Bargain-hunting students find furnishings on the sidewalk

Just 48 hours after four roommates arrived in Minneapolis from their hometown of Chennai, India, they were selecting furnishings for their campus apartment — from the discards on the street.

They could hardly curb their enthusiasm. Or their astonishment.

"Our friend told us this was common here, but we didn't believe it, " said Abhinav Sambasivan, 22, who will study electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota.

"We thought she had to be exaggerating, " added Rohit Siedhar, 21, an incoming U computer science graduate student. He gestured at the desk. "This could be sold, for money. In India, people move all of their goods."

In one short day, the newly arrived quartet snagged a chair, a second desk, a table and a nightstand for their two-bedroom apartment in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Without knowing it, they had just participated in what could be an HGTV show. Call it "The Rite of the Returning Student, Broke Edition: Trashpicking."

For this brand-conscious generation, college decor has gone upscale. Retailers tailor stylish furnishings designed specifically for the dorm-and-first-apartment set. In fact, the National Retail Federation anticipates the college-bound will drop $48.4 billion this year as they gear up for school.

But not everyone arrives with a complete bedroom set from Ikea. And the renewed appreciation for all things sustainable makes shopping the sidewalk chic as well as cheap.

Like other curbside shoppers, Paul Montague has learned that a street corner in a college neighborhood has an advantage over the free listings on Craigslist. There's no need to go inspect an item only to find it's been nabbed.

"Good recycling," is how Montague, 20, described the process. He rode his bike around Dinkytown, specifically searching for a coffee table among the discards.

"We need something to put cups and plates on," he said. "And our books."

He spotted a possibility sitting amid a pile of furnishings on a corner. He gave the low table a quick push to check its sturdiness and noted that it didn't wobble, then ran his hand across the worn finish on its top.

"We could sand it and paint it," he said. "Or not. It's functional."

He squatted to snap a cellphone picture for his roommate. After a quick conversation confirming the table would work, Montague stood guard beside his find, holding his claim until his roommate could arrive in his car to transport it to their apartment.

Even freebie hunters have standards, so not every piece finds a new home. Dressers with no drawers go begging, while dingy couches, rickety tables and orphaned mattresses end up as trash.

The University of Minnesota even has a temporary free store, Pack & Give Back, which offers a range of housewares and furnishings.

Of course, in the world of recycling, it's not all take, take, take.

As new students were moving in, Mike Mangusen, 23, was moving out — and doing his fair share of giving.

Mangusen graduated last spring, but his lease didn't end until the first of September. So, after loading his belongings into his car, he carried out a free-standing Rat Pack-era bar tricked out with vinyl. It had held a prominent place in his rented duplex since he dragged it in off the curb three years ago.

"I'm surprised it's still standing after all it's been through, to tell the truth, " he said, giving it a pat. "I hope someone takes it and has as good of a time with it as we did."

Kevyn Burger is a freelance writer and a newscaster at BringMeThe News.com.