Weekend Haul

Well sold a couple loads of scrap metal/tin. Fridays load was 900 lbs and took home $85.50. Sat's load was 1000 lbs and took home $95.00. Not to bad but my metal source is dwindling. Maybe another $85 dollar load and then my goodies (copper, alum, brass, ets) then it is gone. I have got to get a couple more jobs lined up!!

Ya, I actually am offering to pay but I'm just getting my name out there and so far it is very slow. Can I ask what you guys offer to pay? Right now I am offering so much per load ($20 dollars a load, which is a ford ranger and an 8 ft trailer loaded) and per appliance ($2-5 dollars). Is this reasonable? This forum great!!!!!!!!

20 bucks a load is exactly what I offer. I don't even do it with the trailer. Keep in mind, over time you become greedy and with time you start to realize just what type of metal or tin items bring in. You can easily get tempted to lower prices and cut corners. Don't do it. Greed is fine, as long as you apply to man hours and scrap connections rather than your clients pay outs.

Great advice, do you ever buy items individualy like appliances, mowers, etc

Originally Posted by worley76

Great advice, do you ever buy items individualy like appliances, mowers, etc

Don't ever pay for things individually unless you are going local, and by local, I mean less than 5 miles. Even then, if they dont ask, don't offer.

The only thing I suggest in making an offer for is copper, brass (depending on the amount) and vehicles. However, before making an offer, ALWAYS find out the current prices!

One day it could be $500 for a car, and then the next $250.

Originally Posted by worley76

Great advice, do you ever buy items individualy like appliances, mowers, etc

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is no such thing as getting something for free. Scrap is no exception to this. Think about it from a logical service industry stand point. So what if some random person gave you scrap metal, it still wasn't free. You had to spend hours gathering/cleaning/loading/sorting it, you had to pay for fuel to get to and from the location..etc. Overhead is a pain. Not to mention, when you accept scrap for free on someone's property, they hold all the cards. You're no longer as business owner or person with a multitude of experience. You become someone's trash guy and as such they will treat you as they see fit. Rarely do transactions flow smoothly without paying for metal. When you pay you claim ownership and the right to do with the metal as you see fit, all your client can do is take the money and dictate to you when you have to pick the metal up, and odds are you are there to pick the metal up anyway. The work is done.

I always pay out for appliances. White metal will always be wasted. It's a fact. Appliances aren't built to last, you know this because you scrap them out with a screw driver and needle nose pliers. Give 5 bucks for fridges and washers... Seriously, why would you be apprehensive? 300% profit and repeat business?. It's worth it in the long and short run.

Sure metal prices can bottom out, sure they can do it over night. You take the gamble every day in other items and commodities. If you're a savvy business man you keep a reserve of petty cash for buying metal and you keep another fund for yourself and your overhead costs/utilities. It's business, from time to time you can lose money. But seriously, if 5-100 bucks puts you out of business, you weren't much of a businessman to begin with.

Read a few books. Ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Originally Posted by TheFatMan

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is no such thing as getting something for free. Scrap is no exception to this. Think about it from a logical service industry stand point. So what if some random person gave you scrap metal, it still wasn't free. You had to spend hours gathering/cleaning/loading/sorting it, you had to pay for fuel to get to and from the location..etc. Overhead is a pain. Not to mention, when you accept scrap for free on someone's property, they hold all the cards. You're no longer as business owner or person with a multitude of experience. You become someone's trash guy and as such they will treat you as they see fit. Rarely do transactions flow smoothly without paying for metal. When you pay you claim ownership and the right to do with the metal as you see fit, all your client can do is take the money and dictate to you when you have to pick the metal up, and odds are you are there to pick the metal up anyway. The work is done.

I always pay out for appliances. White metal will always be wasted. It's a fact. Appliances aren't built to last, you know this because you scrap them out with a screw driver and needle nose pliers. Give 5 bucks for fridges and washers... Seriously, why would you be apprehensive? 300% profit and repeat business?. It's worth it in the long and short run.

Sure metal prices can bottom out, sure they can do it over night. You take the gamble every day in other items and commodities. If you're a savvy business man you keep a reserve of petty cash for buying metal and you keep another fund for yourself and your overhead costs/utilities. It's business, from time to time you can lose money. But seriously, if 5-100 bucks puts you out of business, you weren't much of a businessman to begin with.

Read a few books. Ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

I dislike to contradict what you just said, but I am.

If you owned your truck, and was not doing scrap metal, you would still be paying for gas and auto insurance.

If someone calls you up, emails you, or like me, goes on a website and fills out a form, to request you come and remove their scrap metal, and does NOT ask for any money for it, then yes it is FREE! You make the conscious decision to go pick it up or not.

Also, when at best you get say $10 for a washer or dryer, and you pay $5 for it, you might say you actually made $5, but in reality you made nothing, since you had to pay for gas to go pickup, so what sense does it make to pay for something, and use gas to go pick up it, even if it is right down the street with out charging the client.

Also, most scrappers I know of, have no over head. They have their truck, gas, and insurance, same exact costs they have even if they did not do scrapping. Only real costs for being in business is for tools or bits, or blades, etc.

Only time I never charge a client, is when I am getting a lot of scrap metal, and a lot just depends on what it is, and how much I know it weighs.

Also, if you treat the customer with diginity, respect, truthfulness, etc they will use you again and again no matter what, because they know if you name a price, you are doing what you can to help them out, and still make a small profit for yourself, and it will lead to repeat business.

Granted, I don't know your story, or where you from, but this is what works for me. I never pay for scrap metal, regardless of what it is, even vehicles. I offer free removal depending on quantity and location, or the very worst, I will charge a fee (always under $100) depending on how far I have to go and what all I have to do to retrieve the scrap metal.

If I have to spend a good amount of time digging out of some where, then yes, there is a charge, considering I could spend the same time, and deal with someone who has it all ready.

Just an FYI, I know this looks like me bashing you, and I promise, that is not true. Merely stating what I have and always will do, and what works for me.

I will say this though, I do know some that will pay a small fee for the metal, but that has never made sense, when I compute in everything.