Korean Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

I'm moving into my new place on Sunday and need to furnish it. I've been told that the best and cheapest way to do that is to dumpster dive, go to the place where Koreans put their furniture to be recycled, like near huge apt complexes.

Is this possible?

If you've done this, what kind of things can be found?

[Senior]

I've seen heaps of stuff I wanted to snag but just didn't have room in my shoe box for. A set of drawers, about 50 of those tiny little tables. One thing I did pilfer was a sweet coffee table. Totally not Korean style. made from real wood. It had wobbly legs, but the legs were attached with wing nuts, so it was just a matter of tightening them.

You pretty much have the pick of the dumpsters in Korea. Koreans think discarded furniture is haunted. And more importantly hate to be seen as cheap or "dirty".

PS. I would never actually pull something out of the dumpster. Maybe if the dumpster only had office paper in it, or some such. Stuff on the side of the street is fair game, though, in my opinion.

[HalfJapanese]

Aren't there any dumpster diving laws in Korea, that would make the act illegal?

[Senior]

[naturegirl321]

Ah, no, dumpster, no. Side of the road, is what I meant. I htink I'm too short to even see inside a dumpster.

I can't wait for my husband to come. I'd love to get a dresser, or something like that, but don't think that I could carry it. Maybe if it was close.

Would a taxi pick me up if I had to move funiture?

Second hand stuff is great, I get most of my clothes that way. Second hand stores I mean, not the roadside. Has more character. And is different from the cookie cutter stuff in stores. I constantly get compliments about my clothes, people don't believe that I get it from thrift stores.

[naturegirl321]

[Senior]

[Stalin84]

Koreans have some sort of superstition about dumpster diving which is why they don't do it.

When I lived in Uiwang the local PC Bang went out of business and a PC Bang-style, leather computer chair with a head rest was left out on the street. I let it sit for a few days until I saw that it clearly was meant to be trash then I took it in, cleaned it off, adjusted it and made it mine. I've been using it ever since.

I also got a few tables and various other things off the street.

I highly recommend it if you can find stuff. I saved a lot of money that way!

[shoeboy]

[Senior]

[Senior]

[naturegirl321]

[nosmallplans]

1. Floor table - dark wood with dark lacquer and ornate carving work. It was a little banged up it was nothing a bit of lemon Pledge and elbow grease couldn't fix.

2. Standing mirror - dark lacquer with a mother of pearl pattern. The pattern is starting to flake a bit but it's in a corner so no one touches it anyway.

3. Matching set of paintings - both of the Asian calligraphic variety. One is of some fat guy and the other is some Chinese text both painted beautifully. They're set in these great, deep, frames with real glass. The wood is very light and attractive.

[Senior]

[Sleepy in Seoul]

I once found my self-respect by... oh, that's right, I decided to NOT pick up rubbish on the side of the street.