Ahh i rember those guys still kinda existed when i was a kid.... "Rag and Bone Men" is what we used to call them.. old timers with horse and cart going around the side streets of london .. ringing a bell... and yelling ..something i forget...
Basically recyclers.. people give them old clothes furniture etc... pre-charity shops... left over from "bring out your dead" days. I bet they have all past on themselves now.