On the weekend I found myself on that YouTube site when a random video popped on my “recommended” list. I’m not even sure why I clicked it in the first place. The video started out immediately with a dude inside a dumpster. Within a minute or so, I realized this wasn’t just any old dumpster but a dumpster outside a Gamestop store, which sells video games and video game accessories.
Essentially, this dude was dumpster diving but just for the trash that Gamestop threw out. For the next ten minutes or so, I watched this young man empty out the contents of several trash bags, looking for video games, consoles, controllers, and anything game related. The things he wanted he collected off to the side. At the end of the video, he quickly went over all the items he found and wanted to keep.
I’d never seen a video like this before, which combined dump diving and video games. I found myself oddly entertained. Since this gentleman had uploaded over 200 such videos, I kept on watching. At first, I wasn’t even sure why I wanted to see more, I just knew it offered me some unique entertainment.
After viewing about a dozen of these videos, I sorta grasped why I kept on watching and why this channel has over 400k subscribers. The videos have an element of surprise and the unknown. No one knows what’s going to be in the dumpster and in those bags. You watch because it’s random and there could be some amazing free stuff in the dumpster. It’s the same reason why people love watching those shows where they bid on storage lockers. Another reason why the videos are so good is the enthusiasm of the young gentleman who goes into the dumpster almost nightly. He seems genuinely excited each and every night that he makes a video. He’s excited when he finds a free game but he’s also excited when he finds just an empty game case. His joy comes through and you feel his satisfaction.
The videos also reveal a lot about how this particular Gamestop treats their garbage. I’m shocked at the lack of recycling that goes on. When the bags are emptied, you frequently see plastic bottles and aluminum cans. These should not be in the dumpster. They should be separated and put with the recycling. There’s also way too much plastic in the garbage. He frequently finds empty game cases which are made of plastic that can be recycled. There’s also so much paper thrown away that also can be recycled. If I were Gamestop and saw these videos I’d be embarrassed how much waste goes into the garbage. Their corporate recycling program either must be terrible or terribly enforced.
Anyways, in the above video, I selected one of his dives that turned out to be pretty productive. I hope you enjoy the video in a weird way.