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How to Find Free Stuff People Do Not Want

The Internet is rife with ads and postings that boast of free items, offers that sound -- and often are -- too good to be true. Fortunately for the free-item hunters, there are a variety of ways to acquire things without paying for them. The safest way to do so is to the get items that have been previously used and left behind by people who do not want them.

Instructions

- 1
  Go to Craigslist.org and search under your nearest city. Click on the "free" category under "For Sale." There, you may find a plethora of listings for people giving away items for free. Type in the "Search for" field if you are searching for a specific item.
- 2
  Look in your local newspaper's classified ads for freebies. Search also for notices on pin-up boards around town, especially on bulletin boards in the laundromat, local businesses and on streetlights. Rip off tags of the contact information with provided.
- 3
  Scan curbsides for disposed-of furniture or property. Look for places where people are moving out; the more upper-class the neighborhood, the higher quality the curbside items will likely be. Stay on alert, especially if you live in a college town where students move in or out at around the months of September, May and August.
- 4
  Go to a local auction. Look for the auction pile, where items that don't get sold end up being stored. Ask a fellow auctioneer if he only wanted one particular item in the box of items he received; if so, ask if you can have the rest.
- 5
  Contact companies for free items, but do not be direct about it. If you complain about a service or product, or take the time to contact the company to give high praise, they may send you something complimentary. For example, if you complain about the conditions in your hotel room, you may earn a free night stay as consolation. Larger companies such as Wal-Mart also have free sample sections on their websites.

Other Collecting