Wondering how to start your next dumpster diving adventure at Best Buy? You’ve come to the right place. If you are a dumpster diving fanatic like me and looking for some tips and tricks regarding dumpster diving at your local Best Buy store, this article will serve you right. I’ll provide all the legalities and strategies you need to know alongside some of the best inside information that will certainly help you at your next dumpster diving adventure in Best Buy. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Dumpster Diving at Best Buy
Whether you are dumpster diving to make some quick bucks or want to look for free stuff for your personal use, electronics and gadgets are always the best options. Electronic products are considered to be treasures while diving into dumpsters. They not only retain high resale value but are also really easy to sell in online marketplaces.
The best retail store when it comes to dumpster diving for electronics is Best Buy. Best Buy is one of the largest American multinational consumer electronics retailers operating a chain of more than 1000 retail stores in the United States and Canada. Being one of the largest electronics retailers, Best Buy has adopted one of the best return and exchange policies for its customers.
And if you are thinking the returned items go back to Best Buy’s shelves, you are very wrong. For example, if I bought a speaker from Best Buy, changed my mind, and returned it back to the store for a refund, but the packaging is already damaged, it can’t go back on the shelves of Best Buy. Most of the time, it ends up in a dumpster at Best Buy. Therefore, while dumpster diving at Best Buy, you often find electronic products with damaged or altered packaging.
Furthermore, Best Buy offers nearly every electronic gadget you can imagine. Additionally, they also manufacture hundreds of unique products under their 5 private label brands. This makes Best Buy a great place to go dumpster diving and find a variety of electronics and accessories.
Related: Dumpster Diving at Sephora: Everything You Need to Know!
Is it illegal to Dumpster Dive at Best Buy?
Frankly speaking, It is not illegal to dumpster dive at Best Buy. However, since most of the Best Buy stores are considered private property, you need to make sure there are no trespassing restriction signs clearly visible on their premise. If you do not see such a sign, that’s a piece of good news.
On the other hand, if you can clearly see the No Trespassing sign at Best Buy but still went to rummage through their dumpsters, you may be cited for trespassing. This may lead to a lifetime ban. Or at worse, you may be charged with disorderly conduct, illegal dumping, or littering.
So how do you prevent being trespassed while dumpster diving at Best Buy? Simple – if you are dumpster diving at Best Buy and someone from the management asks you to leave the premise, you leave immediately. If you comply and leave, you are 100% safe from being trespassed from Best Buy.
Additionally, I would also recommend you go over the laws and regulations for dumpster diving in your state to be 100% sure that you are not breaking any laws while dumpster diving at your local Best Buy store.
You can search your state’s dumpster diving laws by entering the name of your state in the search box below:
What is the best time to Dumpster Dive at Best Buy?
Most of the Best Buy stores open at 10 AM and close at 9 PM on Monday through Friday. On weekends, they operate from 11 AM to 6 PM. Therefore, going dumpster diving at Best Buy after 10 PM is generally not productive at all.
According to some Best Buy staff, their store usually restocks its shelves at least once a week. The restocking takes place on the weekdays. Keep in mind that there is no fixed schedule and time for restocking at Best Buy. But once the store receives new shipments, employees refill the shelves right away. If the shipment arrives in the evening, they will restock the next day.
Therefore the best time to go dumpster diving at Best Buy is 10 AM to 12 AM from Monday to Friday. This is because it is the perfect time to dump old stuff and restock with new shipments. Furthermore, since most Best Buy stores are quiet during this time, there are fewer employees working. This means you can do your tasks without much disturbance and interference.
On the other hand, Weekends are also a great time to explore the Best Buy dumpsters. Since the foot traffic at Best Buy is highest during the weekends, the store expects to receive a higher number of returns and refunds during these days. Since we already understand that Best Buy dumps the returns with damaged packaging, you may find a lot of returned cameras or smartphones at Best Buy dumpsters during the weekends.
What to look for while Dumpster Diving at Best Buy?
While dumpster diving at Best Buy, the products you’ll want to look for are mainly based on your goals and needs. Some people go dumpster diving at Best Buy in order to hunt for electronics that they may sell for money. While some are looking for these products for their own personal use.
The general rule of thumb is to look for products with a high resale value. When dumpster diving at Best Buy, items like cameras, speakers and headphones, AirPods, video games, consoles, and accessories are considered treasures. As I always mention, finding one gadget worth $30 is always better than looking for 6 gadgets worth $5 each.
Does Best Buy throw away Electronics?
Yes, Best Buy throws away a significant amount of electronics every single day. Most of them are damaged goods while some are in perfect working condition with just damaged packaging. Always keep in mind, If an electronic item’s minor issues, even if it hasn’t been used, Best Buy must either destroy it, send it back to production units, or throw it in the dumpster to be properly destroyed. As a result, when dumpster diving at Best Buy, you’ll frequently come across electronics in damaged packaging.
How much money can you make Dumpster Diving at Best Buy?
If you are in luck and have some dumpster diving experience, you can make a lot of money from dumpster diving at Best Buy stores. We conducted a small survey among 15 full-time dumpster divers from Tennessee and found that they made, on average, $463 a week from dumpster diving at Best Buy and Target alone.
I personally know a lot of dumpster divers who only dumpster dive at Best Buy and make a living off it. They scavenge valuable stuff from multiple Best Buy dumpsters and sell them on Facebook Marketplace and eBay.
Therefore, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, dumpster diving at Best Buy is a great way to generate some extra income. When you’re just starting out, however, it might not be enough to replace your full-time employment. As a result, I would strongly advise beginning to pursue dumpster diving as a side hustle. You can pursue dumpster diving full-time once you’ve gained enough experience and are earning a good and steady income.
Final Thoughts
As I already mentioned, when dumpster diving at Best Buy, keep a few things in mind. The first is to leave the premises as soon as possible if you are directed to do so by management. Furthermore, disinfect each object thoroughly, even if it appears to be clean. Finally, before trash hunting at Best Buy, always make sure you have a strategy and technique in place.
