Gamestop Dumpster Diver Blog

[reptileink]

So, I have been watching a guy on YouTube named SpeedyDiver who is a dumpster diver. Only catch is, he only dumpster dives at Gamestop. Why someone didn't think of this before is beyond me, but it really got me curious as to what I could find in my local Gamestop dumpster.

Now, I will say this. The guy on YouTube is a big time hoarder (in my opinion). He takes a LOT of stuff that I would never take (system boxes, display boxes, lanyards, bracelets, etc) I have a small inkling that some of his items may be "placed", but he insists he does not fake his videos. Some nights, he finds very little, but some nights he cashes in. Makes me a bit skeptical, but hey, he's got over 100,000 subscribers and over 100 videos, and is pretty funny, so what the heck.

So, I started hitting up my local Gamestop dumpster approximately two, maybe three weeks ago. I don't go nightly, but maybe twice a week. I will try and chronicle my adventures whenever I go and actually find something good. So for the blog sake, I will guesstimate when I started, but become more accurate as time goes on.

Without any more  blabber here is my breakdown:



December 2nd 2016:
My first night dumpster diving. I was pretty nervous. This is not illegal in my city, but prowling around the back of a building in the dark can be pretty eerie. Plus, you never know who is going to be behind there. In any event, I park my car, and take out my flashlight. Right off the bat, I find a whole stack of two sided Call of Duty Advanced Warfare posters. Score! I grab two (one for my son). I then proceed to dig around and find a cool Witcher 3 poster! I grab that. A bit more digging produces a game case....the tensions rise as I pop it open, and find a game inside! It's Just Dance 3 for the Nintendo Wii (not my first choice, but hey, it's free!) Now, I don't own a Wii, but you never know. I also find an empty case for Pokémon Sun for the 3ds. I take that as well.

December 4th

My second night dumpster diving, and boy was my adrenaline up! I waited until about 1.5 hours after closing time, and drove over to the shopping mall. I pulled up to the dumpster, and ripped open two bags that were there. Sadly, nothing but some black display cases, I left those. There were some really nice Skyrim double-sided posters, but it had rained, and they were swimming in about 2 inches of water      I also found some cool Fallout 4 posters, but decided to leave them. Thinking about it, I should have grabbed a couple too. I try not to take stuff that I won't really use. These were nice and dry in the cardboard only dumpster, but again, nothing I really wanted.

So no luck this night    

December 7th
Tonight was a night like any other. It was approximately 10:30pm when I rolled into the back of the strip mall after band practice. I spied a security truck as one of the stores is open extended hours for Christmas. I wondered if this was going to cause an issue. I drove around the back of the strip mall, and parked my car. I had a weird feeling that the security guard was going to show up, so I just stood by my car and took out my cell phone. Sure enough, he comes rolling around the corner with his high beams on. I looked up, and he turned them off, driving right by me! I was a bit nervous, as I was thinking maybe he would have called the police, so as soon as he was out of sight, I dove in.
   Nothing tonight but a bunch of Nintendo DS cases, all empty. I contemplated taking some, but again, I had no real use for them. Nothing else of any substance. However, when I walked over to the cardboard only dumpster, I saw a car parked behind the building, no lights, and seemingly occupied by a couple....lol. I didn't want them to think I was watching, so I quickly hopped in my car and left.

Score: 0     

[reptileink]

December 11th

Another adventure awaits! My local Gamestop normally closes at 6pm on a Sunday. So I wait until about 7:30 and head over. I see a couple nice bags at the top of the pile. Now, I will share, that I REALLY needed to pee for some reason, so I was trying to be quick...lol

I tear into the first bag, and instantly see a game in a sleeve that you see in one of those black CD case holders. I grab the whole sleeve, and see it's an NBA2k12 for Xbox 360 ! Yes, this is an old game, but my kids mostly play the 360, and could care less! Hope it works! As I am going for bag #2, I hear the Gamestop door jiggle. DOH! I again stand by my car and since I use my phone as a flashlight, I stand there acting like I am waiting for someone. A girl comes out with two bags, and kind of just looks at me. I felt pretty embarrassed...lol. She goes back in and closes the door. I run to the side of another dumpster (again, I REALLY had to pee...lol), and take care of business. I then decide to hop back in my car and head home, planning on heading back in an hour or so.

1.5 hours later.....

So I venture back to the strip mall, and now see the Gamestop lights are off. GOOD! I see the security guard parked waaaaay down the other side of the lot. I park, and proceed to dig into the two new bags the girl threw out. Sadly, not much more than some leftover nasty cheese sauce from the nearby Taco Bell is in the first bag...gross! Now, the second bag didn't have much more, but I did spy a couple cases. One was for Xbox One, but it was cracked down the back. The other was for NFL Blitz for the 360. No game inside, so I chucked the manual and sleeve, and took the case to use for the 2k12 game I grabbed earlier. I rushed home as there was nothing else in there.

Home:

I grab the dish detergent and proceed to really clean the disc first. I put the case in the top rack of the dishwasher to clean when I run it. I dry off the disc, and don't see much damage to the back (some light scratches). I popped the disc into the 360, and viola!! It works! Free game!!

Score:
NBA 2k12
Green Xbox 360 case

[reptileink]

December 14th

Ahhh, one last night of diving before vacation. I had high hopes tonight as I haven't been to the dumpster since Sunday. I pull into the lot, and right away, there is a car in front of me heading around to the back of the Sears department store. Crap! Is this guy a diver too? I head in the opposite direction, and go around the back of the strip mall the long way. I figure, if he's pulled up to the dumpster, I'll keep driving. I make it to the back of the Gamestop, and there are no cars there. Cool!

So I pull up next to the dumpster, and see that it must have been emptied between Sunday and today. However, there are 3 bags inside! I tear into the first bag and find nothing. In the second bag, I spy a white case! I pull it out, and it's a case for Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. It seems a bit heavy, so I have hopes there is a game inside. I pop it open, no game    There is the manual though, and the case and manual are both in great shape. I stash that to the side.

The third bag had nothing good in it. I trot over to the cardboard dumpster, but sadly find no posters or anything worth taking.

I also noticed today that after tonight (I assume till Christmas), they will be open to 10pm which means I'm not waiting up until after 11 to dive.  

Score:
Super Smash Brothers Brawl case and manual for Wii

December 27th, 2016

So, I excitedly head out to my local Gamestop after being on vacation for 10 days. I was literally falling asleep on the couch, but stayed strong and ventured out around 9:45pm. The website said they close at 9. As I enter the parking lot, I see Gamestop lit up like Christmas Eve. The "open" sign is not lit, but usually, the store is very dim. There is a car parked out front, and two police cars facing opposite directions talking to each other. The security officer is also parked not far away. DARN!

I drive down the road a bit, and wait about 5 more minutes in an Applebee's parking lot. It's now 10:05pm, and I think to myself, "they must be cleared out by now". I drive back to the lot, and NOPE! Lights are on, police cars parked, and security with his little yellow light still there.  

So I decide to go home. Not that anything could have happened to me, but digging around a dumpster when an employee is still there isn't what I am looking to do, especially with the police out in the lot. I am hoping they were doing some big inventory or something, and perhaps threw out a bunch of old games (wishful thinking, I know). I plan on heading back tonight as a big rain storm is due tomorrow, and I DON'T want to dig around a wet dumpster.

Score:
 Nothing  

[reptileink]

December 28th

I left the house at 10:07 tonight and drove over to Gamestop. No cops, lights in the store on, and security down the other end. I say, "screw it", and drive around back. Pulling up to the open dumpster, I could see that it was either just emptied, or only a couple of bags. Sure enough, I hop out and walk over to the dumpster. Only 2 bags were in there along with some giant black bean bag chair. I rip open the first bag and find nothing but a bunch of gamestop gift cards (of course, it's after Christmas). The second bag, I could see a light green box....a game perhaps?? I rip open the bag, and find it was a gift card box...bummer. I pull out a cardboard sleeve for Bewjeweled for the 360, and toss that aside. I spy a disc!!! I grab it, but it turns out to be Beverly Hills Chihuahua on DVD. PASS! Just as I am about to give up, I see a 360 case! I flip it over to see it's Max Payne 3. I crack it open to find the manual, and the second disc (which is the single player disc). Score! I can't remember what the first disc for this game was.

I get home, and give the disc a soapy bath in the sink while washing my hands as well. I dry off the disc to find no scratches! Popped into the 360, and I am now staring at a menu to play!! WINNER!

Score: Max Payne 3 game disc for Xbox 360

Quick update, I clicked on "story" to play, and it asks to put in the 1st disc....DAMN! Not sure what else I might be able to play on the 2nd disc, anyone know?

[reptileink]

December 30th, 2016

Last dive of the year. I haven't been in two days, so hopefully some stuff to go through tonight!

I drive into the lot, and the security truck is right in the middle. No fear, I drive around the building and hop out. As I approach the dumpster, I hear what sounds like a door opening (NOT AGAIN!) False alarm, it was the lid to the cardboard dumpster.

I rip open the first bag, and find nada....zip......zilch!

I see another bag, and grab it by the top....WOW! This is a heavy bag (usually a good sign). I start digging through it, and uncover about 8 Nintendo DS game cases (no games, there never are) I toss those aside. I then find a PS4 Legends Edition NBA2k17 cardboard box with some weight to it. I open it up, and sure enough, there is a case inside, but not much else besides the manual. I grab it anyway.

Right below that is another "box" package, this time for Blood and Wine Witcher 3 add on. Sadly, just an empty box inside, but a REALLY cool one! I also find a redemption code inside. It's probably used already.

Now I am getting towards the bottom of the bag. I find a PS3 Bioshock Infinite case, but only the manual inside. I grab it anyway. Lastly, I grab a PS3 Sports Champions case, and find the game inside! Not having a PS3, I can't test it, but I don't think it was a hot seller anyway. Last, but not least, I found a GTA 5 disc in yellow sleeve. Sadly, it's only the install disc, and probably has little value. I have the game, so probably will toss it.

[reptileink]

Jan 1st, 2017

First dive of the new year! I have devised a strategy to stay out of the eyes of the security guard. I drove around the other end of the plaza so that he has no way to even see me drive to the Gamestop dumpster. I drive up full of anticipation as I should have 2 days worth of bags to go through. I park and walk up to the dumpster, and all I see is a pizza box and some thrown out wings. Hrmmm. Where they open?? Of course they were. I walk over to the "cardboard only" dumpster, and see someone threw the bags in there.

 First bag was devoid of any goodies, just TONS of used gamecards and batteries. The second bag had a couple black cases in it, and one 3ds case I didn't even bother to look at. Only thing that I got out of the second bag was a USB cable. That's it, nothing else    There was a semi-cool Lego Dimensions poster, but it was too "retail" for my liking, so I left it. There were a couple other Gamestop posters with it, but nothing good.

I did a good deed by moving a huge Pokemon cardboard display rack into the cardboard dumpster as well as some other boxes and the posters. So I felt like I helped out some...haha.

Score:
USB cable

[yotsuya]

Let us know if you happen to find any brand new and high quality teenage mutant ninja turtles and teenage mutant ninja turtles turtles in time marquees.

[acvieluf]

Let us know if you happen to find any brand new and high quality teenage mutant ninja turtles and teenage mutant ninja turtles turtles in time marquees.

AHAHAHAHAHAHA! sadly this post will seem less funny by the time that guys gets banned, but that was marvelous.

[reptileink]

Banned? For what exactly?

[Malenko]

Banned? For what exactly?

not you, the dino guy/gal spamming the restore/artwork section with requests to steal artwork and have people restore it for him/her.
I hope you keep up the diving, its quite entertaining.

[reptileink]

Oh, lol. I've been away from the boards for a while (vacation, board shutting down, etc).

I'll have to go check it out.

[acvieluf]

Banned? For what exactly?

not you, the dino guy/gal spamming the restore/artwork section with requests to steal artwork and have people restore it for him/her.
I hope you keep up the diving, its quite entertaining.

Yes, sorry for the confusion, please continue, this is highly entertaining. I may join your hobby on my locale.

Sent from my Atari 2600

[vwalbridge]

Surprised you haven't found a Zaxxon yet.

[8BitMonk]

Am I the only one who thinks this seems like a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- load of work for what you've scrounged so far? 

[pbj]

Am I the only one who thinks this seems like a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- load of work for what you've scrounged so far? 

Nope, and I have low standards for success.

[JDFan]

Am I the only one who thinks this seems like a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- load of work for what you've scrounged so far? 

^This - and has probably spent more on gas going back and forth than if you just bought the items directly from the store (figure they throw them out for a reason !!)

[yotsuya]

Am I the only one who thinks this seems like a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- load of work for what you've scrounged so far? 

I didn't want to be "that guy", so I'm glad you were first. ;-)

[BadMouth]

I wouldn't find it worthwhile to go look in the dumpster for posters or empty cases I could have just asked for anyway.
But I would find it fun to watch the people who are dumpster diving from a distance to see them keep a lookout and play it cool when a door opens.
Of course I wouldn't want to have to wait around for this.

When I was younger, a friend of mine worked next to a 1 hour photo place.
The photo place had a policy of not developing pictures of naked people, but they didn't know until the machine spit them out.
So all the naked pics went in the dumpster.  The employees where she worked kept a giant photo album of nude pics pulled from the dumpster.
It wasn't a huge town, so there was a good chance someone that worked there knew the people.  The book was probably 3 or 4 inches thick.

This was all pre-internet.

[8BitMonk]

I didn't want to be "that guy", so I'm glad you were first. ;-)

Someone had to say it. At least I kept my commentary results-based, didn't bust his balls on the dignity aspect.

[ChadTower]

I suppose it's always 'too much work for the return' until that day you find something that changes the return value.

[8BitMonk]

I suppose it's always 'too much work for the return' until that day you find something that changes the return value.

True but what's the best case scenario, a couple used games and not contracting Hep C?

[ChadTower]

I'm with you on the likelihood that it ever returns value enough to be worth doing.  There are some experienced divers on this forum, though.  Have any of those guys ever found enough to make it worthwhile?

[leapinlew]

You should dumpster dive behind the bank.

[pbj]

I think the best I ever did was a 4 Wheeler that was missing the carburetor and a plasma TV with a blown fuse.  We got the 4 Wheeler working, rode the hell out of it, and sold it instantly for what we had put into it.  The TV lasted 4 years.

Used to find VHS porn back in the early 90s.  That was cool. 

[Slippyblade]

I think the best I ever did was a 4 Wheeler that was missing the carburetor and a plasma TV with a blown fuse.  We got the 4 Wheeler working, rode the hell out of it, and sold it instantly for what we had put into it.  The TV lasted 4 years.

Used to find VHS porn back in the early 90s.  That was cool. 

Didn't you score a bunch of electronics bits last year?  Like a meter and a bunch of other stuff?

[pbj]

Yeah, scored a bunch of stuff from a balance disorder lab that was getting rid of their tools.  Most of that stuff is still in the box I carried it home in.  Do use the Fluke meter and the socket set, though.

[leapinlew]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this and previous adventures from PBJ. Good stuff. I've found a dirty side of youtube dumpster diving videos and I like it!

[reptileink]

To address some of the "haters" in the thread.

1. the Gamestop is literally 3 minutes from my house by car.
2. The guy I watch sometimes finds controllers and more working games than I have found so far
3. The dumpster is purely gamestop and normally consists of paper goods, receipts, etc. They seem to have a break room bag that is normally the food stuff (which I don't touch).
4. I wear gloves
5. It's more the thrill of the hunt than the hunted items
6. Yes, most of it is worthless
7. I like to think, even in a small way, that I am keeping trash out of the landfill. Even if I toss it when I get home, I throw the plastic in the recycling bin, so at least it gets re-used.
8. I also help out as stated above, buy moving cardboard to the recycling dumpster that would normally go to the landfill.

So yes, more work than reward, but it's a fun thing to do and takes less than 15-20 minutes each time I go. With that being said, I am off to see what's there tonight!

[yotsuya]

Stop being a hater, 8bit.

[reptileink]

January 3rd, 2017

Most of the day today it was pouring rain out, dampening my spirits for a dive. However, around 10pm EST, the rain let up to a light drizzle. I had to get my fix. I pulled on my gloves, and walked over to the dumpster. Sure enough, there was about 2 inches of water in the bottom. Luckily, one of the bags was on top of some console boxes (empty), so I dragged it up to the top to rip it open. This bag had some serious weight (mostly from some water inside).

First thing I see is a square box. What's this?? It looks like a gift box and says, "Dead Rising 4". I pull it closer to the light and see that it's a snow globe! Confident it was broken, I opened it up, and pulled out the styrofoam box inside (good sign). To my surprise, it was shiny new! COOL! Wait, what's this??? Another Dead Rising 4 box. I didn't stop to check this one, but when I got home, this one too is in brand new condition!

I also spied a Hitman black box. Sadly, it was empty, but still a REALLY cool case. Even if you just wanted to put the two movies in it, it's worth it. I guess it was the Absolution Professional edition box. So a rainy, wet, night turned into a pretty decent haul. The other bag in the dumpster was full of air bags for packaging. I was surprised to see only one bag as the last time I went was Sunday.

I am taking my son camping this weekend, so I will be hitting the dumpster Thursday and Sunday night. Can't wait to see what I find!

Score:



Baseball bat, camera, and zombie head in a box


On a side note, Mods, if this belongs somewhere else, please feel free to move it. Thanks!

[pbj]

Dammit now I want to start doing this.  My closest GameStop is sketchy as hell, though.

 

[reptileink]

Upon a quick check on Ebay, those globes are getting anywhere from $10-15 !

I could make a quick 20-30 ( less after fees and shipping), but still, for something thrown out?? 

[yotsuya]

Dammit now I want to start doing this.  My closest GameStop is sketchy as hell, though.

 

Give me your mailing address - I'll send you a bunch of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- I was going to throw out anyway.

[leapinlew]

Dammit now I want to start doing this.  My closest GameStop is sketchy as hell, though.

 

Give me your mailing address - I'll send you a bunch of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- I was going to throw out anyway.

Oh, so now you're acting like you don't know his home address? What happened to you two?!   

[ChadTower]

pbj was probably giving him a fake address in a sketchy part of town the whole time hoping he'd get robbed.  A guy only falls for that three or four times, though, so he's wise to the game.

[DesiredOutcome]

Well thats different.

[vwalbridge]

Still haven't found a Zaxxon yet?

[pbj]

I went to Gamestop today and asked about Pokemon Go Plus, NES Classic, and preordering a Switch and got laughed out.