A former member of staff here
who has recently retired, had a "theory of acquisition". His idea was, if someone left something desirable (say a chair, filing cabinet or whatever), lying in a corridor or somewhere else public, he would make a note of the date. Then after four weeks had passed, if the item was still there, he'd relocate it into his office.

After another four weeks, if no-one had claimed it or asked after it, he reckoned it was his.

I have since used this theory to justify my acquisition of many items, including the rather fine, large whiteboard which now graces my office wall.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 9 Nov 2007, 12:11, 9 replies)

good, but
you'll need to get free pens too...
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 9 Nov 2007, 12:13, closed)

Yep
That theory worked well for my acquision of a Keep Left traffic bollard from a field near me. Someone had obviously put it there whe hammered, I waited a few weeks and hey presto. It now has a light fitting under it, creating a useful lamp.
( mr_wicksy is.... old., Fri 9 Nov 2007, 12:24, closed)

@happylittletulip
I'm ahead of you there. Observe my collection of whiteboard markers below (the blue ones don't look very blue, but they are really!) None of these were obtained through conventional purchasing channels...


( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 9 Nov 2007, 12:39, closed)

A first
I reckon you must be the first person to have posted a photo of your whiteboard markers on the QOTW. Well done!
( abefroman skating on the thin life of modern life on, Fri 9 Nov 2007, 13:07, closed)

I used to do this!
Whilst working at the Open University, a sizable campus, without the inconvenience of actual students!

I used to do just this. I'd go for long walks down forgotten corridors etc and note the location of "interesting items".

It netted me;
- A large amount of that white shelving rail & bracket stuff you get in B&Q.
- An apple PowerMac 7200 & monitor & speakers (it was 1998 and they've decided to go all PC on site...).
- a slab of Granite (it was outside the materials lab for about 6 months, made a nice water feature in the back garden!
- an oak desk
- wheeley chair
- About 5 PC's (Pentium II 350's)
- Monitor plinth/stand (using it now!)
- Coffee machine

Some might call it theft, I like to think of it as "freecycle" just ahead of it's time!

(lets face it, all that stuff would end up in a skip anyway!).
(golddust QOTW now revolves around being a cunt, Fri 9 Nov 2007, 13:09, closed)

An excellent theory!
Well done.
( disasterprone "Pyjamas caused the Holocaust", Fri 9 Nov 2007, 14:24, closed)

Don't encourage me too much
or I'll be posting pictures of my dozens of free biros next.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 9 Nov 2007, 14:30, closed)

that
was my whiteboard, thieving git.
(Bear Pookie The Frankly Challenged. Halloween is coming to town., Sat 10 Nov 2007, 0:52, closed)

Well
if you will leave it lying in a corridor, unloved...

So, anyone want to see my stolen biro collection?

No, thought not.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 12 Nov 2007, 12:36, closed)