Once a year in Auckland, something glorious happens. People clean out their homes, garages, and yards, and pile their unwanted goods and materials out by the roadside. They call this “inorganic pickup,” and it is an opportunity for people to discard any unwanted pieces of furniture or junk, for free. If you show up before the City collection truck does, inorganic pickup day can also be an opportunity for people who don’t mind dumpster diving to score some sweet finds, also for free.
We decided get in on the inorganic pickup action in Devonport last weekend, along with our friends Brandon and Kristen. Devonport is a lovely area of Auckland that jets out on a peninsula, overlooking the harbour. The area is heavily European-influenced, and has a quaint, Victorian feel.
Following the lead of our friends who had done this before, we drove slowly along through the residential areas until we spotted something that looked good enough to get out and take a look at. Lots of what was out at the curbsides was rubbish, but we did score some sweet finds.
This near-new side table/storage unit and a wooden crate were among our curbside treasures.
A few toys for when the niece and nephews come…
Brendon found an ancient rugby ball, just in need of a little air.
We weren’t the only ones out perusing others’ trash. You had to get in there early if you wanted to snag the really good stuff.
One of our last finds was this chair. The man who owned it came out, and as we thanked him for our new chair, he told us that it used to be on his boat. He said, in fact, that it had been the captain’s chair. The chair, only mildly dirty but in fairly good condition, now sits in our living room, and whoever sits in it, we call “Captain.”
All in all, inorganic pickup in Devonport was very good to us. The couple of hours we spent perusing Devonport’s curbside junk definitely paid off!