Dwindling Trash Route Treasures

So my 2 sons and I decided to go out and run the ol trash route earlier tonight. It's been about 3 wks since we've done this as we have been busy with the scrap metal and junk cars. So busy that we've made a little over $900 in the last 2 wks alone. Pure profit.
But tonight we actually lost money. I mean we didn't find one item. No appliance, no t.v., no microwave, not even a stinkin vacuum cleaner! Didn't do nothing but waste money in gas. Where is everything going?
In the end tho I did get to spend 3 wonderful hours with my two boys. Come to think of it I reckon I really didn't waste money in gas.

Sounds like money well spent.

The stuff is going to the low income people.

Where i live, if it has metal on it and it's at the curb it will not be their for more than 5 minutes before it's picked up.

I picked up a dryer this past weekend, no one was behind me and in the time it took me to stop and get out of my truck i had 2 other scrappers pulling up behind me.

I only had room for the dryer so i let them fight over the washer.

Its feisty here in big D but I get by with freecycle advertising and cl. I also call aptment complexes to see if maintain has any scrap or junk appliances but normally they say no so I just leave my info and check there dumpsters. Got a dryer right where I live just the other night at the dumpster. Man 900 sounds tits though. It will pick up that's what I always say....

Junkernaut are you in Dallas? I'm up in Lewisville and lately I've seen a ridiculous amount of "scrappers" pop out of nowhere. There's a dumpster right outside of my apartment and I usually do all my breaking down on the patio. It's not uncommon for me to see 5-6 people coming to see what I've left behind down there while I'm working...especially when it's toward the end of the month.

Originally Posted by jham1217

Junkernaut are you in Dallas? I'm up in Lewisville and lately I've seen a ridiculous amount of "scrappers" pop out of nowhere. There's a dumpster right outside of my apartment and I usually do all my breaking down on the patio. It's not uncommon for me to see 5-6 people coming to see what I've left behind down there while I'm working...especially when it's toward the end of the month.

Yeah im not sure I want to drive and look anymore outside a 15 mile search radius from where I live. I want to start doing auctions for heavy items instead. Driving around unless you have routes that are set and established is a waste of resources and every gallon counts when just starting out. I am cold calling apartments and soon body shops/ repair shops. Its really competitive out there.

Nothing out around here as well, a couple months back I needed a bigger truck. LOL

But it's happened before, kids are back to school. Seems to slack off every year around this time for me.

With the price drop, I am sure we will see less peeps out scrapping. (fingers crossed for luck). Maybe the craze will slow down.

I noticed it has slowed a bit around here in Westbrook Maine but as I do this more I get more calls which is much better than driving the streets at 4 AM lol

Originally Posted by Copper Head

Not to strike fear but when you work the curb it is always a wonder why it is there in the first place . when it's not there it's a solid truth also . As long as people buy they will get rid off. Once in a wile the consumer may slow down on frivolous behavior & of course competition will vary from time to time .

The curb has absolutely dried up around here. I haven't found much in two weeks. I blamed high prices and a flood of new people picking it up. But I see a lot of the regular guys with nothing in there trucks either. I think people have cut back on spending big time in the past month.

Population density plays a role, find areas with it

Tell yall something else. Used to do better in the richer, ritzier, more upscale neighborhoods. Not so anymore. Don't know if them folks ain't buying new and throwing out the old or what, but there is nothing to retrieve there now a days. I (we) do better with the middle and lower income neighborhoods. I find that very strange.

Originally Posted by skylinejackjr

Tell yall something else. Used to do better in the richer, ritzier, more upscale neighborhoods. Not so anymore. Don't know if them folks ain't buying new and throwing out the old or what, but there is nothing to retrieve there now a days. I (we) do better with the middle and lower income neighborhoods. I find that very strange.

not strange Lower money people are sad so they buy more small useless stuff to feel rich.

A few months back here in the UK analogue T.V was made defunct, so there's loads of people just offloading T.V's that don't work now without a top box. Instead of buying digital reciever they just buy new T.V's. Just picked up a real nice 36" Sony trinitron by the dumpsters tonight with a sign on saying i work fine, please take me... so i did. With great difficulty i might add.