December 12, 2007
By KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
News Editor

The green bench on our porch is a testament to sharing.

“Free,” the yellow bench read on a curb near our home. It was exactly what we needed: a place to sit while taking our shoes off, with the hinged seat serving as a lid to a box to store those shoes. I repainted it, and put new plywood on the bottom, and it was ready to go.

That lucky find has piqued my interest in an unsung Hood River tradition: put your goods on the curb, mark them “free,” and see them disappear.

“If I no longer need it but it’s in good shape I figure it might be of use to someone else,” said one man I spoke with who regularly puts out furniture and other items. “I don’t need the money but someone might need what I no longer do,” he added.

“I got too big for the toys and even though the paint was faded I thought someone else might like it,” said a 7-year-old who put out her plastic teeter-totter and rocking horse toys; solid and lightly worn despite plenty of use, they were still in good shape and someone claimed them.

In the past year I have seen a futon, numerous chairs, a Coke clock (photo above, mattresses, desks, computers, computer tables, couches, skis, bed frames, TVs, toys, sinks, a refrigerator, window frames, shelves, dressers, and many other items. “Free,” the signs usually read; “Free Stuff” is another typical enticement.

Last spring someone put out a laminate-topped table near my house, and wrote “Free” in the thick layer of dust that covered it.

People who claim free stuff show little compunction about doing so. I have watched people get out and carefully look over items, apparently judging the size, color, shape, and condition for suitability in the den or kid’s bedroom.

One dad and his son picked up a floral-décor embroidered chair, put it in the back of their pickup and drove away, the “Free” sign still taped to the chair.

The oddest item I saw was a black trash bag taped shut with a sign reading “Free: Barbie set and Hershey’s chocolate maker.” The bag sat for about two weeks.

I know of one situation where a couple renovated their kitchen and carried the old microwave to the corner, placing it there without a “free” sign on it. There the appliance sat for five days, including two when it rained. No one ever took the microwave.

Most items retain some redeeming quality, and anything good tends to get snapped up, but the “Free” trend has its detractors; items on the curb can look junky if they are left out too long, or if they are junk to begin with.

In the past two weeks I have noticed a weight-lifting bench, complete with rust and tattered upholstery, sitting by a street. No one has claimed it. There is no sign on the object.

Anything free for the taking should say as much. Otherwise people might believe it was left behind in a move, forgotten in the dump run, or fallen off a truck.

From what I have seen, about 10 percent of what gets put out should have gone to the trash. But admittedly, there is a large gray area involved

“You know the expression, ‘One man’s treasure is another man’s trash,’” said Kristi Dirks, community service officer with Hood River Police, who handles nuisance complaints. She said the city rarely receives a complaint about curbside “free” items, and that neighbors are typically understanding about anything left out a week or less.

“I’ve seen that people think of most of these things as still good: they believe that ‘this was grandma’s microwave that she bought in 1974 and someone is sure to want it.’ They do it with good intentions.”