Latest news with #Sohmer&Co
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
US woman finds 25 lakh worth of luxury items in dumpster, including Piano and Hermes boxes
Ariana Rodriguez, a 35-year-old woman from New York City, has discovered luxury items worth around Rs 25 lakh by digging through dumpsters and trash bags over the past six months. Her impressive finds include Hermes boxes, Prada shoes, a vintage Burberry coat, and a Sohmer & Co piano, with values ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Rodriguez, a mother of three, said she got into this habit after joining a local 'buy nothing' Facebook group in 2022. 'I started seeing people picking up things from the street. So I thought, why not try it myself?' she told the New York Post. She began by collecting toys and clothes from the pavement. About six months ago, she started checking inside bin bags and dumpsters to find more items. 'It's like a treasure hunt every time,' she said. 'I enjoy the process and I really want to stop good things from ending up in landfill.' Among her finds are a Burberry coat she says is worth £400 ($500, approximately ₹41,500), Prada shoes worth around £720 ($900, approximately ₹74,700), and a Sohmer & Co piano that could be worth between £2,400 and £8,000 ($3,000–$10,000, over ₹2.5 lakh to ₹8.3 lakh), she said. Rodriguez runs a small vintage resale business. Items she doesn't keep, she gives away or sells. 'I give things like food, clothes and blankets to my local church. I keep the arts and crafts for my kids,' she said. She added that she tries to go out looking at least once a week, but it depends on her parenting schedule. 'It's about quality over quantity,' she told the New York Post. Rodriguez said she tries not to keep too much for herself. 'Even if I find small things, I'll sell them. With furniture, I might use it for a bit and then sell it on,' she said. She also goes to apartment clear-outs. 'People get bored of their furniture and just throw it away,' she said. 'I've found mirrors, nightstands, even jewellery real gold. Once I found a Bally briefcase that might be from the 1960s.' Rodriguez says most of her life now is thrifted. 'I know I can get things for free. It makes you think about what you really need.' She's aware some people don't like what she does. 'People tell me I'll get bed bugs or say it's dirty. But I think it's worse to waste so much and keep buying new stuff.' Her husband Erick, a day trader, supports what she does. 'He's on board with it now,' she said.
The Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I've found £22.5k worth of clothes rooting through bins – I got a £317 highchair & £540 shoes, then sell for profit
A GLAM mum has found £22,500 worth of items digging through the trash for treasure in the last six months – including a piano and Burberry coat worth £400. Ariana Rodriguez, 35, has always loved thrifting but started sourcing free items three years ago after joining her neighbourhood 'buy nothing' group on Facebook. 11 11 There she spotted others who would go stooping – sourcing items that have been left out on the street – and decided to give it a go herself. She started to find toys and clothes on sidewalks and six months ago started digging through dumpsters and trash bags to find more treasure. She estimates she's found £24,000 worth of items – including a vintage Burberry coat worth £400, Prada shoes worth £720 and a Sohmer & Co piano worth anywhere between £2,400 to £8,000. Ariana isn't able to take it all home but what she doesn't keep she either gives to the church for people in need or resells it on. The mum-of-three also hunts in full glam to show 'anyone can be a trash digger'. Ariana, who owns a vintage reselling business, from New York City, said: "It's like a treasure hunt every time. "I enjoy everything about it – it's the thrill of it. "The biggest part of it is my profound desire to keep things out of landfill. "I always dress up to leave the house. "I hunt in full glam – with my full outfit on. I found an 'insane' bag for just $1.99 at Goodwill - it's tiny but two initials on the design make it worth $330 "Anyone can do it. "I hope the stigmas are removed – there's nothing wrong with it." Ariana started realising how much she could find for free and on the streets after joining her local neighbourhood 'buy nothing' group in 2022. She started "stooping" around her area more – getting free toys for her kids – aged six, three, and two. 11 11 11 She said: "I started getting really into it." Six months ago she started going trash digging which entails "going through bin bags and finding treasure". Ariana will give non-expired food, blankets and clothes she finds to her local church and keeps arts and crafts for her kids to play with. This month she found a whole bin bag of games – worth £160. She also found a Stokke highchair for her youngest – worth £317. But she doesn't like to keep too much herself – preferring to find it a new home. She said: "I resell a lot of it. "Even if I find small trinkets I'll sell them. "If it's furniture I'll keep it for a while and then I put it up for sale." Ariana says she is amazed at what people throw out – and will also often go to apartment clean outs to dig through for items. 11 11 She said: "People get sick of furniture and just dump it. "I've found incredible pieces – mirrors, night stands, you name it. "I've found jewellery – people throw out real gold. "I've even found money in the trash. "I found a Bally briefcase – I think it's from the 1960s." Ariana believes she has found thousands of pounds worth of items in the past six months. She said: "It could be £8,000, £16,000, £24,000 worth. "For everything I've seen it's hundreds of thousands. "It's only the last six months I've been seriously doing trash digs." Ariana tries to go dumpster diving at least once a week – but has to juggle this around parenting. She said: "It's quality over quantity." Ariana says 80 to 90 per cent of her life is now thrifted. She said: "I know I can find stuff for free. "It makes you really conscious." Ariana says some trolls say she will get "bed bugs" and it's "disgusting" digging through the trash but she doesn't care. She said: "It's more embarrassing to be over-consuming and throwing everything out." She hopes to inspire others to get out snooping or trash digging and says her husband, Erick, 35, a day trader, has even got on board. Ariana said: "It's like diving for gold – you never know what you're going to find. "When you're out doing a trash dig you'll see someone's whole life. "There is a whole historical component."
