Ran my areas last night 3 tvs aluminum screen door and 8 ft steel pipe 2 inch.. took 1.5 hrs looking. broke down tvs today got 2 lbs of #2 copper.. Right now i have expended 4.5 man hours and approx 6.00 in fuel.. for 7-8 dollars in scrap..
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Ran my areas last night 3 tvs aluminum screen door and 8 ft steel pipe 2 inch.. took 1.5 hrs looking. broke down tvs today got 2 lbs of #2 copper.. Right now i have expended 4.5 man hours and approx 6.00 in fuel.. for 7-8 dollars in scrap..
Some days it may not be worth it, some days it may!Quote:
Originally Posted by vern
You need to be looking smarter. Driving around burning gas and putting wear and tear on your vehicle, plus the time involved is rarely anything more than a break-even proposition.
Use your phone. Call around to businesses that generate scrap and offer to come get it. Show up on time, be professional, dress nice (at least clean with no holes and tears - I'm not talking a suit here, but you can get a nice tan/blue button-down workshirt from Wal-Mart for like $20). No cursing.
Put ads on Craigslist/Backpage/etc. Look at putting an ad in your local paper or Greensheet. For minimal cost, you can have people calling you, rather than you calling them.
Offer to pay. I wouldn't pay any more than half of scrap value though. That should still leave you enough to make some money.
Above all, read as much from here as you can stand. When you can't stand any more - sit down and keep reading. :)
I like what the others have said. I would also recommend you consider driving around other areas. Keep trying you will learn what works for you. Mike.
And don't forget to network with anyone you meet, family and friends and hand them a card, the calls will start coming.
In the summer I go around to yard sales and talk to them and hand out cards, it's a lot easier than cold calling people.
Keep at it. You will figure it out, or quit. I'm not being brash that's really the way it is.
I am going to keep at it I have a few ideas and my 16 yo son is having fun.. It is some rare father son time and I cant put a price on that.. I am going to make a few cards and approach a few business owners. I will bring them a cup of coffee hand them a card and explain what I am looking to do.. Just need to work out pricing on buying scrap so I dont burn myself..I am going to search to try and find a price guide but any ideas sure would help.. Going to storage unit managers, vacuum repair shop, smaller auto repair shops. looking to get hooked up with a plumber will see what happens I guess..
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...ess-cards.html
See if I can help a little with the escrap.
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/...8/Untitled.jpg
Check with some HVAC guys...tough to get their A/C coils but you might be able to get their furnaces. It saves them from having to haul them back to the shop if you pick them up from the job site.
Remember many people are inherently lazy, if you are willing to move/remove/clean up an area that they do not have to they are usually more than greatful for the "help" just get your name out there and be professional and the calls will come in. Go to estate sales (you would be amazed how cheap stuff goes for at those) but don't get caught up in the hype :) Be sure to introduce yourself to the auctioneer and let him know you are willing to help with unsold items or scrap areas not brought to the sale. Most older people were savers as stated before on here, most older men had the old bucket of plumbing in the basement (My dad does too LOL) look for that kind of stuff to improve the bottom line. Just my $.02 :) Good luck!
yeah i always thought riding around picking threw trash was a waste
My daughter gets enuff from trash night once a week to fill her gas tank. So $50 in one night for a 17 year old for like 2 hours work is like working 10 hours at a part time job.
Really good suggestion with the estate sales. This year I really hit the jackpot at an estate sale of a retired electrician. Got outbid for the tons of wiring by a yard owner. So I concentrated on the pallets of hardware (fixtures, conduits etc). I was getting pallets of cast aluminum stuff for $2/pallet. Bought as much as the 3/4 ton would hold. One of the rare times I was WAYYY overloaded.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironhunter
You really need to work smarter not harder. To blindly drive through a neighborhood on trash night and thinking you are going to make some money is usually a loser.
For example, in my area the people that scrap go through from about 11am until dark. Even if there are only 2 other people going through, it's certainly NOT going to be profitable for me to go through. You will find very little or even worse, end up 10 mins behind someone and find nothing.
This evening, I went through at 10pm. It took me 25 mins. I found: 2 vacuums, 1 dehumidifier, 4 patio chairs, 1 hot water heater, 1 metal chair, 1 really odd lamp (going to keep or sell), 2 microwaves, and 1 weed eater.
I often get similar results if I go out after I get the kids up for school just before trash is picked up.
You really need to learn your area and figure out why you are not finding anything. There is a reason. In my area, it's a little more of a high end neighborhood. People don't like to set out piles of trash for all their neighbors to see as they drive home. While some stuff goes out through the day, the big and bulk stuff often goes out after dark or in the morning.
Always have your eyes open. Amazing how much more stuff you get when your not actually out looking for scrap. Diversify too. There's not just money in the metal.. The money to be made off of selling kids toys that people put out that cost near a hundred in the store's sell in a hurry on CL. Might just take a a little fixing. Ever priced them plastic tonka toys. Its halloween time, means lots of straw bales for decor most end up at curb. Its fall and the garden is done grab the ones that didn't get waterlogged and cover em with a tarp and CL add in the spring for those redoing lawns etc easy 2.00 each. I sold out at my garage sale. Find a niche I have others i did not share. Furniture can pay off if you know what your looking for as well.
Put ad on cl for vcrs just trying the water. My son ripped apart one last night and got. Cord, aluminum, brass, copper, didnt know about copper coils under aluminum laser wheel. the kid is unwrapping coils as he watches tv..
Also scored tonight yupp halloween. one steel chair, aluminum table legs, two vacuums, grill from 1930 white auto company bus (possible ebay item), rather large tv..
wife even got in on the game she saw the steel chair and said turn around and get it.
need to learn how to post photos that is a project for next week.
For when your ready;
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/smf-s...rum-video.html
Self employed handy man's and maintenance guys. These guys are usually working out of their house or truck and don't have room or time to salvage. When you pickup their bucket of rusty bent nails, wires, fuses and valves and all sorts of other goodies, leave them with a fresh bucket. If you are able let them know you can do pickup at project area, beats driving around.
Scrapping requires patience and diligence. Stick with it and start branching out a little more.