Spring is in the air over at DiggersList, the discounted home improvement supply marketplace (think of a DIY-centric Craigslist where hot, hawk-able items include vintage Kenmore stoves, overstock garden hoses, and sewage ejector pumps). In celebration of Earth Day, packets of wildflower seeds will be sent to anyone who posts on the site through April 30. This special Post & Plant campaign aims to “give everyone something to put in the ground, and at the same time, keeps lots of reusable home improvement items out of the ground.”

 

Earth Day and free seeds aside, the timing couldn’t be better to check out DiggersList if you haven’t already given that it’s the season for purge-happy homeowners to clean out garages, basements, kitchens and tool sheds. DiggersList offers a great service for those looking to buy, sell or donate home improvement items organized into 16 categories ranging from heavy equipment to plumbing.

 

Like other online marketplaces, it does take some time and patience to sort through the vast amount of stuff up for grabs on DiggersList to find the, umm, handmade ceramic cowboy backsplash tiles of your dreams. This is where the site’s geo-locating technology (users are automatically provided with geographically relevant listings) comes in handy.

 

On my first visit to DiggersList, I was asked if I “would like to dig around Brooklyn, NY?” without having to register or enter my location. Sure, why not? Once I started digging, I was presented with numerous items for sale within 50 miles — items like a vintage straw hanging wall pocket in the shape of the owl, copper pipe, and a caller ID box (!). 

 

Popular with both contractors and homeowners who find themselves with surplus materials after a renovation/construction project, DiggersList has also partnered with more than 100 Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations across the country that post discounted inventory on the site. The ReStores also accept donations from DiggersList users who want to get rid of unwanted/leftover home improvement and construction materials.

 

Back in February, the launched-in-2009 website grew from a city-specific classifieds site to a nationwide virtual garage sale of home improvement goodies.

 

Said DiggersList CEO/co-founder Matt Knox in a press release marking the occasion:

So if you're in need of seeds and have a spare toilet or a pair of French doors that you want to unload, head on over to DiggersList, join for free, and get posting. And although I don’t anticipate posting on DiggersList during the Post & Plant campaign, the site has a fantastic blog manned by Skaie Knox (a singer-songwriter and the CEO’s wife) that I’ll surely be checking out from time to time. The blog isn’t filled with exclusively down-n-dirty DIY, renovation-centric type of items; recent posts include instructions on how to repurpose an old chair into a flower planter, a roundup of shipping container homes, and a look at the silly/nifty Log & Squirrel: Self Watering Plant Pot.

 

And while we’re on the topic of keeping stuff out of landfills, the top 10 finalists have been chosen in NBC Universal and Etsy’s Art of Reuse upcycling design competition that I blogged about the other week. And, for the most part, they’re all doozeys. My favorites are Jill Morrison’s Cast Iron Bathtub Couch (recently featured in the L.A. at Home blog) and Evon Cassier’s stylish messenger bag crafted from an old firefighter’s jacket. Now it’s up to a panel of guest judges — including Kathie Lee Gifford, Tori Spelling, Andy Cohen, and, last but not least, my Earth Day buddy, Martha Stewart — to pick the big winner.