We have had 3 auctions since we started doing this. Sometimes when the lot fails to sell, our supervisor buys it for a dollar and I end up disposing of the contents. Sometimes I keep it for myself if she is ok with me doing so, sometimes I donate it to the local Womens shelter if it is something I think they can use and if it is really trashed I break it apart for the dumpster.

This spring we had one such unit, 10 x 15. It wasn't stuffed with items, just some old nasty mattresses, a couple of flipped over sofas with dusty cushions and bags of stinky nasty trash and a five gallon bucket of cigarette butts. I put off cleaning it out as often as I could as I wasn't looking forward to deconstructing the mattresses and sofas anytime soon. So, finally I had no other choice, I set my alarm earlier than usual so I could get an early start and get it all done in one day.

Most of the stuff appeared to be piled to the front of the unit. Once I got it to the dumpster, I realized there was very little at the back of the unit. However, there was an old oak desk turned upside down on top of four old cardboard produce boxes. I assumed it was to keep any moisture from reaching the top of the desk. Anyway, I got the desk up and off of the boxes and decided to keep it instead of destroying it or giving it away. Opening the first box, I found a series of smaller cigar boxes, inside the cigar boxes were hundreds of old stamps. The other three produce boxes held stamp albums and thousands of those little cellophane envelopes with stamps, and stacks and stacks of First Day Covers. My mind was reeling. I don't know anything about stamps, but knew these were/are good.

I let our supervisor know what I had found and she said I could keep them if I wanted them. I took them out of the boxes I found them in and carefully repacked them into some plastic crates.

That was the best thing I had ever found until the other day. I found a pair of textile wall hangings by Ross Littell. I get to keep those too.

Troy