Skip Diving

[PeteXXX]

Anyone else into Skip Diving?
MrsPete rolls her eyes at the very mention of it! 😂

I wanted some floor covering for my new 8'x6' shed. It was going to cost c£50 ish for new lino or laminate flooring.

A chap over the road had a large skip delivered and into it, amongst lots of other stuff, a batch of almost perfect laminate flooring including the foam underlay.

Walking the dog yesterday gave me the chance for the conversation.... 👍

Result? Enough flooring, free, for both sheds 😁

I'm not sure of the professional etiquette, but I reckon it's polite to ask, if possible, rather than just take stuff...

 

[biggs682]

Must admit I quite often look in skips and like @SkipdiverJohn I have pulled out a good bike or two from them

 

[AndyRM]

Polite to enquire I reckon, but if it's in a skip it's clearly getting chucked, so if there's nobody to ask then have at it I reckon.

 

[sheddy]

Occasionally had an irate owner accusing me of putting things IN their skip, until they clock that I’ve arrived by bike…

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Skip diving is a way of life for me. I can't pass one without having a nosey. Generally I'm looking for wood, but I'll take most things if I think I can find a use for them.
If ever I become prime minister, I'll pass a law which says a skip can't be taken away until the local allotment association/ Mens shed have had a root through it.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Must admit I quite often look in skips and like @SkipdiverJohn I have pulled out a good bike or two from them

What happened to him? I'm imagining a terrible skip related accident, in which the skip is hauled away with SDJ's legs sticking out and kicking helplessly.

(Actually hope he's ok and just got bored with us)

 

[ColinJ]

What happened to him? I'm imagining a terrible skip related accident, in which the skip is hauled away with SDJ's legs sticking out and kicking helplessly.

(Actually hope he's ok and just got bored with us)

I'm afraid it's bad news...!

 

[figbat]

When I were a lad a community skip used to do the rounds and show up every so often near us. My dad was always in there, pulling out bikes, lawnmowers and such.

 

[Big John]

Have you seen the size of the skips at the tip? I could skip-spot all day if I worked there. The local bike charity where I work has a probationer who works at the tip and he tells me about the stuff they get. Simply amazing what we throw away.

 

[Cycleops]

Yes, @SkipdiverJohn has been noticeably absent from these pages of late. Hope he's okay.

 

[Reynard]

My favourite sewing machine came out of a skip - a 1941 Singer 99k with a Hillman electric motor, in the case, and with all the attachments and the instructions manual.

Have had various bikes out of skips while growing up.

The solid mahogany Georgian credenza that's in my dining room also came out of a skip. OK, the back and shelves are missing, but the bottom is perfect for keeping all my cutlery and crockery in.

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

Have you seen the size of the skips at the tip? I could skip-spot all day if I worked there. The local bike charity where I work has a probationer who works at the tip and he tells me about the stuff they get. Simply amazing what we throw away.

Nearly had perfect condition tool box from mine the other week until one of the guys came over saying they 'needed' it for themselves 😂.
I've often had stuff from skips years ago on building sites, like you say amazing what people throw.
Most memorable was a woman asking if I'd clear some stuff from her garden and pop it in our skip, one of these being a Trek MTB I claimed for myself. Got a small rolicking from the boss but later on got a four pack of beer and a phone number 😏😁.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

and a phone number

Used to get those from telephone boxes. I guess mobile tech has changed the MO now.

 

[tyred]

I can never pass a skip without having a look in it to check for bikes or anything else of interest.

I once went running down the street where I used to work, trying to attract the attention of the driver of a randomly passing skip lorry as there was a nice looking Raleigh sports sitting on to of it but it got away from me.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I once spotted a skip on wheels, then realised it was a Skoda Cabriolet.