Moved here from Ohio a few months ago and I'm trying to get rid of a tall IKEA bookcase. It's not in bad shape but I don't have a car. In Ohio we would put stuff at the end of the driveway and it would be gone by evening. My super said just put it by the curb with a sign that says FREE, but I don't want to be the person leaving trash on the sidewalk. Does that actually work here? Do I need to wait for a certain day? Also it's particle board with a wobbly back panel, but still holds books.

It works if the block gets foot traffic and the item doesn't look like it's already been rained on. Put it out early evening, like after work hours. If you're in a walkup area, someone will take it. But particle board is a tougher sell. I'd list it on Buy Nothing first with street pickup. Curbside is the backup. If it's not gone in a day, drag it back or break it down for cardboard recycling. Free sign needs to be taped waterproof, not just a post-it.

I saw a free sign on a desk drawer in Dyker Heights and it sat for three days until it snowed, so maybe depends. How do you know if you need to break it down? I'm also new and scared of tickets? Do they ticket for furniture on the curb? Following because I have a dresser I need gone.

Oh, stooping culture! Yes, the curb is a real distribution network but only if the bookcase is out at the right window, like 6-9 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday when people are walking to dinner. If it's IKEA and wobbly, be honest: take the back panel off and tie it. Put the sign in a ziplock and write 'works, just wobbly' — nobody trusts a sign that says FREE with no details! I have gotten a lamp, a filing cabinet, and a whole box of canning jars this way. Have you tried the local stooping Instagram accounts? They post street finds with location and it vanishes fast!

That's helpful. I hadn't thought about Friday evening foot traffic. LowerEast_L, good point about Buy Nothing. I did list it there but got three people who wanted me to hold it for a week and then ghosted. Maybe I'll do the curb on Friday. Does a wobbly back really matter? It's just cosmetic, the shelves are fine. Do I need to put it on the tree bed or against the building wall? Our super said not to block the basement door.

My first winter in NYC and I made the mistake of putting a small bookshelf out on a Sunday night in February. It was covered in slush by Monday and then I had to carry the wet pieces back through the lobby at midnight because my landlord texted the group chat. So maybe check the weather? Also apparently if it has any fabric or mattress, you can't leave those out at all, they're a bed bug thing. A wood bookcase is probably fine.

I put a free mirror on the curb in Chelsea and it was gone in 11 minutes. No sign, just leaned it against a tree. My partner put a free bookshelf in Kips Bay and it stayed for a week. The difference? The mirror was visible from the street and looked clean, the bookshelf was behind a parked car. If you can, set it at the top of the stoop steps? I don't know if that's allowed. Also, MovedFromOhio, maybe put 'not a bedbug building' on the sign? Haha.

Honestly, Buy Nothing in my area is almost all flakers, and the curbside is faster. I put out a small table with a sign that said 'FREE, no water damage, from pet-free apartment' and it was gone in maybe 20 minutes? Look at the weather, like firstwinter said. Use big letters. Duct tape the sign to the item, not the building. Also, if the bookshelf is heavy, post it on Craigslist free with cross street so someone can carry it.

big_city_beth has it right: visibility is everything. If it's behind a car or tucked in a tree bed, it might as well not exist. Put it near the curb but not in the gutter. Do not lean it against a fire hydrant or a Citi Bike rack. And MovedFromOhio, if the back panel is loose, just pull it off and include it as a spare — some people actually want that for a craft table. If the sign gets wet, no one reads it. Zip-lock bag plus duct tape.

Yes to zip-lock signs! And the 'pet-free apartment' detail is so underrated — if I see a free couch without a note I assume the worst. For a bookcase, I'd also say take the shelves out and stack them next to it. It's easier to carry and looks like a kit instead of garbage. MovedFromOhio, if it doesn't move on Friday, repost Saturday morning with 'will help you load it as long as it's not raining' and it'll be gone. Have you measured your doorway? Sometimes people take a curb find and then realize it won't fit their apartment. Not your problem, but good to mention height on the sign.

Report back, MovedFromOhio. I'm curious if Friday afternoon beats Saturday morning. This thread made me realize my block has an underground stooping economy. I saw a little side table with a stone top last week but I was late for a meeting. Curb items have tiny windows. Put the sign on both sides, not just front. Good luck!