My great grandfather, Virgil Barmes of Elwood, Indiana, loved going to rummage through the city dump. Yes, it was gross but the gentleman retrieved so many things which he repaired or fixed up.

The big prizes were bicycles which he could easily repair, repaint, and give away to family and friends. I was the recipient of two bicycles.

The other thing from which we benefited was lawn chairs. We had tons and tons of lawn chairs. Many folks would simply throw them out rather than repair the webbing. Grandpa Virgil salvaged the metal frames, rewebbed them, and gave them away. I know my grandparents always had enough chairs for large family gatherings, as did my parents. I had a small chair that Grandpa Virgil repaired and it was used for several generations beyond me.