Putting a stake in the ground of free

It was standing up when I drove by and fell over by the time I got back.

If I could be deputized by the free police, I would write a ticket to these people for passing off garbage as stuff.

From sunny Rochester, NY

Is that a black and white tv on the right? I would love to have a black and white tv. I'd rather have sponge candy, for sure, but a black and white tv would be awesome.

Honest to god, when I started this project, the original thought was to steal the signs and not just steal their soul. iPhone soul theft being much easier to pull off than actual theft, it won the day. So this sign = special love.

A U-Haul book box of sponge candy and hand-carved tiny wooden pointy sculptures goes out to ever-inspiring Rochester reader e-Claire who snapped these fine pics in seemingly lovely Trumansburg, NY.

Anybody have a free washer?

Now that we've got this dryer in our virtual free house, we're really missing the washer.

Waiting for more free stuff?

Put your g&t down on the plastic ottoman and your butt down on one of these swell chairs. Enough for 4 adults and one tiny kid. (g&t not included)

This is where Chucky lived.

But we'll take it. We need a toy box for our virtual free stuff home.

The big apple

Okay, maybe it's a big Dell, but it was found in the big apple, snapped, and sent in by loyal reader Nikki T., transplant of everywhere, recently landed in Gotham. A big batch of oatmeal cookies go out to Ms. T. as our little way of saying "T'anks, yo." You like 'em with or without raisins?

It was sunny before, it's rainy now.

These lovely boxes were on the side of the road yesterday. Today, they'd be filled with rain water.

If the snow's that dirty, what about the couch?

Will the first snow mean the last free?

Sounds like one of them there zen koans, don't'cha think?

Turkey day weekend

"....and thank you for the bounteous feast of free stuff laid out before us. Amen."

Same sign, different crap.

Perhaps a different sign would bring in a better crowd of browsers. Sure enough, this sign adorned a whole different pile of crap out Mt. Tremper way a few months ago. Scroll down and see for yourself.

Free fans and an employment update.

The fans are free and in case anyone is wondering, work's just fine, thank you.

Finding time for the things that matter

Reader Andrea M. slowed down on her way out of town to snap this beautiful autumnal scene. A case of Cloudy Bay is on its way to her as 12 bottle token of our appreciation.

New reader Alice M. joins the club

Thanks Alice M. for snapping this swell shot on route 375. A pancake breakfast is coming your way as our little way of saying 'thanks.'

Late October and the pickin's are slim...

...but thankfully, the scenes are pretty.

A couple of pieces for the home office: a typewriter and a phone.

And a couple of pieces for the baby's room:

The free bus comes by here every day

Something about the way these items were all lined up by the side of the road reminded me of people waiting for the bus. Also, note the really neat type on the free sign. Very nice. Especially for a post-season sign.

Screen door slams, Mary's dress waves

Every picture tells a story

Friend, reader and natural born storyteller Josh G. sends in this fab shot that begs for a caption. Any suggestions?

One from O'Doctor

Not sure if there's gonna be a place for this couch in our little virtual home.

And this chair may not make it in either. The iron bull on top of it, however, has found a new home in our actual garden.

Moving and looking

A suitcase in which to schlepp our stuff to the free house....

...and a window to look out of when it's winter and we stay inside.

For the exercise room

Professional phootographer Nikki T

The aforementioned chiquita sends in this super-fab shot of our new home entertainment system. Bring your old Dave Brubeck records and let's start swingin'! A case of Oktoberfest Pumpkin Brew goes out to her in appreciation.

I'm almost done furnishing my imaginary home

The missus had the idea of furnishing an imaginary home with the free stuff we see. I haven't taken a complete inventory, but I think we're pretty close to having an entire house furnished so far.

OMMFG! What happened to the birds?

Hall of famer Kim C. sends in this fab find from the front yard of some very hungry locals. A big box of Kitten Chow to Kim C. for her keen eye and generous diligence.

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign.

Reminds me of that song: "Signs signs, everywhere a sign" by the Five Man Electrical Band. See a version of it here.

Is that a coffee maker? We need a new coffee maker.

A big Brooklyn shout out to artist C.A. who sent this in. Also, an enormous bag of the very best Colombian as a small token.

Labor day = banner day

A banner day for free stuff and a little wiki-what on the idiom:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_idiom_it's_a_banner_day_mean

The missus hits one outta the park

New contributor and old wife o'mine Andrea M. sends in this pic (okay, she borrowed my iPhone to take it and I sent it to myself) of an exuberant "FREE!" with exclamation point and explanatory text. (That's 4 "ex" words in one sentence for those of you keeping score at home) And speaking of dynamic reading, how about the cool art direction of that book below?

Kim C. enters the hall of fame!

With this, her 500th submission. A gift certificate for a new Volvo SC90 awaits her as our little way of saying congratulations!

How to choose

Soooooo much good stuff in this busy pic from loyal reader/first-time contributor Daisy M. Hmmmmm, should I grab that piece of paper tape in the foreground or the gently used latex glove in the middle. You choose for me.

"To child or not to child"

Local artist C.A. sends in this artfully arranged quartet of photos with the mysterious title above. A bottle of The Macallan 1926 is on its way to C.A. to help him come up with even more mysterious titles.

Swings both ways

Thanks to loyal reader Kim C., who has just been made an honorary co-captain of Team Free Signs with this, her umpteenth submission since the collection began. Also, it turns out that reader Kim actually took the bi-fold doors, and left her own little note on their little note:

More from our favorite P.F.D.B.

A carton of Kool to our pal Coll in humble thanks for this smokin' photo.

At the corner of Lasher and ladder.

Fake rock

Loyal reader and number one contributor Kimmie C. sends this in from the Catskill mountains, where real large rocks abound. This fake one in front of a stone wall creates a rich narrative of life in this modern world. A $2,000 U.S. savings bond goes out to Kimmie to thank her for sending in this real pic with snazzy writing.

Dude! I got a Dell!

The Curatorial Committee weighs in

After what seemed like a marathon meeting of the curatorial committee (thank god for the mojitos), our curatorial focus was formalized. Free stuff signs. Hugs are not stuff. They are not junk. They are wonderful gestures in interpersonal relations. Anybody remember Leo Buscaglia? The hug doctor? We're posting this sign, snapped on the streets of Woodstock by reader/activist Donna F., but will not be posting any others. So don't even try sending in your photos of people offering free back rubs, free foot massages, free kisses and other sundry free gestures. We won't post 'em. It's against our curatorial focus and now we know it. So there. A 6 of Bud Longnecks to Donna in appreciation.

How to win points with the missus.

If only this couch had been available around Mother's Day.

A banner day for free

Yesterday we went to a yard sale up a long driveway near our house. A driveway we'd never even noticed before. The free boxes started down toward the bottom and continued right up to the top, where a little converted auto shop was home to two older people, I forget their names, who were, as you might guess from all the stuff they were giving away for free, very sweet. One of the free signs even used some rarely seen lower case "e"s, bringing to mind ee cummings, which you probably know stands for Edward Estlin. Doesn't "a box of free" just sound like something he might have written?

That's my missus heading up and holding hands with our boy. She's the apple of my eye 95 days out of 100 and so this poem by ee cummings, "i like my body when it is with your body":

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite new a thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh . . . . And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill

of under me you so quite new