Korean Job Discussion Forums

[zappalives]

I need furniture and was hoping to try this cheap and efficient method. Did a search and didn't come up with much. Is there an etiquette in Korea about this? Will I be hassled by the fuzz or slapped silly by old men guarding trash holes? Any suggestions would be welcome, as well as, of course, any stories.

[Dan The Chainsawman]

Donate a bottle of soju to your building security guard around 10 at night. Wait a couple of hours then loot the place as he will be snoozing away like a baby.

[Muffin]

I saw someone had thrown out two office chairs (very good condition) so I waited til after dark when my neighbours were all inside and I asked the guard if I could take one, he was delighted and tried to persuade me to take both.

I have noticed that somethings have tickets on (maybe a price).

With Koreans being so keen on recycling I am sure they are happy for furniture to be recycled this way.

[ttompatz]

[Ya-ta Boy]

Some people vociferously object to people liberating their unwanted furniture from the dump site after they have paid (for the ticket) to have it hauled away. Selfishly, they would prefer you buy what they don't want anymore.

A word to the wise: It is not advisable to go into an unlocked apartuh and drag out a sofa or chair if an ajumma is still sitting on/leaning against it.

[bellum99]

Yikes....they have furniture stores where you can buy things. They have those free newspapers around the town area hanging on the street light poles. Just go outside and get a free newspaper and it will have listings of the used furniture place. Go there with your address and they will deliver to your house.
Do not, do not, do not..pick from like garbage like a crazed raccoon. Spend a little money and just buy what you want.

[ucfvgirl]

I think it's ok to take things that are sitting by the garbage, if it's what you want or need. Koreans do not have the space or the time to have a 'garage' sale so they just throw it away.

Since I have arrived, I have gotten a really nice cane chair and a small filing cabinet. Why not take it and use it if no one else wants it? Why pay for something when you can get it for free? Common sense would tell you that, right?

[pet lover]

Street pickings is a form of recycling. Recycling is good and while I'm not sure that raccoons engage in it, props to them if they do. While a lot of us might COME from throw-away societies, that doesn't mean that we all support the waste. It's far better to give a desk a second home than to have it pitched in a dump.

While out on my walks with my dogs, I have run across furniture of all kinds...usually in extremely good condition. If I had a way of hauling it all the way back to my place and then up the stairs, I wouldn't have needed to buy as much as I did. I look forward to dumpster dives, freecycles, garage sales, and thrift stores when I go back. I'm not hurting for money--I just don't like waste.

[juicyhumdinger]

I've gotten some great things from the garbage. What I've seen some of those old guys do though, is BREAK the furniture into little pieces so you can't take it. What's with that??? trying to stop people from getting free I guess, or helping to stimulate the Korean economy.

[jay-shi]

In two and a half years I have found all of these, for myself and others, in fair to excellent condition:

A two-seater and a three-seater sofa
Three computer chairs
Two desks
A rice cooker
Various dishes
Three dressers
Two bookshelves
Tons of ceramic pots for plants
A fully functional P3 computer with 15 inch monitor

Your best bet is to find out where the rich people live near you and where their apartment's big garbage disposal sites are. Sundays always seem to be a good bet as people do their cleaning over the weekend, and the "garbage" doesn't get picked up until at least Monday.

Dumpster diving rocks!

[kimchikowboy]

Another "best bet" is find out (ask a Korean friend) when new apartment complexes are opening, so people can move in. Often, people pay to have all of their stuff moved to the new place (movers pack everything) and then they sort out what they want or don't want.

[Qinella]

I see some nice stuff by the dumpster outside my apartment, but always forget to go back at night to grab it. Missed out on a couple of nice-looking cabinets that way.

Last year I found some ceremonial ducks and over-sized wooden utensils, which I was told are part of a wedding celebration, just sitting on top of some garbage bags. I took them, since they looked nice, and later on gifted them to my married siblings. They were thrilled! "How much did they cost?" "Oh, not much."

[zappalives]

Thanks for the replies. I lurk tonight!