What's the craziest thing you've seen offered for free in your Buy Nothing group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People will offer expired food items in mine!!

I offer lightly expired food and have never had a hard time giving it away. Lightly expired to me is like a box of forgotten cereal that ran out last month or canned goods that ran out in the past month or so. I was surprised to see a woman cleaning out her mom's pantry and offering up heavily expired food and people snatching it up. Like, expired by a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Expired, open, food bank food.

Broken things.

Dirty things.

I’ve volunteered in a local food pantry for years; nothing shocks me anymore. We’re still talking g about the time that a huge pickup truck filled with boxes of expired food was unceremoniously dumped at our back door overnight (well before ring cameras). We had to pay hundreds of dollars to have it all hauled away. Nothing was salvageable.

People continue to donate decades old (unopened products) like Rice a Roni from 1972, spices from the 1960s, opened boxes of cereal, etc.

[Anonymous]

I am shocked at all the dumpster diving items, and items people have put out for trash that a stranger takes and tries to give away on BN--"no idea if it works!". Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked at all the dumpster diving items, and items people have put out for trash that a stranger takes and tries to give away on BN--"no idea if it works!". Ugh.

They are saving the landfills!

[Anonymous]

Half-eaten leftover party trays (cheese cubes, lunch meat, cut veg) that sat out for some unknown length of time at an open house.

[Anonymous]

A woman’s “toy”

[Anonymous]

A single dad asked for meat. He said he had tons of rice and pasta but needed meat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Expired, open, food bank food.

Broken things.

Dirty things.

I’ve volunteered in a local food pantry for years; nothing shocks me anymore. We’re still talking g about the time that a huge pickup truck filled with boxes of expired food was unceremoniously dumped at our back door overnight (well before ring cameras). We had to pay hundreds of dollars to have it all hauled away. Nothing was salvageable.

People continue to donate decades old (unopened products) like Rice a Roni from 1972, spices from the 1960s, opened boxes of cereal, etc.

I volunteer sorting donated food at a local food pantry, and I think this happens when someone elderly passes, and the family just donates all the food without realizing it's expired. Meanwhile, the elderly person has been just heating up frozen meals for years

[Anonymous]

Food, except some people in our group really need it. I'm more surprised by the folks who try to grab everything and its clear they are resellers or if they cannot sell it they regift it. Its frusterating to see them get so much all the time. They rarely give their own stuff. Also, really dirty stuff. Clean it first. Also, the background - some of houses are gross (not expecting perfect but they are really gross).

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised by stuff on the CL free page that takes more time to photograph and list than the item is worth. Go take a look--freebie type stuff, newspapers, etc and some of them post it multiple times--https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/search/zip#search=2~gallery~210

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked at all the dumpster diving items, and items people have put out for trash that a stranger takes and tries to give away on BN--"no idea if it works!". Ugh.

I volunteered at a thrift store and this woman used to bring on stuff she salvaged from a dumpster because she thought it was too good to throw away. She also worked at a nearby thrift store herself. Sometimes you have to let it go.

[Anonymous]

Used meat brine. Like brining liquid someone used to brine their meat.

[Anonymous]

any good surprises?

[Anonymous]

A dead mouse. Seriously. I was so disgusted. I didn't even read the full caption, but I think they were offering it in case someone had a snake that would want to eat it.

[Anonymous]

Just a lot of mismatched glassware, old vases, little doodads and things that look like they might have been given as a favor at weddings. Nothing too crazy that I can remember. But nothing super compelling most of the time either. However there is often decent stuff during military move season and my kids have got some Lego sets, a Leap Frog toy and some books for it, and a small electric piano.