Young Gun beginning to scrap. HOWDY!

Hello everyone! My name is Dustin, im 25, and I have been scrapping intermediately for about five months now.

I live in Southfield, Michigan where there are a fair number of other scrappers around. One of them being my girlfriend/her family: I met my girlfriend, and helped her go on runs, and in that time we were able to get to know each other and build a healthy relationship. She herself is not into it, but after my first run I was hooked. Through going with her and talking to her mother (about a year into scrapping) I learned enough to be deadly, but I still consider myself an amateur. It is fun to drive with her and say, "Theres a nice pile of s***" and be excited about it

For a period of time I was unemployed unexpectedly, and scrapping helped float me by for about six weeks until I found another job. Unfortunately, I may be relying on scrapping to float me by once again, because I believe my job has no potential for future advancement and it does not pay enough to make the bills. Eventually I hope return to Michigan State University to receive my degree; I am financially unable to achieve my last 24 credits. I am hoping to learn from this community on how to best locate items, and how to maximize on their value - is it better to take "X" apart completely or leave it intact and sell it as is? Should I unwind the copper from computer components and sell as #1Copper, or leave intact and sell as copper motors? Should I advertise for pickups, and how? And the like.

I have been mainly looking for items on trash days (though ive learned its not the best way). Around Southfield, MI it is really a hit or miss way. I use my 2004 Buick Century to pick up items, and sell the scrap using my girlfriends van. This is the reason I want to learn to maximize on items I find now until I can afford a truck. My storage area is extremely limited: I live with my parents and they are not too tolerable to seeing things laying around.

I see the money in scrap metal, but I need help in achieving the full potential in it.

I look forward to talking with the community and, in advance, appreciate any advice you folks are willing to give.

Happy Scrapping,
Dustin White

Welcome, Dustin and thank you for that great introduction. Like Mechanic said above, read as much as you can on this forum and you'll learn more than you thought possible. Computer components are the most valuable so don't take nothing off of them until you are sure you know what your doing or you will down grade items and end up loseing money. When I first started scrapping I broke everything down till I found out what was worth braking down and what was not, this something that you will have to determen yourself, only you know what your time is worth. You can take things like copper off the low grade boards, these boards will be green on one side and brown on the other and they come from tv's. vcr's and things like that but don't take anything off other boards or like I said you will down grade the boards. The best way to get stuff is by networking, talk to every one you come in contact with about what your doing. You can also get some cheap business cards printed up and pass them out. I hope this helps a little and good luck.