College kid looking for work, scrapping worth the time?

Hi I was recently laid off of a computer repair job and have been looking for work. I have had a couple interviews for various retail jobs with all of them saying I would most likely be getting paid 9-10 dollars an hour with about 15 to 20 hours a week for the first 2 to 6 months if I get hired. So far I have not had any second interviews which is disappointing. I am in college working towards 2 degrees and my hw is easy and I have a lot of free time.

My question is would I make more money learning scrapping then working at a retail job with random hours? This is a general question and I want opinions and person experience. I feel like there is a ton of money to be made in scrapping and money being thrown out the window by the public. I accessed this from doing a couple hours of research although I could be wrong. I know with anything hard work and determination always pays off but while im in college I think scrapping may be more lucrative then retail. Thanks.

What did your employer do with e-waste? Might be an opportunity there for you.

As for how much one can make....it varies widely. Some make a few hundred a month. Some make 10 grand a month.

Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

What did your employer do with e-waste? Might be an opportunity there for you.

As for how much one can make....it varies widely. Some make a few hundred a month. Some make 10 grand a month.

Hi the computer store I worked at actually went out of business. Thats why I was laid off. They threw tons of old computers away but I never thought of scrapping them until recently. If I could make a couple hundred a week while im in school I would be happy.

Scraping is a great way of providing yourself a nice income,But you have to be ready to work,not be afraid of getting dirty,be determind to suceed,and take rejection good.There is a company that calls themselfs collage hunks hauling junk,they have a nice bunch of franchises all across the U S A they have done and continue to grow and do millions a year.That concept would do very well in the scrap metal removal business.If i were just starting up i would first get some business cards,and some shirts,and hats printed with your companys name imprinted on them.To start getting scrap i would go out and stop in the local business that produce scrap metal on a ongoing basis,the body shops always have tin and look for some one to come on a regular basis,not here today and not here tomarrow,after a few times of them seeing you they just might give you a shot,,I personly have quite a few body shops we remove ther tin for free but i pay them for there rims,aluminum hoods,car batteries, and what ever elese has a good scrap value.Ther are many different kinds of business that have a steady flow of scrap a/c companys,plumers,electrians you get the idea.I belive that if you have a couple of steady pick ups in stead of chasing bulk days and diving in trash cans you will make a full time income while going thru school.

If you have to ask....

Originally Posted by college

Hi I was recently laid off of a computer repair job and have been looking for work. I have had a couple interviews for various retail jobs with all of them saying I would most likely be getting paid 9-10 dollars an hour with about 15 to 20 hours a week for the first 2 to 6 months if I get hired. So far I have not had any second interviews which is disappointing. I am in college working towards 2 degrees and my hw is easy and I have a lot of free time.

My question is would I make more money learning scrapping then working at a retail job with random hours? This is a general question and I want opinions and person experience. I feel like there is a ton of money to be made in scrapping and money being thrown out the window by the public. I accessed this from doing a couple hours of research although I could be wrong. I know with anything hard work and determination always pays off but while im in college I think scrapping may be more lucrative then retail. Thanks.

If you start scrapping you may never go back to college. This is a trade you can work with out having a diploma and get very rich.

Originally Posted by 1956

Scraping is a great way of providing yourself a nice income,But you have to be ready to work,not be afraid of getting dirty,be determind to suceed,and take rejection good.There is a company that calls themselfs collage hunks hauling junk,they have a nice bunch of franchises all across the U S A they have done and continue to grow and do millions a year.That concept would do very well in the scrap metal removal business.If i were just starting up i would first get some business cards,and some shirts,and hats printed with your companys name imprinted on them.To start getting scrap i would go out and stop in the local business that produce scrap metal on a ongoing basis,the body shops always have tin and look for some one to come on a regular basis,not here today and not here tomarrow,after a few times of them seeing you they just might give you a shot,,I personly have quite a few body shops we remove ther tin for free but i pay them for there rims,aluminum hoods,car batteries, and what ever elese has a good scrap value.Ther are many different kinds of business that have a steady flow of scrap a/c companys,plumers,electrians you get the idea.I belive that if you have a couple of steady pick ups in stead of chasing bulk days and diving in trash cans you will make a full time income while going thru school.

That sounds awesome! I am always up for a challenge and I want to learn all aspects of scrapping. Thank you for your ideas.

Originally Posted by gustavus

If you start scrapping you may never go back to college. This a trade you can work with out a diploma and get very rich.

Indeed, I am a TOTAL nub but reading these forums people are getting silver and gold from a lot of different things. There is a wealth of knowledge here and I am surprised I haven't heard more about scrapping on tv or elsewhere in a positive light. I only hear of people being arrested for stealing copper with the name "scrapper" on tv a lot recently. Maybe scrapping is a little secret nobody wants other people to find out about.

Originally Posted by Mick

The income is very sporadic with long dry spells, especially in the beginning. But if you can budget and not just spend as it comes in, you'll do well.

I can imagine. I am wondering if its better if you have access to high population citys? Here in Sacramento CA we have a lot of smaller semi hi pop citys very close outside of Sacramento.

Originally Posted by freonjoe

Do you have a pick-up, minivan or car? Do you have an area you can tear stuff down and store it? With your background, escrap sounds like a natural fit.

I have a dodge caliber which is not ideal and have actually been looking for a truck. I have a place to tear down and store but not large quantity's. These are very good things to think about and problems to overcome.

Originally Posted by college

Hi the computer store I worked at actually went out of business. Thats why I was laid off. They threw tons of old computers away but I never thought of scrapping them until recently. If I could make a couple hundred a week while im in school I would be happy.

Your boss may as well have opened a briefcase and dumped cash into the dumpster. That's pretty much what happened there.

As for the media, if they can portray "scrappers" in a bad light, they will. Unfortunately they don't have to look far for a person engaging in questionable and/or illegal behavior. Read as much as you can here on the forum and keep things on the up and up and soon you will be bringing in some $$.

Hey College, First of all welcome to the forum. I would say that it is best if you are in/near a larger city. You will have a better chance of finding an e-waste buyer local to you and there will more places to get scrap. That's just my .02.

Another possible source for scrap is to find out what your school does with surplus equipment. My school is a state school, so the they have to sell anything usable that they get rid of in an auction type setup, I've made some nice returns for my work/investments already this way. Talk to the IT people and find out where their stuff goes, at the very least you might be able to find where to sell stuff that way, at best, you find sources for scrap. :-D

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

I think you have some very good contacts going if your still going to college. Read this link, get the cards then start networking with family and friends and people at the college. Pretty soon the scrap will start coming. The college kids are always building/rebuilding and repairing computers and laptops.
Lot of parts going thru a college if they have a computer course. There's your money and we have the buyers.

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...ess-cards.html

Scrap Buyers & Sellers

Yes I didnt even think of utilizing my college. About 30 to 35 thousand students attend my college and almost everyclass room has computers. Most of them are old so im guessing they probably have tons of scrap. Thank you for the link I will read all of it!