damage is done

I can feel the change of tude in people I tried a little picking today and I see a different temperament in people, a lack of trust , dirty looks ,
It’s really sad for flood victims first , But today I was in a area with no flood issues .
I feel people are reading the news paper sensations, that people were putting there items to dry in the sun , then people acting like scrapers (in a sense) would take there stuff
The cops who are used to seeing pick ups with items in it now will stop scrapers JUST BECAUSE. Home owners hearing the theft stories see all scrapers now in a non trusting light
For the first time I encountered resistance I saw a nice pile of short and other goodies worth about $20 It was at the curb for sure well the guy sees me and says don’t take it I said I understand but I was hoping to buy it from you ..For the good will of the situation I offerd him .08 per pound.. For creating goodwill,.02 profit was ok with me
He just snidely looked at me and said NO .
All I can say is (sarcastic) thanks to the posers for damaging the scrap life stile.

I can see where some people may have gotten a bad taste in their mouths from all the media. I'm thankful that my word of mouth advertising and reputation in my area is stronger than any stereotyping. Just yesterday I had a call from a potential client about 2 flooded campers. I'm waiting for some more information about them and may look at them today.

Don't give up hope, if your trustworthy, they will still come to you.

Originally Posted by gustavus

Key word here, Come to you. I admire your business ethics.

Your not acting like a Vulture waiting for something to die, your giving a reputable service.

We all give a great service from those who pick up trash on the curb or from the side of the street to those who run small and large yards.

With out the scrappers the scrap yard would have less metal an could close down. Less metal in the yards means the less metal the refinery's have...less metal they have will filter down into every day life an job love from making cars to building buildings to making ANYTHING that needs metal....costs of thees items will jump sky high.

So even thinking of a scrapper as a vulture is kinda wrong....I know its not the cleanest job, an easy job or any one of those things but its a job that HAS to be done BY someone to keep the life that we have going.

Originally Posted by gustavus

Excuse me if I find your comments funny and off the wall.

On my guesstimate 95 percent of the scrap your now picking up came from China made from resources we shipped there.

Still made with metal that was picked up by hand/truck at some point in time.

There are a few good many items we make here from metal. We have a large metal/steel refinery here as well.

Point is...scrappers play a large role in recycling.

I have no doubt that "scrappers" play a large role in recycling and not all "scrappers" are vultures. But what I consider vultures are the ones that only come out when there is a natural disaster like our recent flooding. They come out, make quick cash at somebodies misfortune, the is not heard from again. These are the ones that give the rest of us a bad name.

Call me weird, but I liked it when the price was low, I had less competition then. When the price for shred was at 40 a ton, I was the only person on craigslist, I had to turn away work because there was so much scrap to be had. But since the price is so high, the "vultures" have came out of the woodwork and scrap is getting harder to come by. But that is business and you just have to figure out a way to be better then they are so you get the scrap. Like I said before, I have been doing this since 1995, so I have a lot of word of mouth advertizing, and former clients that look me up instead of giving to somebody else.

The following is my Craigslist add:

The family at CMHN Recycling would like to express our sincere condolences for everybody who has suffered from the recent floods. We know that the times ahead will be trying and we hope you all make a speedy recovery.

Good luck and God bless.

We are here if you need us.

This was a heart felt statement and wasn't intended to drum up any business, but I have been contacted by 6 people to come and remove some items from their flooded homes. I guess my kindness is a refreshing change from the standard; "I want your scrap, I will pick it up for free" ad's that are plastered all over Craigslist.

I just started out myself and mostly rely on luck as I have no possible way of advertising until more "stable" courier work comes in.

Junkernaut, if you have not read my thread yet about the business cards, that is exactly why I posted it. Might help you out with some really cheap advertising starting out. http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/showt...Business-Cards

I have educated myself & i am not so happy with the answers
Curb scraping is up to the police who patrol and ultimately the home owner since most towns it is not legal to collect items from curb. BUT 99% of the patrol cops will leave the scrapper alone but sooner or later one might hit the ball buster . So that's kinda unnerving
If a home owner complains to the cops one can get into hot water.
Now considering a large yard by me has donated $100,000 to flood relief , I feel my work is helping in a small way. But look guys & gals of course if it makes it to trash trucks I am sure it's all sorted and much metal is recovered.
And a town might even get a few bucks.
The deal when i collect is i buy gas & buy food in the town i collect. I talk to lots of people & do the best i can for public relations. I can't stress this more , BE POLITE if not this might be you last day curb collecting.