Junk Drawer

Every year there seems to be a newly outdated electronic device appearing at Junk Days, and in alleyways all over town. This year’s real stand-out thrown-out item seems to be the standard old bulky television set. These TVs were already threatened by the streamlined flat screen TVs, but now the digital age has arrived.
People probably got converter boxes for their larger and better TVs, but I saw plenty of smaller ones at Junk Days this year. These were likely the extra TVs lying around the house, in the attic, next to the washing machine, or in a guest room. They might not have ever been hooked up to cable, and used only occasionally with the old rabbit ears. My parents have used one like this in the basement for years. But with the onset of digital, the old sets have become handicapped, unable to function on their own. These old-timers may have been the centerpieces of family homes for decades, but now they are being tossed away. There are no nursing homes for outdated electronics, and there are very few people who work on them anymore. That means the parts, some of which may still be useful, have no place and nobody to reuse them. Technology has become too advanced even for certain technology. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help picking one of these old TVs up. It works fine, for now, so I’ll probably sell it or donate it. I don’t actually watch much TV. I do have a converter box, but I don’t plan on getting cable or a dish or anything. Not unless they come out with some kind of channel about finding stuff. Perhaps the Junk News Network—that would be something I’d watch.

“Junk Days,” to one particular community, is an annual spring cleaning time to throw things away. But to anyone who loves finding stuff thrown out, Junk Days is a terrific and fun event. This zine is partly a Junk Days guide to junking, with plenty of junk finding tips. It is also a chronicle of favorite finds, plus some Junk Days history. For anyone who enjoys dumpster diving, this is kind of an upscale, suburban version of it. Half size, black and white, 44 pages full of text and original photos straight from the curbsides of Junk Days.

Junk days in the north suburbs of Chicago were a little soggy this year.  There were fewer books and comfy chairs out to be found.  That’s because those are things that may have gotten wet and ruined.  Even though the residents are throwing their things away, I believe many of them don’t really want their things getting ruined.  They want someone to find them.  And that’s where junk finders like me and many others come in.

There was still plenty of good stuff to be found.