Nashville Resident Turned Dumpster Finds Into Profits

A former Nashville resident achieved a six-figure income by salvaging discarded goods to sell on eBay.

Updated on Oct. 4, 2026 in Home Organization

Bold vector illustration of a stack of office chairs on an urban loading dock, representing a business salvage venture. — A Nashville resident leveraged a salvage business, focused on discarded office furniture, to build a six-figure income and pay off debt. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Is scavenging discarded items for resale a viable way to improve your personal financial situation?

In November 2025, Carter Stevens salvaged 190 Steelcase office chairs from a warehouse in Nashville. The haul helped generate $30,000 in eBay sales over a six-week period.

Why it matters

Stevens turned to scavenging discarded items from apartment complexes and warehouses to pay off debt and recover from his time experiencing homelessness. His business model now supports a six-figure income as he looks toward future real estate opportunities.

Stevens earned $17,000 in profit from the sale of 190 Steelcase chairs and sold a video-production system for $2,500. Total eBay sales reached $30,000 within a six-week window of operations.

The players

Carter Stevens

He is a 31-year-old entrepreneur in Nashville who built a six-figure income through the resale of salvaged goods.

The details

Stevens operates a junk-removal business in Nashville, using a custom-built trailer to transport goods salvaged from dumpsters at hotels, warehouses, and shopping centers. His journey to financial stability followed a period in 2021 when he lived in a Nissan Sentra and entered rehabilitation for drug addiction.

Stevens entered drug rehabilitation for one week in 2021.
The 190 office chairs were discovered at a warehouse in November 2025.

Culture Shift

The rise of the dumpster diving economy reflects a broader trend of individual entrepreneurship through waste reclamation. This story follows the documented shift where individuals leverage circular economy practices to overcome financial instability.

The success of this operation highlights the potential for residents to find value in discarded materials at local warehouses and complexes. Adopting such salvage habits can significantly offset personal debt, though it requires access to transport like a custom trailer.

The takeaway

Turning discarded items into a viable business requires consistent sourcing and the logistical capacity to move bulky inventory. Individuals looking to replicate this success should prioritize high-demand office or industrial equipment over residential scraps.