Photos from the Secret Trash Collection in a New York Sanitation Garage
On the second floor of an unassuming warehouse owned by New York City's Sanitation Department in East Harlem is a treasure trove — filled with other people's trash.
Us DIY-ers are well aware that one man's trash is another man's treasure, but Nelson Molina, a now-retired sanitation worker and creator of this Treasures in the Trash collection, took the concept to a whole new level.
The (once) secret collection occupies an entire floor of a building primarily used as a depot for garbage trucks. If you're lucky enough to take a peep inside like Atlas Obscura was (it's closed to the public), you'll be assaulted with a visual kaleidoscope of kitsch and bizarre. Collected over three decades, the pieces are organized by color, size and object type and include “a bestiary of Tamagotchis, Furbies; dozens of Pez dispensers; female weight lifting trophies; 8-track tapes; plates, paintings, sporting equipment and much more,” according to Atlas Obscure reporter Dylan Thuras.
Until you trek to the thrifter's mecca, enjoy a curated selection of mind-boggling photos taken by Thuras:
ALSO CHECK OUT: Trash To Treasure | 17 Recycled Arts & Crafts Projects
Guitars, including an original Fender, surround the Michael Jackson shrine.
Nelson Molina grabbed any and all art that caught his eye.
Not “super” enough to avoid the wastebasket.
A relaxing garden area for sanitation workers.
We'll never know why these female body builder trophies got tossed…
It's always Christmas…in the New York City Sanitation Department.
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