How can i get a hold of some computers for scrapping?

Hi there i was wondering how i could go about getting a hold of some computers
i live in Melbourne Australia and i have already gone to the city once and asked
a few computer stores if i could take away the computers that they are going
to get rid of. It seems that most of them wont give them to you and just want
to give them to e waste recycling companies, they are a bunch of stubborn
bastards i tell you it really annoys me, i even went into one store they had a nice
pile of computers on the floors that they where going to get rid of an even a laptop
or two, i said to them i will give you money for them and they still said no, i was
willing to pay $40 or even $60 for the stuff they had i figured i could re sell it or
even re use it.

Is there any tricks you can try to convince these bastards to give you stuff?
It seems they are completely obsessed with giving the computers to e waste
companies. Where else can i get computers other than the computer stores
if they wont give them to me?



Thanks cheers take care the critta.

Originally Posted by thecritta

It seems that most of them wont give them to you and just want
to give them to e waste recycling companies......(

TheCritta LLC, Providing No-Cost E-Waste Removal since 2012. Call XXXXXXXXXXX or email XXXXXXXXXXX to schedule your free pickup today!

maybe you weren't cussing them good enough ; )

Your post makes you sound entitled. The computer stores don't have to give you anything. My suggestion to you is to be professional. Have a business card. Tell them where their stuff is going to ensure them that it isn't going into a landfill. Provide references and testimonials. Have a way to clean the hardrives of any sensitive info. If they only want to sell to e-waste recyclers then become an e-waste recycler.

Originally Posted by thecritta

Is there any tricks you can try to convince these bastards to give you stuff?

And that, ladies and gentlemen, eventually separates the successful from the others.

First you need is a new attitude, and then watch you mouth, we have ladies on this forum then follow the advice given in this thread.

Network, network, network. Think local. You should be reading local newspapers, going to local events, talking to people about what you do and what you can do for them. Cross market. You want computers from the computer shops? So does everyone else. But what can you do for them?

trawl the streets, get business cards, get a reputation as a "professional" e-waste handler, the saying goes:

"They didn't build Rome in a day!"


scrapping is not a quick buck, good luck

It is slow going, especially now when every one and his cosin is getting into the "new gold rush" of computer scrapping. I have found most government employees, i.e. school system, city or county disposal managers. have the same elitist/intitlement attitude our Fed government people have, so they are hard to deal with, you will need to have your ducks in a row or, get very very lucky. I have been working on the school system and 3 county governments here with 0 results for over a year. Reasons are many, they want to make their jobs as easy and cover their as*s as much as they can. For this reasion it is much easier to call Arcoa or some other conglomerate, and even pay to have their stuff hauled off then get paid for it from a lowly scrapper. A lot of this is from the myth of hard drive distruction. they want to be assured their HDs are "properly disposed of by the latest complicated means, when actually a chop saw is about as safe and efficiant as you can get. I would like to see the guy who can get info from a gay lord full of cut in half HDs.

I started with Craigs list, and soon there were 5 other ads just like mine. also the cost of transportation to go get single towers will eat up all your profits as well as being flooded with calls " it still works I think and Ill take $20 for it, never mind that it is 15 years old. and worthless.

computer shops, this is better but i usually only get 3 to 5 comps per month from them, and my list has dropped from 8 shops to 3 because now , like I said before, every one is now mining gold from computers.

That said, it may sound negitive but I am just telling you it,s not going to be a get rich quick thing, I have been at it for a year, and I am still at the suplimental income level. however I am on the cusp of breaking the berier. just be prepaired for a lot of time at break even or loss just like any other business, unless you get very lucky just my .02

It takes time to build contacts. I network with more smaller repair shops. They don't really care. They just do not have time to set aside and take all there broken down equipment to recycle plants, that is if they know where. I have persuaded some computer repair shops to go threw me even though they have called bigger recycling companies.

I network everywhere when I am really looking. Business events, cell phone shops/computer repair. I have called local churches, charter schools(smaller continuation schools) repair shops on craigslist,friends,and word of mouth, door to door at businesses putting out flyers. So When you speak to other business professionals you have to sound like your professional. Call the big scrap yards or recycling plants and act like a future customer and see how they answer you when you ask questions.

You have to find or make opportunities. Not everyone is going to respond to you. The truth on my part only once have I ever offered $$ for recycle. I make them feel I provide the best service and they really need me. I am really a nobody but when I speak to others I show them all the benefits of working with me. Some will work with you and some will not. To me there is more than enough business to go around.
In reality, I make more profit on resell than recycle but part of that is cause I have been in IT for the last 6yrs. An advantage I guess.

I have managed to pick up 14 since Sunday. How? By doing things I learn here.13 PC's and 1laptop.30.00 investment.

Originally Posted by BurlyGuys

People buy from people they know, like and trust.
If they like you, they will buy from you. (Or in this case, give/sell you their scrap.)
Be nice. Be likeable. Be complimentary.
Just sayin' :-)

Nicely said!