How To Score Free Curbside Treasures in Illinois

I'm finally spilling my secrets—I've been upcycling, flipping, and redecorating my home with curbside finds for a few years, and a lot of people want to know how I'm so successful at it.

I'll be honest—it's basically a part time job at this point.  If you have a lot of free time like me you'd find it way easier to score curbside treasures as often as I do.  It wasn't easy at first, but the longer I did it I started figuring out how to be first to every "curb alert" on Facebook Marketplace.

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What is a curb alert?

"People discard their unwanted items on their curb and then post online for anyone and everyone to come get it." [curbalertblog]

Instead of spending money at thrift stores, I started driving around on trash day seeing what people were throwing out.  In spring and summer, people are always cleansing everything out of their garages, storage units, and finally parting with the stuff they never got around to trying to sell.

Read More: Here’s Where to Donate Unwanted Items in Rockford

Now, I have a system.  Instead of wasting all my gas, this is how I find like-new items for absolutely free now.  It has saved me so much money and I've found some crazy stuff!

• Search on Facebook Marketplace for the same key words to help your marketplace algorithm understand what you're mainly focused on buying (or getting for free!).

• Search "free" or "curb alert" to help you find items that were just listed so you can try to beat others to the curb.

• Ask the seller if the items are still at the curb before heading there. It'll save you a trip if someone already claimed it.

• If it's still available, you can always ask the seller to hold it for you unless they have a "no holds" policy. it doesn't hurt to ask!

• When you arrive, load it in your vehicle and drive off. don't stick around or other people will pull up asking if you got it.

True story: One time, I showed up seconds after a curb alert was posted and loaded a blue anchor decoration in my trunk.  A woman pulls up after me & says, "just give it to me".  I played dumb, acted like I didn't know what she was talking about, and she says, "I know you have the anchor.  Give it to me.  I need it."  I guarantee she's the same kind of people to say they don't have the money for something but really need it for their ill mother.  I totally thought she was going to try and fight me.  So, I lied to save myself a punch to the face and said there was nothing on the curb when I arrived.  She screamed, then put her car in drive and stormed off screaming.

So, be careful when scoring curbside treasures.  I had to learn the hard way!