Published 2 days ago
By Emily McCombs

Davy Rothbart has built a franchise on recycling other people's garbage. He's the editor and publisher of
FOUND magazine, a Web site and annual publication dedicated to the following found stuff: "Love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles and anything else that gives a glimpse into someone else's life."
The FOUND brand has also spread to books, including the latest,
Requiem for a Paper Bag, in which stars like Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg, Chuck Klosterman and Sarah Vowell tell their best "found object" stories.
Rothbart recently gave us his best tips for making good finds below.
You don't have to go out hunting for it.Rothbart: "It's just in your everyday awareness. On the way to school or work, keep your eyes to the ground and check out little scraps of paper. Pick them up and look at them. Flip it over with your shoe and see if it's a gem."
There are some hot spots for amazing finds."If you live or work near a school, kids are great at losing stuff and the stuff they lose is pretty awesome. University computer centres have like 100 computers and two printers up front. People print out email and weird term papers and leave it stacked up there. You can sift through a month's worth of printouts. Public transportation like buses and subway trains always seem to attract found stuff. At photocopy shops open the copier and see if someone has left an original on the glass."
Learn why love notes are found gold, after the jump.