their next destination? Second, why not just put on the street so that other people can come and collect items? This is very common for example here in Switzerland - you put unwanted things ranging from old kid toys to books to furniture on the sidewalk with a sign saying „…

[deleted]

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#243

Post by bawolff »

> The first tracks the prices and brands of the items that I kept, donated, or sold. The total value came to around $6,000, not including several items I couldn’t find prices for.

So this person spent several days digging in trash to scavenge items that would be worth a total of $6000 new.

But these aren't new. Many of these items have severe depreciation. Used slippers have poor resale value. Used leggings have poor resale value. Used pillow cases have poor resale value.

[Also saying that a pack of 60 disposable cups cost $18 seems sus to me].

I think there is a realistic question of if instead of doing this the author got a min wage job and spent the same amount of time at it, would they have made more money [presuming they sold all items]. If so, i think we have answered the question as to why people throw this stuff out.

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#244

Post by [deleted] »

gosub100 wrote: post #230
neom wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The missing part is... those are Valentino's, those are not "Tennis shoes". Now, why did someone throw out those Valentino's? Because nobody who goes to college and wears Valentino would wear those Valentino's, those particular Valentino's pictured, to someone who likes Valentino: are garbage. To your second point, why not give them to someone with less? I would suspect that a young person who is attending Duke Unive…

using stereotypes about the rich is about as ignorant as making them about the poor.

[deleted]

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#245

Post by damion6 »

bawolff wrote: post #243

> The first tracks the prices and brands of the items that I kept, donated, or sold. The total value came to around $6,000, not including several items I couldn’t find prices for. So this person spent several days digging in trash to scavenge items that would be worth a total of $6000 new. But these aren't new. Many of these items have severe depreciation. Used slippers have poor resale value. Used leggings have poor…

You'd be surprised at what you find during moving season. Chinese students for example can't import laptops back home, plus they've had a taste of freedom and can't let them be scanned. In my spare time one summer I was making like $40 an hour with a full time job. $4000 handbag can't be travelled with, sold. Etc

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#246

Post by neom »

gosub100 wrote: post #230
neom wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The missing part is... those are Valentino's, those are not "Tennis shoes". Now, why did someone throw out those Valentino's? Because nobody who goes to college and wears Valentino would wear those Valentino's, those particular Valentino's pictured, to someone who likes Valentino: are garbage. To your second point, why not give them to someone with less? I would suspect that a young person who is attending Duke Unive…

using stereotypes about the rich is about as ignorant as making them about the poor.

Ignorant of what it's like to be poor, maybe. I don't believe my life experiences have resulted in me being ignorant to the rich, please buy some $DOCN.

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#247

Post by Beijinger »

damion6 wrote: post #245
bawolff wrote: post #243

> The first tracks the prices and brands of the items that I kept, donated, or sold. The total value came to around $6,000, not including several items I couldn’t find prices for. So this person spent several days digging in trash to scavenge items that would be worth a total of $6000 new. But these aren't new. Many of these items have severe depreciation. Used slippers have poor resale value. Used leggings have poor…

You'd be surprised at what you find during moving season. Chinese students for example can't import laptops back home, plus they've had a taste of freedom and can't let them be scanned. In my spare time one summer I was making like $40 an hour with a full time job. $4000 handbag can't be travelled with, sold. Etc

Why should they not be able to import a laptop or a $4000 handbag?

I, as a non Chinese, have received a used laptop via mail and was not charged tax by customs ("is used...") and I have brought 2000 Euros handbags for friends.

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#248

Post by bluGill »

dylan604 wrote: post #191
bluGill wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every year my city does a clean up day - put anything on the curb and they will take it away (hazardous waste needs to go to a special collection location not the curb). All the scrappers know that day and will be driving around trying to beat the trash trucks to anything good and as a result most of the "trash" doesn't get to the dump. People do put things on the curb other times of the year, but a dedicated clean u…

My city does this monthly in what is known as bulk trash day. This isn't an uncommon thing. There are people that know these schedules and drive around to collect things before the city arrives to collect. Acting like this is a new concept seems for someone seems very strange to me--however far up the thread this strangeness started

It is very regional. I had never heard of it until I moved here, but everyone else cannot imangine life without it.

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#249

Post by bluGill »

dylan604 wrote: post #189
bluGill wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Undergraduate tuition at Duke starts at $65,000 USD/year. Does it? I don't know anything about Duke, but a lot of colleges I know of tell your tuition is around that price. However dig deeper and you discover it is almost impossible to not get scholarships thus making the real price cheaper. I know of one school near me that automatically gives everyone a 40% scholarship, then they look at your background to figure…

Then why not just lower the tuition by 40%?

Because they can compete on how exclusive they are because of their costs. There is no downside to a high price as parents now ask what financial aid they can get before looking at price. There is a lot of upside in seeming exclusive - even though if you don't live close to me you have probably never heard of this college

Re: I salvaged $6k of luxury items discarded by Duke students

#250

Post by bluGill »

gosub100 wrote: post #234
bluGill wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Undergraduate tuition at Duke starts at $65,000 USD/year. Does it? I don't know anything about Duke, but a lot of colleges I know of tell your tuition is around that price. However dig deeper and you discover it is almost impossible to not get scholarships thus making the real price cheaper. I know of one school near me that automatically gives everyone a 40% scholarship, then they look at your background to figure…

why are you asking instead of verifying the claim yourself?

I don't know how to verify the claim since I'm not a serious potential student.
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