Company: Red's Rubbish Removal
Founded: 2014
Location: Winthrop, Massachusetts
Services: Full-service junk removal, select demolition, and resale at the thrift shop “Red’s Renewed.”
Website:
https://www.redsrubbish.com
Instagram: @RedsRubbishRemoval
Ever haul away a load and wonder how much money is sitting in the back of your truck? In this Hauler Spotlight, we’re shining the light on
Tim Sellenger, owner of Red’s Rubbish Removal — a Boston-area junk removal company known for full-service hauling, light demolition, and flipping finds through their thrift shop, Red’s Renewed.
This is Tim’s story, exactly as he shared it — honest, raw, and 100% in his own words.
Tim’s Red’s Rubbish Story
Ever since I can remember, I wanted to work for myself. Both of my parents have worked for themselves my entire life so it was engrained in me and I did whatever I had to to make it happen. When I was younger, I would do job site cleanups for my dad with an old F150 and bring debris to the dump for him. So when I graduated college and ended up hating every job I had (about 8 that I quit or got fired from), I started thinking of ways to make money with my truck. I landed on junk removal as a side job for 2 years and it took off eventually making it a full time job.
Our biggest challenges were getting into the industry and standing out with so many other companies trying the same thing. You really have to grind it out everyday and actively look for jobs to keep the crew busy. There is always someone out there willing to do it cheaper and selling yourself on why you aren't the cheapest is something we constantly do and something I take pride in. I believe we provide some of the best service in Boston.
I started with a Ram 1500 and a small utility trailer that didn't even dump and have grown into 2 dump trucks with a full time crew and just recently got a utility trailer to help with deliveries of resale items.
My philosophy is and will always be, do what you have to do to be who you want to be. And I want to be everyone's first thought when they need junk removed in the city of Boston.
Another service we provide is reselling our items we pick up. I didn't always think about this aspect of junk removal and most of the time the good items were going straight to donation (which we still do) or just going to the dump which I hated doing. I would sell items every once in a while and every time I sold something it was a natural high, I really enjoyed the process. Without having much space to store my items, I bought a big tent to keep pieces under in the backyard of my parents house (I used to live in the basement, no big deal). I would post on Facebook Marketplace mostly and constantly sell stuff, it really became a second job.
Once I bought my house it had a 2 car garage and that became where I stored and sold items before and after work. My garage was always stuffed with junk I was selling and it could become overwhelming at times.
So after we got a job to demo a small office space in my town, we worked out a deal for the space to become my office/thrift store. So now, we have Red's Renewed and we are usually open Friday and Saturdays or whenever the store manager (my Mom) can make it in and open up.
I do still sell items out of my garage of course as some stuff is too big for the store or its just easier to sell when I'm at home. The store has been great for smaller items and clothing that I never would have kept had I not opened the store.
The way we decide to keep stuff is honestly based on what I would personally like. I have gotten a good eye through the years on what people like and what era people are interested in. All mid century furniture is back, and a lot of 80s clothing and 90s toys are always selling. Anything that I would want at my house or in my man cave will be brought to the store. We get a little bit of everything, from pots and pans, to old school coolers, sports equipment and a lot of Christmas decorations which people love.
Most basement and house clean-outs consist of taking time to rip open every bag and every box to see what they are throwing out and if they would be worth something. We always make a keepers pile and once we see something that looks cool or unique we look up what they sell for because there is always someone else that is selling or has sold the same thing.
Once we decide what we are going to keep, I will usually keep space in the back of the dump truck or bring a pickup truck to take all the keepers back to the garage or right to the store. Some items need a little love and cleaning before we sell, and some sell before I even make it back to the shop.
For anyone else out there wondering if it makes sense to sell items you get on jobs the answer is yes. It doesn't happen overnight but the sales will eventually come quick and often especially since we were paid to take the items away and selling them at any price is all profit. It is a lot of work responding to everyone and finding times to meet before, during and after work to sell but its worth it in the end. Reselling has become my favorite aspect of the junk life.
The Junk Afterlife: My Thoughts
Every hauler knows the feeling — you load up the truck, haul away the debris, and somewhere in the back of your mind you know damn well there’s value buried under those bags and boxes. Tim built a system around that truth. And that’s why his operation stands out.
In the junk removal world, every cleared space is an opportunity. Where most see waste, Tim sees potential.
You get paid to remove the item, and then you get paid again when someone buys it. It’s simple, honest business — and it works.
Facebook Marketplace becomes the modern-day flea market. A good eye, a decent photo, and some hustle can turn a haul into a second paycheck. But like anything, it’s all about balance. You run a hauling company first. The flipping comes second.
Still — when done right — it adds a nice boost to the bottom line without adding more trucks, more payroll, or more marketing spend.
Finding the right items. Knowing what sells. Not letting it distract from the main operation. That’s the sweet spot. And Tim nailed it.
Flipping isn’t the whole business. But it sure as hell is a profitable part of the junk life when you do it right.
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