Tag Archives: treasures

‘trash has given us an appetite for art.’- pauline kael

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A New York garbage depot holds a secret collection of weird and wonderful refuse.

The Treasures in the Trash Collection

On the second floor of a nondescript warehouse owned by New York City’s Sanitation Department in East Harlem is a treasure trove—filled with other people’s trash.

Titanic. The Exhibition

– DMV

Titanic. The Exhibition

Most of the building is used as a depot for garbage trucks, but there’s a secret collection that takes over an entire floor. The space is populated by a mind-bogglingly wide array of items: a bestiary of Tamagotchis, Furbies; dozens of Pez dispensers; female weight lifting trophies; 8-track tapes; plates, paintings, sporting equipment and much more.

The Treasures in the Trash collection, was created entirely out of objects found by Nelson Molina, a now-retired sanitation worker, who began by decorating his locker. Collected over 30 years, it is a visual explosion, organized by type, color, and size. Atlas Obscura had the chance to visit the collection with the New York Adventure Club, take some photos, and revel in the vast creative possibilities of trash. Unfortunately, this isn’t a collection that keeps regular hours; drop-ins are not allowed. For more information on the occasional organized tours, email tours@dsny.nyc.gov. Sanitation workers are welcome anytime.

“uncommon thinkers reuse what common thinkers refuse.”

-j.r.d. tata

 

 

source credits: atlas obscura, dylan thuras, new york adventure club

collection location: 343 East 99th St., New York, New York, 10029 usa

 

 

discovery shopping.

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(not me, but a baby who shops with my same level of fervor as she fills her cart)

i love the adventure of shopping at t.j. maxx

walking in, not knowing what kind of treasure i’ll find

one can never enter

looking for a particular thing or size

you have to keep an open mind

 be willing to discover as you go

i don’t enjoy regular shopping

but this

is almost a sport

a discovery scavenger hunt

going up and down the aisles

 filling my cart

with all kinds of things i didn’t know that i needed

or that they even existed

like the stuffed duck with four legs

the vintage style pink baby reindeer with white snow glitter

and a pinecone falling off of it

a very soft blanket with woodland creatures and plants

a sweater that is my exact favorite shade of green

the thai chili and lime bath soap

i cannot believe that no one bought these treasures before i arrived

it’s all a matter of luck and timing!

“a discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.”

-albert szent gyorgyi

between the pages.

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treasures 

“there is space on everyone’s bookshelves for books we’ve outgrown but can’t give away.

they hold our youth between their pages.”

-enid blyton

treasure chest.

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what a wonderful honor

to be invited by my sweet niece

who took off a beautiful cloth

uncovered a hidden box

 used a tiny key

to show me

 the inside of

her very special treasure chest

filled with

fairy writings, magical books, pearls, stones, keys, a brooch, books, tiny envelopes, a puzzle piece and…

“not all treasures are silver and gold, mate.”

-captain jack sparrow

adventure.

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treasure discovered during this week’s adventures in the parks.

“you can either be a victim of the world

or an adventurer in search of treasure.

it all depends on how you view your life.”

― paulo coelho

 

treasures.

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attackofthecute-com

“i have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion.

these three are your greatest treasures.”
-lao tzu

treasure.

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book club happens

while waiting to go outside

and discovers something.

letters.

there is more treasure in books

than in all the pirate’s loot on treasure island.

– walt disney

treasures.

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the great zucchini

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zucchini joy

i was attending a wedding shower where couples and families had been invited, and the soon-to-be bride and groom each shared true stories about the other growing up. v got up first, and shared a sentimental story about his love, back when she was just a little girl, and it inspired the guests to let out a collective, ‘awwwwww,’ when he was finished.

then c got up and shared her story about him. she told the tale of when v was little, and he desperately wanted a pet. his parents told him that it was absolutely not going to happen. and he cried and he begged and he cried some more, but all to no avail.

he wanted a companion so badly, that one day he adopted a large zucchini that he had found in the garden. he put a rope on it to create a leash, and took it on a walk. he loved his zucchini, took care of it, cleaned the outside of it, and dragged it along with him wherever he went. his mother made him keep it outside to sleep at night, where he left bowls of water for it, and each morning he ran to get it and was reunited with his pet once more. and he was happy.

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 a couple of re-enactors 

before too long, as zucchini are known to do, especially when being dragged around in the dirt, the zucchini began to rot and fall apart. v valiantly tried to patch it up as best he could, but when he took it to walk around with him, little chunks fell off, and then big ones, and then bigger ones, until there was nothing left of it.

he had desperately tried to save his beloved pet, but now all that remained, was a stain on the leash, just hanging limp in his hand with nothing on the other end. and he sat in the dirt and he mourned the loss of his beloved pet zucchini. 

and the shower guests responded with a collective silence. and then some laughed until they could not stop laughing, and tears rolled down their faces. and one had tears rolling down his face just remembering his zucchini.

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habseligkeiten (German) – things that an adult might find worthless, but that a child regards as treasures.

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image credits:  stephiemccarthy.comflkr.com, zazzle.com