Usually, I judge items for their usefulness. In judging the finds this year, I will separate the top dumpfinds that were found this year (fun stuff) and the top dumpfound items that I used on a daily basis during the year (useful stuff). Here are some of the items found in 2024 that I think are surprising, valuable, or just cool.
1. Rodecaster Pro, podcasting gear, and various audio/camera items.
Someone at the start of 2020 or so had a genius idea – I will ride out a pandemic by creating “content” packaged in a podcast format. Its easy. These days all you need is that specific machine that will do everything for you. I’ll buy something that makes creating easy! Creating shit is easy when you have the right (expensive, perfect) tools.
It is idiotic to just buy the most heavily advertised shit to solve all your problems. This whole mentality of buy a new couch, buy a new fridge, buy a new car – if something breaks – is what is destroying our environment and enfeebling our minds. Buying the best podcasting machine when you are someone who is currently not even recording your own thoughts is a short cut that skips the creativity part. We are meant as humans to creatively solve our problems. Early on not solving simple things creatively meant death. If you didn’t find a way to shelter, clothe and feed your group of humans, you died.
Switching up time periods and semi-metaphorical stories (allegory?) – If you have never rode a shitty bicycle to its limits, you will never ride a high quality bicycle on Le Tour. As a kid, I learned to ride on a heavy but decent kid’s bike (handlebar broke). Then I graduated to a very heavy but slightly used BMX (because it was a tank, it survived). Next came a Sears special BMX that broke in half from use and was welded back together. This taught me the value of 4130 Cro-moly and to look for craftsmanship in material goods. I got a job at a bicycle shop and started to get better bikes as my skills on a bike got better. Growing up I never lacked for anything but I had to find a way to get the extra frills. Nobody had any respect for some idiot who bought (or whose parents bought) the best BMX money could buy and couldn’t ride it. Most of those kids got their asses kicked and sometimes their bikes went to those less fortunate.
My theory of how it ended up in the dump…someone had an impulse purchase that reminded them of their lack of creativity. They got rid of it.
To sum it up. Thanks fucker. I’m going to do a podcast now.
I apologize for the tone of this. It makes me angry to see stuff like this Podcaster. Stuff that, in the hands of a skilled person without the means to get this item, could do amazing and creative things. Not saying that I’m that person but I know many out there.
2. Wood from construction waste
I reclaimed enough wood from construction to build a bunch of things. One of them was a bench that looks like it was hatcheted together by a co-magnon man – or whichever early human had access to stone tools and a cordless drill. You can sit on it, it has storage and will be useful longer than a new 2024 iPad.
I should have built it out of 100 glued together iPads to prove a point. I probably could have made 5 of those benches with all of the iPads I found from the last couple of years.
3. M-Audio X-session pro
This is a DJ mixer (MIDI mappable controller). Probably put in ewaste by the same jackass or spoiled child who threw out the new Podcaster. “My DJ skills need a professional setup or how am I going to learn”. Yo, you aren’t. You will forever be a mediocre “mid” kid buying stupid shit to fill in for lack of skills. Take the $3000 Mac that your Mom bought you and give it to the kid who bought a $50 dollar guitar and is recording his progress on his cheap shitty phone. That kid will make better use of your paperweightbook.
The controller is mapped in Mixxx now. We will see what we can do with it in the future. With that whole rant done, after trying it out and it working quite well, I can say the build quality feels plasiticky-shitty. It is a free toy tho and I enjoy it.
4. Walmart CE labs MP90 commercial-grade (digital signage) IPTV Media Player.
Please someone help me kill the looping Walmart commercials and make this thing useful again.
5. Electro-harmonix Pulsar Tremolo pedal
Found this a few days ago in 2024. Haven’t tested. Probably scratchy pots. Will use Deoxit. Will update.
Will edit later. This is temp. Find and fix. Happy New Year!
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