Reason for scrapping

Outside of doing this business full time as a main source of income, do others have a specific reason/event that caused them to start scrapping? Mine was I have my 2nd son starting college in 2 years, and my original goal was to try and pay for 4 years of text books solely with money earned from scrapping before he graduated highschool. I am happy to say that because of what I have learned on this site, I will meet that goal early. Now I am expanding that goal to try and also earn enough to pay for 1 complete year of school. I am only a "part timer" so we'll see how I do!!

My reasoning for getting into EScrap is the same as waynes - to keep electronics out of the landfil but it goes deeper then that. To prevent EScrap from being exported as waste to contries, I dismantle everything down to the component so they can be reused by hobbiests or repair techs or whoever. Seems like a silly reason but it's my reason.

Because of New York State divorce laws

Started e-recycling as a part of my computer repair business.
I closed the business after working 7 days per week 7 am to midnight for a long time.
Scrap doesn't call you at home at 10 pm on Sunday night because it can't get online.
Still trying to get it right.

spinroch: scrap happy

I was looking for ways to make money, started out stockpiling copper pennies and than figured out how much other metals are worth, stumbled upon mike the scrapper on youtube and than scrapmetalforum a year later. Here I am now scrapping, and about to be driving. As for why I do it its purely a source of income and to help me be financially independant and move out when I graduate high school, I will ride it out if it makes me $ and take on side jobs. Another reason I do it is because I want to be my own boss, make how much I want to make, and not live paycheck to paycheck working 9-5 everyday until I die. Being in this profession gives freedom to do anything you desire and is what I love to do. Great goal you set, mine is to move out when I am 19 and have $30,000 to build my own unique home out of shipping containers. It will not be easy but I am confident I can do it.

Originally Posted by spinroch

Started e-recycling as a part of my computer repair business.
I closed the business after working 7 days per week 7 am to midnight for a long time.
Scrap doesn't call you at home at 10 pm on Sunday night because it can't get online.
Still trying to get it right.

My long lost twin!

Seriously, I started with a computer repair business. I originally started doing E-Waste as a source for parts. But, it's grown. I haven't shuttered the computer repair business, but it's taken the back burner. E-Waste doesn't need me to spend 90 minutes to remove advertising toolbars!

Plus, I learn something new every day I work with E-Waste. With my computer repair business, all that I really learned was how to run MalwareBytes.

matador: "No, virus removals don't come with a warranty!"

seen how much money there was in doing it when I was a kid and now even more as an adult (well as much as I wish to be lol ) and even though my greed level is low on a scale its a scramble most of the time to get the money before its trashed for good and its an healthy obsession now sort of as I find more and more ways of being able to collect as much as I can. give away and reuse a lot as well and being able to help people out when I can and knowing that all this money is out there just waiting for me and the surprise and fulfillment after a hard days work is amazing.
not to mention not enough people do it and so the groups like on here are people who help each other out so they can help themselves to learn and have fun are nice to have and in the area people who know scrap and can talk for hours about finds and so much stuff so it makes it a fun filled days and nights

Third kid on the way and I have a 40hour/week job a 20/hour a week job and really didnt have room to fit another job in and ever see my family. Started with ferrous and one day i was sealing a driveway for someone who happened to be in the IT for our local school district and they gave me about two truck loads of e-waste. A year later I'm doing the same only have started a partnership with a computer business here locally. He offers his place as a free electronic drop off (brings people into his store and gets me e-waste)

I was tired of working 70 hrs a week to make someone else wealthy. Quit my job started my business in with just scrap metal...expanded to include e waste ( nice big pay bump )...expanded to refurb and resale ( new employee and finally have disposable income) It has been two years next month. I still work 70 hours a week but its by choice and feels like 40. Hardest part is having new ideas for revenue streams but having the control to look at every "what if" situation and run constant roi scenarios before putting the "new idea" into play. Its a hellofa ride tho beats 9-5 for sure.

It may be legally mandated but in reality, no one is going to recycle scrap iron or anything on a commercial scale if it costs them money. Your competitors will simply put you out of business.

That said, it's less expensive as I understand to recycle scrap iron because you don't need to resmelt iron ore.