Selling/Buying scraps during Covid-19 pandemic

The virus has not affected my business plan or lifestyle, although low prices encouraged stockpiling for a better day. Instead of buying metal, I work on a percentage of hauled loads based on a land/lease format. Reinvesting profits early on allows me to use of propane and liquid oxygen to cut metal and leave it sitting in the fields. When prices return I will be hauling non stop.

Safety strategies to avoid the virus include fire prevention (I do not want to deal with the fire department), safety glasses (no need to see an optometrist), and common sense to avoid trips to the emergency room. Social distancing is natural for this lifestyle and location. My social life revolves around buying groceries and visiting the local library. Businesses that require a mask must have a lot of cases so I avoid them.

I've done mostly ewaste in the past and have been getting back into non-ferrous over the last couple of years. The pandemic hasn't affected my pick ups but there isn't much material as of late.

I've run into shipping problems this year. That's mostly due to the fact that carriers like UPS, FEDEX, and the postal service have been overwhelmed with on line orders because of the pandemic. Had to go to an alternate shipper and that nearly doubled my shipping costs.

The pandemic has also caused a lot of the weaker businesses to go belly up. I shipped out to one of the buyers that i've done business with in the past about five weeks ago. A red flag probably should have gone up when he had me send the package to his home address instead of his regular place of business. The package was received at his home over a month ago but still no word yet on a settlement amount. I later checked the BBB in his area for any complaints and they have his business as being closed. Another one bites the dust ?

It's not all doom and gloom though. Real estate has been selling like hotcakes here this year. I got a nice little percentage of a sale as a gratuity / gift for using my tech skills to smooth out a real estate transaction and insure that it went through to completion. Got a nice little pay bump and better hours on my day job. Overall, were doing much better this year than last year.

On the mask thing: We don't wear masks at the business where i work because it's mostly open air. Social distancing seem to be good enough to suit the purpose. I work with upwards of a hundred people a day and there haven't been any problems yet.

It may be a little different this winter when all of our buildings are closed up to keep out the cold. The standing rule for my wife and i this year has been to always been to wear a mask when we go into an indoor public place.

Not sure, but i think it's the law here. Regardless of all that legal foolishness ... it just seems like common courtesy and respect to others during a global pandemic. I don't see the harm if it helps set someone else's mind at ease. Most of these people are my friends and neighbors. My attitude is whatever suits your comfort level is fine with me. I'll try to abide by your rules when i'm in your place of business.

A requirement for full on hazmat gear might be a bit extreme .... but a mask isn't a big deal.

This is added to explain why the pandemic has not impacted my business or lifestyle.

Two strategies for dealing with the coronavirus are highlighted everyday by our society. One is more controversial than the other, wearing a mask and social distancing. In this part of the country social distancing is natural and part of our life style. Therefore a mask is a lower priority. Urban areas do not enjoy the luxury of space so a mask becomes a priority.

If I am working with at-risk individuals in a confined space I will wear a mask, but if I am working outside it does not make sense. I do not think the deer, horses, or cattle are at risk nor able to share the virus with me.

I appreciate the federal governments position that states have the right to implement their own strategy and also support my states position that it is up to local governments to develop their own strategies. We are in a hot zone and people are taking the necessary steps to protect each other without government mandates. A final note and only based on personal observation: If the federal government, the county commission, or the city council mandated masks only 10% of the population would honor it. On the other hand, if they recommended it as a precaution 95% would be on board. To put this in perspective, I live 55 mi. from the closest stop light and interact with others about three times a week. Why would the virus impact my lifestyle? Heading to Denver this weekend with a different strategy.

Originally Posted by wildliferacer

Are you still selling/buying scraps even its pandemic? What scrap do you mostly sell/buy?

What pandemic? If this is a pandemic, what will the world do when there is a REAL pandemic?

I still do what I have done for decades, buying/selling transmissions/transfer cases and their parts. The "recommendation" (dictatorial order) here (not law since the legislature did not pass it) is causing some problems getting into wrecking yards (no one except employees is allowed in the yards), but most yards are ignoring that mandate. Not a big deal since I have been dealing with them for decades.

Masks are too **** dangerous to wear and TOTALLY useless, so I do not and will not wear one, which does mean there are places that I cannot go. But again, no big deal, as all it means is that I take my business elsewhere.

The biggest problem I have is that all of the libraries are closed to everyone. I usually need library services of some kind at least once per week, but now that is not an option. Now I use other locations to meet those needs which, of course, require payment for services I was getting at or near "free" at the dozens of libraries that used to be available to me.