With metal prices being so low, what are you doing now?

**directrecycle** · 04-09-2016, 11:04 PM

we have cut out a lot of our "straight scrap" pick ups allowing us to focus on more valuable items (non scrap) this process has slowly been evolving for awhile and the downturns of the market just give us more of a reason to push the issue we have also expanded into book "recycling" averaging a gaylord or so a week and looking into tripling that over the next couple of months.

**andyheim** · 04-10-2016, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by directrecycle

we have cut out a lot of our "straight scrap" pick ups allowing us to focus on more valuable items (non scrap) this process has slowly been evolving for awhile and the downturns of the market just give us more of a reason to push the issue we have also expanded into book "recycling" averaging a gaylord or so a week and looking into tripling that over the next couple of months.

What do you mean by book recycling?

**directrecycle** · 04-10-2016, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by andyheim

What do you mean by book recycling?

i purchase gaylords of books from recycling centers, library sales, and thrift stores. Scan the books thru Amazon and send in the good ones to their warehouses. Better non amazon books get put in lots for sale locally thru facebook groups or on ebay by Genre, the rest go back to recycling center. Same thing with cd's, video games, and other items

**arb** · 09-11-2016, 12:25 PM

Most of you may not remember the mid-90's. (When I started)
cu#2 was .65/lb, shred material was accepted free of charge, and was charged $15.00 for anything with Freon. So have some perspective.

Now I'm mostly saving until I really need the money, run low on free space or when the prices make a considerable jump.

More so now, I'm actually fixing and re-purposing items. Taking what normally would of went straight to the yard and doing my best to get more miles out of it.

I always save, nails, bolts, washers, clamps. Playing around with various motors.

The low prices are an opportunity, actually. Less people scrapping and your average Joe isn't hording. So that makes way for the "professional scrapper" to gather more stuff.

**CopperHeadAKA** · 09-11-2016, 06:10 PM

Sure there was a time when scrap was so high your Good to Average Job could not equal recycling
It was a time of freedom and adventure & it was .
But yes prices went down and the continuation of this income required More truck size
and finding 2 to 3 times more, not to mention the physical strength to lift X 3 times more
So a job in the secular world was my need for survival but scrap still is my buddy
one important dumpster moved to another location , it was an electric company it was the best finds .
I have no idea where they went ?
TV's , Vacuums are still around since that was always bottom of barrel . TV's with attrition
will end some day
I can see scrap is a generational thing , I was around during a big wave .
Will a big wave come around once more ? Maybe ?
But will I be young enough and strong enough to ride it cause that is what I remember most
lifting .

**AdmiralAluminum** · 09-11-2016, 10:54 PM

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." peeks and valleys, summer and winter. I barely scrap at all any more. No more Curbco at all unless it's blind luck. My situation changed, my "cheese" got moved. I sell used items for as much money as I make scrapping and it's so much easier too.

**EDC76** · 09-12-2016, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by arb

Most of you may not remember the mid-90's. (When I started)
cu#2 was .65/lb, shred material was accepted free of charge, and was charged $15.00 for anything with Freon. So have some perspective.

Now I'm mostly saving until I really need the money, run low on free space or when the prices make a considerable jump.

More so now, I'm actually fixing and re-purposing items. Taking what normally would of went straight to the yard and doing my best to get more miles out of it.

I always save, nails, bolts, washers, clamps. Playing around with various motors.

The low prices are an opportunity, actually. Less people scrapping and your average Joe isn't hording. So that makes way for the "professional scrapper" to gather more stuff.

It's all relative to inflation. I remember the early 90's.
A pack of Marlboro reds was $1.25, a gallon of gas was 95 cents, minimum wage was $4.25, a candy bar was 40 cents, and a new 2wd 1/2 ton pickup with a 6 cylinder and a manual transmission was $9995.