Leonardo Urbano was cycling through inner-city roads in Sydney when he noticed piles of furniture and clothes on the sidewalks destined for council clean-up.
The 30-year-old first arrived in Australia from Italy a few years ago and has been back and forth between the two ever since.
Each time he comes, he is left needing to refurnish his apartment.
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“I would have to start from scratch, buying a bed, buying a couch, always second-hand,” he told 9news.com.au.
“It was a struggle spending the money and when I left, I would have to sell it again.
“I would go out on my bike and notice stuff dumped onto the street. I started going through it, finding interesting things.”
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What began as merely a means to an end quickly turned into a hobby and then a full-time job which earnt him $66,000 last year.
Urbano said he would frequent wealthy suburbs like Bondi, Double Bay and Paddington, where he has found thousands of luxury and high-quality items discarded on the kerb.
One of his most impressive finds has been the infamous nude painting by Archibald finalist Dapeng Liu, valued about $3800, which was picked up one rainy afternoon.
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He has also come across Burberry and Armani clothing items, Apple and Dyson products and an antique glass epergne, which was valued at almost $2000 online.
Some of the items have been relics from the past, including letters from the 1800s and an old Italian coffee machine from the 50s.
”The first time you find a ring with a stone on it or you find some gold … it really gives you adrenaline,” he said.
“It feels like Indiana Jones, finding some old stuff.”
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What Urbano doesn’t keep, he sells on Facebook Marketplace or gives away to his friends and family.
He also repairs and cleans items in need of minor fixes by finding how-to tutorials online.
“It’s a really easy way to make some extra money,” he said.
“I had no idea how to take apart a television but slowly, I did it multiple times, and now I know. Sometimes you find a chair that just needs new screws.”
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Urbano documents his finds on social media with the message to “reduce, reuse, recycle”.
Currently on a stint overseas, Urbano said he will be back in Sydney to find more treasure among the trash.
“Anywhere I am in the world, it is something I’ll be doing. It’s always fun,” he said.
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