Topic: So I was coming home from the movies and saw this bag by my neighbor's garbage..

[BranDonk Kong]

...and figured, hey I'll take that, I could probably use it. It was a black PlayStation tote bag. So I picked it up and noticed it was heavier than I would have guessed, got it in my house and opened it up to find this...



Original PlayStation with two analog controllers, power and a/v cables, and two demo discs, practically in mint condition. About two minutes later I was greeted by this old familiar screen...



So yeah, free PlayStation for me today (and a sweet bag, too)! I'll probably never play it...but still, that's pretty cool.

[Oblivion]

Lucky.

[ShyGuy]

What do you keep in the cage?

[BranDonk Kong]

My dog when we leave the house. Miniature Pinscher...his name is Snoop.

[Morari]

What do you keep in the cage?

Children.

He goes around stealing people's Sony products and enslaving their children!

[KDR_11k]

Legally that's theft but ethically it's saving the environment by not wasting resources. BTW, do they really throw electronics into the regular trash in the US? These things are considered hazardous waste here.

[TJ Spyke]

If the garbage can was out on the curb, then it's not theft. It's the same reason someone can't go through your garbage cans when they are on your property, but legally can once you put it on by the curb for pick-up.

You are supposed to recycle electronics, but I think only batteries are legally not supposed to be thrown in the trash.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Batteries, Monitors & Microwaves need to be disposed of properly.

[TJ Spyke]

I think more people would recycle stuff like monitors if so many of these places that let you recycle them charge you for it.

[BlackNMild2k1]

why would we recycle more if it cost us money?

They paid me for the last 3 I turned in, but it was so little, that it really wasn't worth the effort ($3 per monitor).

[TJ Spyke]

This is what I mean: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_630423.html

Every time I hear about these events in my city too, they charge you money to recycle your electronics.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Well, that's just backwards.

We have free electronic recycling places around here and lots of recycling centers take Monitors and TV's too while also paying you cash.

I wouldn't even think to lug some heavy ass tv down to the recycling center and pay someone to recycle it for me. If I was gonna pay someone, then they better come to my house an pick it up.
Otherwise I would just donate it to goodwill and write it off later.

[Stogi]

My city must be the **** I guess. I can throw any electronics in the recycling bin and they'll sort it out. They may not pay me for it, but I don't have to lug it farther than my curb.

[Sundoulos]

It varies between city and state, I think; probably due in large part to how states might assist in the funding of or otherwise provide incentive for recycling programs.  A few years ago, there were recycling organizations that would require you to pay to take heavy equipment like monitors off of your hands.  I can only guess that there was some reason that they weren't yet economically self-sufficient.

I think that most Best Buys will recycle your old electronics, including old computer parts.  Depending on the item and the state in which you are recycling, they charge you fee of up to $10; they will, however "offset" by giving you store credit in the same amount.  Still kind of lame, I guess, but it eases the blow.

I actually have an old CRT monitor (circa 2003) that finally died; I plan to take it to them this week.

P.S. - That's an awesome find, Brandogg.  It actually makes me kind of mad that someone would throw a working Playstation away.  If it works, and you don't want it, you could do any number of things with it e.g. have a garage sale, donate it to a daycare/orphanage, donate it to a thrift store, or sell it to a pawn shop or used electronics store.  Just tossing it is just unbelievable.

[Morari]

If the garbage can was out on the curb, then it's not theft. It's the same reason someone can't go through your garbage cans when they are on your property, but legally can once you put it on by the curb for pick-up.

You silly city folk and your curbs.

[MegaByte]

If the garbage can was out on the curb, then it's not theft. It's the same reason someone can't go through your garbage cans when they are on your property, but legally can once you put it on by the curb for pick-up.

It depends on the locality. There are a number of places (usually cities) where, by law, this is considered theft from the city since they make money on trash and recyclables.

[Chozo Ghost]

One time a couple years ago I found a Virtual Boy someone had thrown out by the side of the road. I took it home but unfortunately it didn't work... but I put it on ebay and managed to sell it for $60 even though it was broken and I made it clear in the listing that it was broken.

[ShyGuy]

One man's trash is another man's treasure! What games are you going to buy for it?

[BranDonk Kong]

I already have a collection, actually not than many though. Mortal Kombat 2 (Japan import, have a GameShark Lite to boot it), 3, 4 and Trilogy, Smackdown! 2...Gran Turismo 2 somewhere (I had originally bought this for Dreamcast via Bleem!).