Retail chains frequently toss mannequins in dumpsters behind the mall when they remodel or close locations. That is why dumpster diving at a mall is often one of the best places to find a free mannequin.
Sometimes museums and fashion schools will also throw away mannequins because they often get more mannequins than they need donated to them by retailers. 
If dumpster diving is not your thing, try searching websites like Freecycle and Craigslist. We so many retail chains going out of business now, many times they will sell their mannequins to the public. And if there are no takers and it is the last day the store is open they may let you have them for free.
If dumpster diving is not your thing, try searching websites like Freecycle and Craigslist. We so many retail chains going out of business now, many times they will sell their mannequins to the public. And if there are no takers and it is the last day the store is open they may let you have them for free. 
If you just need the mannequin for an art project or Halloween display you may not care if it is missing limbs, is damaged or does not have a stand. This often is the case with free mannequins
But if you are using the mannequin to display clothes in a window or online, sometimes the time and effort required to find replacement parts for a “free mannequin” cancels out the savings.
So that is why buying a used mannequin from a vendor the specializes in selling used mannequins is frequently a better alternative than getting free one. At Mannequin Madness we have a mannequin graveyard in both our Bronx and Oakland warehouse with distressed mannequins, dress forms and torsos for cheap.
We also sell replacement parts such as mannequin stands, hands and connector pieces which will fit some of the newer mannequins on the market but not many of the vintage ones.
If you get a free mannequin and it needs repairing this page has resources for DIY repairing and companies that refurbish them. And this page has all kinds of ideas for turning a distressed mannequin into an art project. .
Visit our website to shop for mannequins and dress forms, rent display pieces, or recycle your old mannequins.
