Trash To Treasure: Rockford Woman’s Amazing Find in the Trash

People throw out the craziest stuff on trash day in Rockford, and I would know because, shameless to say, I'm a lowkey "dumpster driver".

I've gotten free bookshelves, office desks, tv stands, ottomans, and my favorite so far: a 1950s Midcentury Spindle Magazine Rack Table.  Someone in my parents' neighborhood put it at their curb and I didn't think it was worth anything until a friend showed me it's going for $300+ online!  Incredible find, by far.

Sure, you could say dumpster diving is a waste of time but imagine furnishing your entire house without paying a dime.... it's a great feeling!

Trash To Treasure: Rockford Woman's Amazing Find in the Trash

Someone on Facebook Marketplace posted a photo of bookcases on her curb that were free in Rockford.  I thought, "If the post is still up in a few hours I'll swing by and grab whatever is left."  Well, little did I know I wouldn't just find a bookcase... but something even better!

There were two boxes of blue glassware individually wrapped in newspaper from 1993, all in perfect condition.  I figured I wouldn't let them go to waste and threw them in my trunk.

I showed the glassware to my coworker and the sticker on the bottom said, "Union Hall".  I'm like... "what's Union Hall?"  He said it was waaaay before my time!

Well, I did some research and he wasn't lying.  My mom worked at Union Hall as a teenager in 1984... that's crazy.

Union Hall was a discount retail store owned by Elbert "Al" Bagus since 1955.

There were two locations:

• Rockford at 423 East State Street then moved to 303 Kishwaukee Street
• Loves Park at 6355 North Second Street that opened in 1978

Union Hall was listed on “The Top 100 Billion Dollar Discount Stores” at one point!  Later, it filed for bankruptcy and closed in 1994.

Shoutout to the woman who put all this out on the curb for free.  Pretty cool history behind this trash find!

See, you never know what you'll find in someone's trash, what stories you'll be able to tell, and what trash you can turn into treasure.  Ain't no shame in my trash game!