Dumpster Dive is back for 2023 and we have over 700 boxes ready for you to pick up! Starting at 12:00 p.m. MDT you will have the chance to dive into the SparkFun dumpster and get your very own 1 pound box.
When the clock strikes noon, click the image below to go to the Dumpster Dive product page (it will not be clickable until the product is live). If there are units still available, you will be able to add one to your cart and then proceed to check out. You can also find links to the product on the New Product carousel on the SparkFun homepage, as well as the New Product Page starting at 12:00 p.m. MDT as well.
What's a Dumpster Dive? Between samples, customer returns, demo items and old stuff that’s been sitting on the shelves for way too long, we’ve amassed quite a few bins worth of various electronics. It ranges from one-off items, to items that are a little broken or ugly, to items that aren’t worth individually listing and selling. We didn’t like the idea of recycling them, since it could still be useful and worth getting into people’s hands. And so behold: the Dumpster Dive.
Rules for the Dive:
Product will be live until we run out! We will not be returning to the made-to-order format of the past few dives. No backorders will be available.
- October 25, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. MDT
- Limit one $40 box per customer
- One-pound boxes only
- US customers only
- Economy shipping only
- No combining orders
- No on-site sales
- No support or returns
- Box contents vary and nothing is guaranteed to work.
Please be aware that having a Dumpster Dive box in your Shopping Cart does not guarantee that you'll receive one! The only way you'll know that you are getting a Dumpster Dive box is to complete your order and receive a confirmation number.
Unfortunately, we were unable to extend the Dumpster Dive outside of the United States again this year. This decision is still based on shipping restrictions becoming stricter, compliance complications, and material handling safety concerns.
As a reminder: The Dumpster Dive is a gamble and the contents are not guaranteed. We will not provide tech support or returns on any of the goods since many are not products we ever supported, or they might be returns with unknown defects. We will be getting orders out as quickly as possible, but cannot promise same-day shipping.
Got one! now just have to wait and see what I get!
Congratulations! We should start shipping out boxes by Saturday.
So I received my dumpster dive box today. In total it had 13 different items. The biggest disappointment was that it had a DC DC converter that weighed nearly half a pound.
If the dumpster dives were only $10 or $20 like they used to be it wouldn’t be a bad deal. I probably won’t do it again at this price point of $40.
Well, my "Dumpster Dive" box showed up today. I've gone through it -- there are some good things, and some probably useless things. There are a couple of items still in the catalog that at least look like the packages have never been opened, and total over $60. Also, a couple of things that look like they were likely manufacturer's "samples" for products that SF decided to NOT carry (though one looks like something that is on Adafruit's "retired" list -- so maybe I can get tech data from there). I'm guessing that these last two had an "MSRP" combined of at least $100. Oh, yes: an oscilloscope probe -- nice to have a spare around! And a couple of items that may possibly be useful if I ignore some of the "original" stuff on the board.
All in all, I'm glad I ordered one!
Couldn't believe that there was some still available, excited to see what I get.
Just noticed -- extactly 2 months to Christmas! It took me about 2 minutes to type in the credit card info, etc. I'm excited to see what's in this year's box -- sort of an early Christmas present!
Now, if only the Raspberry Pi 5 stuff would show up... I had seen something saying that the "official" release date was going to be this past Monday...
I got curious, and started poking around on RaspberryPi.com, and found mention that someone made the decision to send the first batch of RPi 5's to the U.S. via ship rather than air freight. Grr...
Oh well, at least the Diamondbacks are going to be in the World Series this year! (I live in the Phoenix area.)
An hour and a half into the Dumpster Dive, and the web site is still showing that there are more than 250 left -- I seem to recall times when they were all gone in less than 15 minutes!
There were years when it sold out in under 15 minutes, but those years didn't have 700 boxes like we have now. This year is over double of last.