People Share What They Found Thrown Away And The Phrase ‘One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure’ Has Never Been So Real (40 New Pics)
There's a Lithuanian proverb, saying that we like it when our neighbor's house is burning. We're not very neighborly. So when I first heard about stooping -- people putting stuff they no longer need on the curb to be taken home by someone who wants it -- the whole thing sounded like a utopia to me. But it's not. And there's an Instagram account to prove it.
It's called Stooping NYC. Created by a Brooklyn couple who prefer to remain anonymous, the account unites a wholesome community, constantly informing one another about the treasures around the city and showing off their best finds. We at Bored Panda already covered this online movement here and here but they've been keeping themselves really busy so we have to do an update! Enjoy.
More info: Instagram
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I Think I Speak For All Of Us When I Say... You Win Stooping!
Want More Proof Of How Amazing The Stooping NYC Community Is? Check Out This Stooping Success From Davidjamz
In one of our earlier publications on Stooping NYC, its founders said the amount of submissions they get is massive; on a typical weekday, their inbox receives hundreds if not a thousand submissions. On the weekend, especially at the end of the month, there are thousands of DMs.
That's a lot to choose from. "Knowing what stoopers need and what makes them excited, we try to prioritize items we receive that fit into those categories!" the people behind the account told Bored Panda. "But we really try to post as much as is physically possible (there are only 2 of us and we want to make sure we share as much as we can with the amazing Stooping NYC community)."
Hundreds Of Free New Books!!!! 52nd St Between 6th And 5th Ave
What a wonderful surprise I’m sure!! I’d have been digging there for hours!
Omg Omg Omg!!! Run!! On Vernon And Nostrand In Bed Stuy
At the start of the pandemic when there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding health and safety protocols, they refrained from posting. But once they started up again in the summer, they were flooded with a wave of submissions caused by New Yorkers leaving the city for good.
Whatever the challenges, it looks like Stooping NYC is here to persevere. "[This project] has been so successful in large part because it's exclusively on social media (Instagram specifically)!" the showrunners said.
"Hosting it on social media means that more people have access [to everything it has to offer] and not just New Yorkers; it also gives access to a piece of New York City culture to people who follow from far and wide. It also has enabled us to 'gameify' stooping, with stoopers sharing stories of things they spot, stoop, take home (#stoopjourney) and ultimately give new life to (#stoopingsuccess). It would really be challenging to tell stories around the pieces like we do on any other platform."
I’m Just Going To Say It... Colbysadeghi Is My Hero. He Got This Beauty Home To Make The Best Stooping Success Of The Morning!
Gorgeous Stained Glass On Eastern Parkway Between Rogers And Nostrand
Thanks so much for this picture... this is exactly what my new living room is missing, it just never occured to me.
As you can see from the pictures, it's virtually impossible to predict what's going to pop up on a curb somewhere in the city. And that's the beauty of the game.
"Stoopers are excited about a lot of things, running the spectrum from the New York apartment staples (bookshelves, kitchen islands) to valuable treasures (beanie baby collections, copper tubs, pianos) to the weird and quirky (the Ear Mirror, stiletto chairs), and, of course, every kind of plant. Ever."
The couple running the account added that they "feel so fortunate to have so much positivity in our lives that comes from this wonderful stooping community," and I'm pretty sure their followers would say the same.
So Funky! We Love It! 89th & Madison
Tell Us This Doesn’t Look Like It Should Be In An Issue Of Dwell Magazine Or Something???
Pretty Sure This Is The One You’ve Been Waiting For! Yes You! Minnetta And Macdougal
Awesome! I would take it. Though I have a feeling my cat would think it's a giant scratching post :/
Anddddd... Run. 28th St Btwn 7th & 6th Ave
I Don’t Want To Be Dramatic, But Brb While I Die At How Amazing Proseccomami_ Did With This Stooping Success
...time To Get A Bigger Closet!
I Mean... Are You F’ing Kidding Me? 147 W79th Street
So So So Good!!!
Beautiful Large Fiddle Leaf Fig That Needs Some Tlc! 2nd Ave Between Third And Fourth Street Outside The Nail Salon
What Else Is There To Say About This Amazing Massage Chair Other Than... Holy S**t!!! Woodbine & Bushwick!
i can't explain it, but it looks like the chair version of a cockroach or something
Tgif Stoopers! On E 10th Between 1st And 2nd
Well This Has The Makings Of A Great Tuesday! Wow. Prospect Place Between Brooklyn And New York Ave
Starting Off Our Friday Right! 94th Between Broadway And Amsterdam
Run Don’t Walk To This Gem!!! 68th St Corner And 3rd
What Percentage Of New Yorkers Own Velvet Couches?! Another Blue Velvet Beauty! 116th And Morningside
Mooove Out The Way! (See What I Did There?). Go Fast! Frost Street Between Meeker And Lorimer
Start The Car!!! Plant Babies! In Front Of 726 Park Pl (Between Bedford And Rogers)
Oh man 😩, I’ve been wanting new plants like these for about a year now, I’m a sucker for plants, especially the one one in the pink
Good News And Bad News. Good News - Urechi_ Just Sent Us This Amazing Couch She Found In Harlem. Bad News (But Also Good News) - Urechi_ Decided To Take It For Herself!
Omg!!! Run Don’t Walk! 426 Lexington Ave In Brooklyn
Last One For The Night... Congrats On Your Amazing New Wfh Situation Tropidarks Stooping Success
Okay Guys, Get Ready For Story Time!!! “After 1.5 Miles Of Walking, Several Breaks, And Many Words Of Support From The Central Park Joggers, We Finally Brought Our New Couch From The West To The East Side. Thank You Stooping!”. No Nick Lahger, Thank You!
Good for you! That is a beauty and a great story to share of the adventure.
Globe Bar Plus A Great Desk And Chair! Madison And Marcy!
Amazing! Also Probably Amazingly Heavy. 1870 Menahan
Holy Amazing. E15th St And 2nd Ave
Just Think Of Alllll The Pretty Things You Could Display In This! Outside Carroll Street & 8th In Park Slope!
This Is The Realest Looking Stoop Giraffe Ever! Not Sure About Its Competition Though. Jefferson Bt Malcolm X And Stuyvesant
I am a giraffe fanatic. I have two of the tall giraffes and about 300 other giraffes in my bedroom. They are such graceful animals.
Well This Is A Stoop Journey! The Most Famous Stoop Chair Has Made Its Way Onto Subway!
i just realized after staring at it for 5 minutes that it was a chair shaped like a high heel.
Please Take A Moment To Acknowledge This Insanely Beautiful Stooping Success From A_modern_classic !! “Living In Some Deep Stoop Gratitude With This Mirror From The Other Day, And Having Finally Repainted My Stooped Dresser And Desk!”
Your Living Has Been Missing A Hippo Stool... Just A Fyi. On W 93rd Between Columbus And Amsterdam
This. Is. Awesome. 441 E 12th
Incredible Secretary Desk In Front Of 261 Devoe On Olive And Devoe. Key Included
Java Street On Fire! Third Post From The Street Today! 98 Java!
Perfection! 41 Spring St
Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Out Without Seeing Another Ear Mirror...
Note: this post originally had 125 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
Amazed that so many people are willing to risk picking up upholstered furniture that's been sitting outside. Mold, mildew, urine, and bedbugs are all potentially carried within those things. I might put something like that on the bed of a pickup truck and then completely strip it down & reupholster it in the garage, but you'll never see me bringing one right into my home. :-/
Did it in college when I ended up moving into an apartment. I could not find the money for furniture that was not already in my dorm. All was well as most of it was from other dorm kids moving out. You can see clear signs of bedbugs if there is a infestation. I think people would look closely.
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This is the thing that I miss the most about living in Toronto. I currently live in Guatemala City, where people just don´t throw away good things. My uncle used to live in chicago and he decorated his appartment with things he found on the street. He won an award for decoration. In toronto I also decorated my appartment with things I found on the street and even the cops ( they once had to come in to get a statement from a roomate) where so impressed they actually started taking selfies inside the apartament.
One of the best places to find stuff used to be Rosedale - my neighbours did as you did, decorated their amazing place with castoffs.
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This amazes me. In most places people would at least try to sell this stuff on Craig's list, or similar. How can New Yorkers afford to just give these things away?
Also in NYC, you don't have room to save it for sale. If you need it gone, has to go outside
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Having dealt with bedbugs TWICE in my son's room, I'm not sure I'd be able to bring myself to pick up a piece of furniture off the street, especially not a headboard. I guess it's *fairly* easy to check for them before you take it but, dang, if there are even a few lurking in there...
I guess people leave a lot of amazing things behind when they live in a city where a lot of people don't have cars or easy access to a truck. In Los Angeles, everyone has a car, and it's cheap enough to hire a couple of guys to move something for you. So if they don't take it with them, they sell it. Most of what gets left at the curb is old, broken particle board junk.
My dining room table had been left out to be taken by the bin men, trash, rubbish removal. It had only been put out that morning, I went straight home fetched himself, and we carried it away. Beautiful little table, 30s mass produced.
In my area we put things out in the hope they will be usefull to others, but only small things, ornaments etc. I have loads of books I need to put out but I am worried the whole lot would be snaffled and sold online, leaving nothing for the locals.
I always imagined people get their stuff out of their houses, remember they didn't got their wallets or something and return inside. 10 minutes later someone else is posting "look what I found"
I don't understand why these people didn't try to sell their stuff. I'm sure many of them would have found a buyer.
Some people don't want strangers coming into their home to look at items for sale. Single aged women who live alone for example.
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Looks like there was a phase of people buying velvet sofas and baroque mirrors that died suddenly
Some of this stuff is amazing, shows people can be genrousxinstead of always wanting a profit from everything
What a weird wonderful/horrible place to live. I’m briefly jealous, but not.
I can't believe how many people just happen to be in need of a sofa at the very time they see a sofa on the street! What were they sitting on before?!
Amazed that so many people are willing to risk picking up upholstered furniture that's been sitting outside. Mold, mildew, urine, and bedbugs are all potentially carried within those things. I might put something like that on the bed of a pickup truck and then completely strip it down & reupholster it in the garage, but you'll never see me bringing one right into my home. :-/
Did it in college when I ended up moving into an apartment. I could not find the money for furniture that was not already in my dorm. All was well as most of it was from other dorm kids moving out. You can see clear signs of bedbugs if there is a infestation. I think people would look closely.
Load More Replies... This is the thing that I miss the most about living in Toronto. I currently live in Guatemala City, where people just don´t throw away good things. My uncle used to live in chicago and he decorated his appartment with things he found on the street. He won an award for decoration. In toronto I also decorated my appartment with things I found on the street and even the cops ( they once had to come in to get a statement from a roomate) where so impressed they actually started taking selfies inside the apartament.
One of the best places to find stuff used to be Rosedale - my neighbours did as you did, decorated their amazing place with castoffs.
Load More Replies... This amazes me. In most places people would at least try to sell this stuff on Craig's list, or similar. How can New Yorkers afford to just give these things away?
Also in NYC, you don't have room to save it for sale. If you need it gone, has to go outside
Load More Replies... Having dealt with bedbugs TWICE in my son's room, I'm not sure I'd be able to bring myself to pick up a piece of furniture off the street, especially not a headboard. I guess it's *fairly* easy to check for them before you take it but, dang, if there are even a few lurking in there...
I guess people leave a lot of amazing things behind when they live in a city where a lot of people don't have cars or easy access to a truck. In Los Angeles, everyone has a car, and it's cheap enough to hire a couple of guys to move something for you. So if they don't take it with them, they sell it. Most of what gets left at the curb is old, broken particle board junk.
My dining room table had been left out to be taken by the bin men, trash, rubbish removal. It had only been put out that morning, I went straight home fetched himself, and we carried it away. Beautiful little table, 30s mass produced.
In my area we put things out in the hope they will be usefull to others, but only small things, ornaments etc. I have loads of books I need to put out but I am worried the whole lot would be snaffled and sold online, leaving nothing for the locals.
I always imagined people get their stuff out of their houses, remember they didn't got their wallets or something and return inside. 10 minutes later someone else is posting "look what I found"
I don't understand why these people didn't try to sell their stuff. I'm sure many of them would have found a buyer.
Some people don't want strangers coming into their home to look at items for sale. Single aged women who live alone for example.
Load More Replies... Looks like there was a phase of people buying velvet sofas and baroque mirrors that died suddenly
Some of this stuff is amazing, shows people can be genrousxinstead of always wanting a profit from everything
What a weird wonderful/horrible place to live. I’m briefly jealous, but not.
I can't believe how many people just happen to be in need of a sofa at the very time they see a sofa on the street! What were they sitting on before?!
