ST. LOUIS _ The basement of Kate Walter's home had been overtaken by Christmas decorations, her grown children's grade school art projects and a dining room set that once belonged to her ex-husband's parents.
August was the breaking point. Walter made a call to 2nd Life Junk Removal, and in less than three hours, a truckload was hauled out of her home and a weight was lifted off her shoulders.
"You tend to accumulate a lot of things, and there comes a time when you need to relinquish it and let it go," said Walter.
That time came for many people during the homebound days of the pandemic. Junk hauling companies have been taking more calls than ever, packing their trailers with sagging mattresses, threadbare couches and dust-covered treadmills. And all of that trash has led to a boom of sorts in the junk industry here, helping startups get started and veterans expand.
Micah Bounds, owner of Florissant, Mo.-based 2nd Life, doesn't have much to compare the rush to. He started his company just weeks before the first coronavirus case was reported locally in March. He delayed the initial advertising campaign while he waited to see how everything unfolded.
"It was nerve-wracking," Bounds said.
But pretty quickly, clients found him, including Judy White of New York state. After her sister died in June, White flew to St. Louis. Her sister, a skeet-shooting champion, left a Maplewood home overflowing with duck decoys, sports equipment and trophies.
White was concerned about potential travel restrictions. She knew she didn't have the time or know-how to plan a long-distance estate sale, so she looked up "junk people" on her phone. Bounds was the first person she reached.
"A bigger blessing I could not have found," White said. In three days, the house was all but emptied, and she was on her way back to New York.
The reality television series "Hoarders" depicts junk haulers deftly dismantling mountains of possessions in houses overrun with trash and vermin. But those circumstances are exceedingly rare, haulers say. Most jobs are one-item pickups, like an old recliner that is tricky to maneuver up a staircase or an extra refrigerator that's taken its last breath.
Sometimes, it's a collection _ bowling balls, fancy stemware, boxes and boxes of nuts and bolts _ that is no longer as valuable as the space it takes up.
Pack rats and collectors
Rod Green, owner of Jungle Busters Junk Removal and Lawn Care, started a side business selling the comic books, belt buckles and stamps he has come across in his three decades of junking. He once cleaned out an eyeglass store and sold spectacles on eBay for years after.
Most of his work comes from lawn care _ the "jungle busting" side _ but the money is in junk.
"I can cut all day for $600 or make that in 30 minutes of junking," Green said.
It pays to move quickly, categorizing items as they're placed in the truck. The disposal fees at waste transfer stations are an incentive to recycle or donate as much as possible. And there are always a few finds that are too good to let go of.
"I'm a pack rat," said Green. "A lot of people's stuff is at my house."
Over the summer, he was working seven days a week to keep up with calls, zig-zagging his three trucks and three trailers across town. It's more manageable now, but he doesn't see a complete return to normal any time soon.
"We live in a society that bombards you with commercials. It's buy, buy, buy," Green said. "Junk will always be around."
An increase in home improvement projects has also contributed to the spike in demand for junk removal.
"People are making their homes more like a vacation because they can't go on vacation," said Les Claypool, who owns a 1-800-JunkPro franchise in Granite City.
Many of his jobs this summer involved removing the debris left from contractors who were resurfacing decks and upgrading backyard patios.
"They're busy, and that keeps us busy," Claypool said.
Even with a slowdown in the spring, his business is up 10% on the year. In addition to hauling, JunkPro drops off dumpsters to customers for DIY junk removal. In the past, all dumpster rentals were a week long. A new three-day option lets Claypool turn them over more quickly.
Dumpster rental is popular, he said, because it runs a little cheaper than hauling. Most junk removal jobs are based on the volume the junk takes up in the truck. An eighth of a truck comes in under $100; a full load runs closer to $600.
Tim Weatherby, owner of Junk King St. Louis, has lost a slice of the revenue he used to earn from businesses upgrading equipment or renovating their cubicles. In six months, he's had one office job. But the jump in residential calls has made up for it, with more repeat customers than he's ever seen.
Weatherby opened his Fenton-based franchise in 2015 with one truck and one other full-time employee. As Junk King expanded, he shifted to the office side of the operation. But this summer _ after adding two trucks to bring his fleet to six _ Weatherby hopped back behind the wheel to keep up.
Starting from what he calls the "ghost town" of March, each month has been busier than the one before. Last month, Junk King made double the calls it did in September 2019.
Weatherby is not sure what to expect when the temperature drops.
"St. Louis tends to roll up in the winter," he said. "But it's been an interesting year."
