Finally quit Curbco!

I just can't afford to drive around on trash night and expect to score a bunch of stuff to cover my expenses. There are at least 10-15 trucks I see out every night and the cops are also very aggressive in certain communities. I also had a route that I had driving home from work or from the baby sitters that I found good junk, but that is all gone now. I even posted a frustration of this and got my tail handed to me by "Sirscrapalot" in this post.

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/day-l...cling-now.html

I am not looking to send hate mail or even backlash at the guy for ripping me for my own laziness. I do regret not taking the initiative on talking to the businesses I was dumpster diving from. I regret staying in a plateau that I was safe and secure from any risk or danger. I just took my public whipping and took a step back to look at what direction I was heading in.

So, I woke up...



And got my ass off the bench.


By the way I am vacationing in Wilmington, NC and can't wait for it to end to get back to working on my business.

Don' let everyone know how nice S. E. N.C.
Work on getting regular customers that you pick up from as its been stated many times, get some business cards. Look at you picking up scrap from customers as a service. Its what I have done for the last several years and I make a lot more money even though I pay for much of the material I get. When you know you are picking up a load when you leave the house you are less concerned about gas costs.

I didn't read the other thread you referred to here but if Sirscrapsalot told you something seriously then I would consider it worthy of consideration. It sounds like you did pay attention to him keep trying and perfect your business. Mike

I wish I could tell you that it's cloudy and dreary but it's not.

About 3 and half weeks ago I order 1k business cards, ordering more. Sent a pricing buy list to 6 local repair shops. My flat screen tv guy moved and a laser jet repair/supplier moved in. I made a really good connection with him. Every business he stops at to service or deliver toner he drops my card. My wife has handed out my card at work and there is some woman at work who has a lot neighbors who have appliances stacked up in the backyard. She said she wants to talk to her mayor about having a waste drive to clean up the town.

Last week is when my phone has been finally started to ring. Wednesday I met with a repair shop owner who showed me around his shop. I had only $150 on me and told me to come back on Thursday with enough so he couldn't say no. I bought 13 towers and 220 lbs of laptop batteries. He said come back from vacation with more money.

I am renting 2 small storage units that has helped empty my garage. Last week I refilled the garage and now getting another bigger unit (10x30). I have 2 donation companies I talked to a week ago who will set aside electronic junk. I really didn't want to go vacation.

Finding scrap free (except fuel) has a truth . But that truth differs from location to location and wile at times competition is there eventually many fade away .
still the hunter type - HAS to have an auto that gets great MPG - mini vans - 4 cylinder pick ups - ECO cars with trailers are the only consistent auto to go out and dry hunt .
The amount I could find with $10 & my old Chevy venture . surpassed my dodge pick up , and yet what I can load in my pickup is better for many items .
So now I hunt to the yard and back I hunt during my daily travels . Garbage day has to be considered along with trip to yard . It's not easy to hunt this way as you generally have a mess in truck,
the yard people get annoyed at the disorganization as you shuffle the yard stuff from the keeper for another day stuff.

USA is huge , some towns have plenty , some just don't .
I am not convinced that being able to find $300 to $400 weekly from curb trash will ever last ,
The end (slow down) will occur it's just not logical that this could just keep continuing . For now I do & when it's done I know I had a good run .

Originally Posted by elitelawnteam1

I'm not sure I agree with things slowing down, we live in a world where appliances only last 5 years and where people throw away brand new lawn mowers because the blade is bent. I pull in between 1500-2400lbs of material DAILY from the curbs. And I've been doing it for years. Of course I have been passing out biz cards, and always looking for business scrap accounts, but I just don't see the volume of material decreasing drastically with the exception of every winter.

Of course that doesn't mean the material will be taken by the same person. It's simple, if you start slacking and you don't keep an iron grip on the neighborhoods you drive thru during the peak hours that people set things out, you will fail. You need to be taking everything and leave them with nothing. Because when they find stuff, they come back, and you will slowly lose that neighborhood. When I want to keep a neighborhood to myself, I'll drive thru every 30 mins, get everything, and repeat that for 3-4 weeks, and then they give up, and I win!

There is much truth to Driving out others by collecting the bulk of whats out. but what your willing to scrap also counts . as you say
" every thing "
I had found often I was last yet - - Things like TV's Vacuums - were often not taken.
But with hard work - copper - copper cords . copper bearing . short - Mix - could work out to a decent day with left overs . But sure is a pain in the neck dealing with the bulk of plastics I guess that s why many scrappers leave TVs Vacs behind .

A slow down Hmm - NYC and surrounding burros scrappers face fines for getting caught taking Appliances from curb - $2000 no joke . By me no problem
but as been told by some police - curb hunting for items to be used in your home is legal . Curb hunting for $$ gain as a business is not legal BUT they don't enforce it.

I worry of a slow down in all facets, there are forces out that would take away our freedom ,to make money - our way -
Other entities have there eye on " every thing " wile you push out others , others are conceiving how to push you out with the Law.
Scrapping is Vast there is always a way to get scrap , I guess I am a little superstitious

RolleyRogers sounds like you have made some good decisions for yourself and the ones that really matter (the family). The decision to stop shopping at curbco is not a "biggy" in the reality of life. The biggy, is choosing to look within at yourself, for what's going wrong or right. When we choose to evaluate our selves, we can quit blaming others and can start making our selves, the person we want to be. The measurement of who's a successful person, is all about who is doing the measuring? If I may. I suggest you again are going to be the best person with that measurement. I personally measure my success or failures, by how and how often I achieve goals. Some goals are short term and fairly simple to achieve. Each day I set personal goals, These usually are the easy one's, realistically obtainable. They may be easy, but need to be accomplished because not meeting personal easy goals is a "setup". A setup for not obtaining harder goals and more important, the self satisfaction. At the "end of the day", I have to be able to look at myself in a mirror and be happy with what I see. This is how I have learned to set and achieve much harder goals, but it all starts with those easy/daily goals. Let me reiterate, I win some and loose some of those goal "battles" I have with myself (win most of them). I have had a goal to learn to speak spanish for over ten years now, a perfect example of a goal not met. Failure comes with the goal setting, what counts is to each day, do as best as you can and never give up on yourself.

Rollyrogers33 What I am sure of is if you were to visit my area for a week
and I told you the towns & garbage days by Friday you would have plenty of scrap to dismantle or take as is .

Wile my areas are touchy they seem to deliver
The 2 floods in 2 years was sadness I never wish for ever again
was like a scrap BOMB and I still have some items from .
The consistent finds , caused income but more important EXPERIENCE . The whole proses gets hard wired into ones self .
At the very least if you have been scrapping as long as you've been a SMF member , I'd say look into what you know
sure finding free is fine .
Your desire for success will cause you to do better then finding free . you can buy for less and sell at profit but need some volume
or do clean outs for cash and acquire some scrap wile getting paid .
Most important find out you localities rules for dump use. Some towns will allow with proof of residence for use of dump but if they see you there 5 days a week from clean out projects there rules would change .
Hey , Into the great wide open

It is all a lot of good points. It was hard being on vacation because there was so much freaking scrap laying around at Curbco that I couldn't wait for the trash guy to come. There had to be at least 30 beach chairs, a couple bed frames, 10 Tube TV's and so on. I had no room in the SUV. No scrappers in the area. What a time to quit.

There are so many communities near my home town that are cracking down on scrapping that a lot of guys I stop and talk to won't go in certain neighborhoods. They say that can't afford the tickets anymore. I saw some truck with scrap two days ago with a microwave and a cord still hanging on at some gas station. We got to talking and his yard won't take microwaves. He didn't understand how to take them apart or wouldn't write this forum website down. Told me take my BS and walk.

I got what "Sirscrapalot" meant by ranting after my post. I knew it wasn't personally. But I get how frustrating it can be when you see so many people day in and day out just throw opportunity away. Not just on threads and post but on everyday life of scrapping. I have spent so many years reading this website and it's history of others success and failures that I didn't peruse to make my own.

I did really leave myself open to get walloped. Though it was very much needed. Thanks again everyone!!!

Nothing like scrapping on vacation , I love hitting new yards and getting the feel of the community, A little time an effort and you have extra vacation money Hey who does not like money . But yes know the rules in new areas, a hefty ticket in a faraway land that you can't show up for a not guilty plea is a helpless feeling

Yeah it would be awesome! But the wife would of KILL'D me. kept my phone off all week.

Happy wife, happy life.