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When I first started I would pass up steel, not worth it I would say, but things change...
So far here are my %'s over 8 years!
Steel 79% of weight and 39% of cash
Aluminum 9% of weight 28% of cash
Copper 8% of weight 22% of cash
Brass, lead, stainless and zinc 3% of weight, 8% of cash
Glass, Plastic and Cardboard 1% weight and 2% cash
E waste >1% waste and 2% cash
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Brass would be my #1 producer. Then probably steel, then AL.
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How? That's great but how money wise and pounds!Originally Posted by t00nces2
Rural scrapper
I love aluminum, used in dang near everything ! Easy to get cheap and usually pretty easy to clean and increase the value fourfold, name another scrap you can do that with that is literally everywhere.
Alvord iron and salvage
3rd generation scrapper and dam proud of it
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Way to let the secret out I always love the guys passing up the steel LOL. But actually copper really doesnt pay good hard to find and light when you do find it. Aluminum is actually the secret pays well and is really heavy actually. Steel is where i make 70% i would say I bring a few tons a week.
It's cool to hear how everyone has different percentages and favorite metals.
Strangely, my biggest money maker (don't have percentages here sorry) is Stainless Steel. I got a demolition contract at a chicken plant and a clean out job at a commercial washing machine plant that was closing and another at a rubber glove manufacturer all at the same time. What was so amazing is that stainless jumped from about 35 cents to $1.20 while I was doing these jobs. I don't get much stainless now, and the price is certainly lower, but it will always have a place near to my heart.
Other than that, copper, aluminum and steel are running a close race with each other.
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Steel is a byproduct for me, but I never turn up my nose at it. Today I took in about 1,000 lbs of steel; all telecom chassis. One unit was over 500 lbs by itself! That was fun to load in the van...my main product is circuit boards, then aluminum, copper and on down the line.
F1 Recycles
Electronic/Electrical/Mechanical Recycling
www.f1recycles.com
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I have to admit for the first couple of years I didn't mess with steel. Then one of the managers at a yard we use, Asked who do you sell your steel to? Talk about wanting to craw into a hole, well after that conversation and education. We started processing steel and for the last two years, has been our #3 money maker. Don't even want to think about how much steel I let get away from me! Steel is literally everywhere and the weights add up fast.
Last edited by bigburtchino; 09-16-2014 at 01:57 AM.
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I am a handyman by trade and I get some of the brass through the changing of faucets and other work. The most common way I get brass is to buy it at garage sales. I buy it at prices I believe is < than 1/3 the price of brass. It just builds up and I usually accumulate a pile 30#+. I can usually build up a pile like that over the course of a couple months.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Right now I live in an apartment with my fiance, and she's nice enough to not get bothered by me always breaking down computers, tvs, microwaves, and any other e-waste. Unfortunately, I only really have room for the copper, the wire, and the aluminum. I have thrown countless pounds of steel in the garbage because I have nowhere to let it accumulate until it is worth driving across town to the yard. For now I can only accumulate the non ferrous.
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Saabsw: Instead of throwing it away, share it with a friend. Find someone who has a garage or shed and let them store the tin and you can split the price when you go to the scrap yard.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Maybe develop a relationship with another scrapper who can't really do the small computer stuff but is into bulk steel. It brings a tear when I hear of stuff going into the garbage. Maybe just do a charity drop at your dumpster for someone who will take the steel. It will come back to you in a good way.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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I have thought of other options. If I get a storage unit, then scrapping becomes more of a neccessity than a bonus. I don't have any friends where I live now, they're on the other side of the state, so nobody to share garage space with. As for leaving it out, the dumpsters at my apartment are fenced off from public. So, if I left it out nobody could get it anyway. If I leave it outside the fence, then there's no guarantee that it will be picked up quickly, and won't just be an eyesore for days until a scrapper grabs it. It bugs me too, every time I throw any type of metal away. I will be moving next year, but until then I don't see a solution. Also, my only vehicle is a shared suv with the fiance, so I can't just let it pile up in there. Believe me when I say it bothers me. I'll bend over to pick up a penny in the street, but I'm throwing money in the garbage right now.
Last edited by saabsw; 09-16-2014 at 09:15 AM.
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saabsw - My yard has a few grades of steel, there's the very low price light steel, shred or "tin". This is by far the easiest scrap to come by (IMO). The draw back is it does take space and I personally won't even think about taking it in unless I have more than 1/2 ton (prefer 1 ton or more to get the ton price). I like to take any light steel, that is "box" like and stuff more light steel into it. Use your old micro wave ovens and computer towers, after you break them down for the smaller light steel scrap. drawers from old file cabinets are also good small steel "boxes" for storage and transport. I like old steel cabinets, gutted large appliances for my larger light steel for storage and transport as well. This will compartmentalize and organize the bulky light steel. Even if you have to take a small "box" of light steel (two or three), this is easy way to take maybe 100+ pounds to the yard. Will only get you $3 or $4 (gas for transporting your more valuable scrap). Your already working with steel, you should get something for your hard work! If you can't do this now, start thinking about how to process for the day you can. Like others have said try to find someone to trade, barter or pay you something for the steel. At the very least put it beside your apartment dumpster (neatly), trust me a great-full scraper will thank you and I'm sure it will only be there for a couple of hours.
There are better paying grades of steel as well. My favorite is heavy prepped steel (1/4" thick or better and less than 3' wide and 4' long). The sizes don't have to be precise cuts, as they just need to fit in the yards steel bin 5' x 6' x 6'. I put all of my scrap steel hardware (nuts, bolts, washers, pins etc.) in this grade. This grade should pay you $.08 to $.10 per pound or $200+ per ton (easy or look for another yard).
A serious scraper should be working with steel, it really starts to add to the bottom line when you do.
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I can almost guarantee you that your steel that you can stash in your storage unit will pay for itself and then some. I see you’re on the coast and I don’t know much about the Pittsburgh scrap market, but…isn’t that steel central? Should be able to get a decent price on shred and short steel to make it worth it. Plus a storage unit will give you a little place for you to break down and sort items. Maybe get a little trailer for your SUV and keep it in the unit? Then you can haul a bunch of stuff to the yard all at once.
"Don't try to be a great man, just be a man. Let history make its own judgments"
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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copper is still king...but i deal in several thousand lbs every week
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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You're right Matty, I'm just not ready to buy a trailer or pay for a storage unit. We are planning on moving and getting a house in may-june next year. I'm just holding out for that time. I hope to find a place with a shed or a garage, and I will get a trailer at that time and kick it into high gear. Until then I think I'm out of luck, but maybe I'll think harder about it. I used to throw aluminum out too because it was taking up too much space, but I found a nook in my closet for a box of it. Maybe I can find a creative solution to my problem. I'll dwell on it for a while, thanks for the suggestions.
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Well, best of luck to you then. And another tip, if I may. You may already be doing this but if you break stuff down into as small pieces as possible, you will save a lot of space. You can kill two birds with one stone with the aluminum, if you can break it down to smaller pieces, you can almost certainly get all of the iron and steel out of it and get yourself some clean aluminum. Easier storage and higher price. And keep a bucket nearby to toss all of your steel screws into. That adds up FAST and gets heavy. It won’t fill your retirement account, but a few extra bucks for no extra work is always worth it, in my opinion
And as for a response to the thread as a whole…
I love it all, man!
Especially now that I’m getting more and more into eWaste, those computer towers and disc drives (not worth to ship once the boards are out) really, really add up for a tin/shred run. And they all stack nice too.
The copper is great, too, don’t get me wrong. It adds up slowly but surely and by the time the monthly non-ferrous run is ready to go, I usually have a bucket or two of the lines from fridges, A/Cs, etc. And then you got the compressor units, electric motors and other copper-bearing stuff. And, of course, wire.
So while the “pure” copper doesn’t make a huge part of my run, anything with copper in it will put a smile on my face
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I remember when I was a kid as in 11-14 or so and prices were so much lower but even steel at 3 cents which it was 4cents here for awhile like back then but even so picking up almost free money besides a little tiny gas and time is well worth it. it still is by biggest earner just topping boards by a little bit and during the winter it changes. I love ewaste but besides auctions and people dropping it off or me getting it finding it is few and far but steel is abundant and tossed like stinky cheese lol but like butchered line goes and changes I do love the smell of a scrap yard in the morning lol
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Stack it by the dumpster someone will take it!
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