Hoarding

A lot of people on here are concerned with where scrap prices are going and because of that a lot are hoarding waiting for better prices. What do y'all think about this. I am currently hoarding all my copper, brass, ss, electric motors and transformers and selling all the steel and tin. I am also holding on to my CPUs, ram, and fingers for a little extra insurance. I am selling everything else that I get.

What, if anything, are y'all hoarding? Also do y'all think it is beneficial in the long run?

I myself do not hoard anything. I accumulate what I can and take it to the yards about once or twice a week. I am not as established as some of the members an the forum so I use that money to grow my business. I feel that continuing to find new sources is a better use of capital. Now if I had a steady stream of stuff to process and didn't need the money it would be different.

For example.

100 pounds of copper. @ $3.25 = $325.00
@ $2.60 = $260.00
@ $2.40 = $240.00

The difference between $3.25 and $2.40 is $85.00.

IMO even if I only get $240.00 that cash can be used to grow my business. Run small print ads, print more flyers, pay kids to drop flyers in doors. One good hit on an ad or flyer and the $85.00 will more than be made up for. I don't have deep pockets so I need to find the best use of my materials and hoarding right now isn't a good fit for my size.

The only time you sell in the recycling business is if you need cash or you run out of space,the prices are all ways higher in the winter mounths due to supply and demand lots of end users are closed or cut down there production of there products in the summer mounths if you can get by just selling your tin and steel you will be in great shap in the fall,i hope you have a big bank roll to get you through the summer

I'm not a fan of hoarding. Sitting on capital hoping the market goes up versus selling and re-investing in the business seems like a no-brainer. I constantly adjust the prices I pay as the market moves to keep the same profit margin.

I hope to get myself in the situation where I can sit on materials for the winter. Just a small fluctuation in price can be win. Let's be honest 10% or 20% is alot more than the money will earn in alot of other investments. I am trying to get into a commercial building right now so I can buy from the public. So every five gallon bucket of wire goes. I keep putting money away and turning what I get quick.

I hope by fall to to be in a new building on a busy street buying computer scrap and insulated wire on routes.

Since I teach and run a landscape business throughout the summer, I have basically been hoarding everything except steel (as I don’t have the space) until the fall/winter months for some additional income. I am especially hoarding anything that might have higher than scrap value until I have time this winter to research and list it. I do typically cash in some things every August when were about to go on vacation.

The fluctuation in prices don’t really bother me, as others have said, you should simply be adjusting your prices so that your profit margins are the same. If you haven’t already you should be seeing less competition. Anyone driving $20,000 F150’s 30 miles to pickup a refrigerator was doomed to fail from the beginning and as prices drop this will become ever more apparent.

I agree with Burly, 95% of everything I get is free so if I make 1.00 or 10.00 it's free money.

Should be the SMF motto Every piece of scrap I bring in is free money

I'm not hoarding anything at the moment. I move it as I get it and I have a fairly steady stream coming in. Most likely the prices will go back up this fall/winter but there's always the chance they don't or they fall even more. I'd rather take what I can get now and deal with future prices in the future.

I started hoarding, but for a while I was too focused on dismantling and neglected the storage part. Now my copper bucket is a tangled mess of wire. Making tidy wound bundles will take hours.

I hoarding everything right now. But will sell steel in the winter when prices are better. I'm also holding on some escrap until prices look better. I work a full time job so I can afford to hold out.

I'm not hoarding anything. I thought about it but I don't want to stash metal in the woods to become full of bees and mice either when it would come time to turn it in if steel prices go back up.

Also, because I work alone - if something (god forbid) happened to me, all that stuff would be stuck at my dads place. Lol, none of my kids would go turn it in and clean it up.

Weird way of thinking I know but it works for me. Just have to take the bad with the good right now.