High volume scrapping

Does anyone do anything high volume stuff? Specifically, I've been on the Gov Liquidation websites and notice lots of scrap stuff, like shell casings and aircraft wings. Usually, these lots involve 10's of thousands of pounds and bidding usually starts at $150 per lot. I'm sure the big scrap yards watch these, but i would be curious as to the in-outs of that side of the business if anyone is involved in it. Personally, I just bought 400 dehumidifiers from this site (as mentioned on previous post), which I'm going to fix and sell the good ones and scrap the others (copper/aluminum coils, fan motor, compressor, steel shell). But when I go to the base I see the tons of metal there and wonder how to get involved with buying it. Any insights?

All the lots I've watched on Gov Liquidation sold for more than I could have scrapped it for.

You can bid on this stuff just like you did the dehumidifiers, but watch for the Statements like Kris Kringle wrote. Call your yard and ask if they will submit a Certificate of Destruction and call the contact at the GOV Liquidation site and ask if they'll accept the Certificate. The yard will fax it directly to the contact when they receive the shell casings, etc. Plan on going directly to the yard from the pickup site with no side trip to your residence, but you might clarify this point with the GL contact. Also, read the GL directive BEFORE bidding. I seem to remember something about a background check and checking identity when you go to pickup (it's been a couple years, so I forget the details). I watched several sales of ammo brass and decided the profit margin was nonexistent or too slim. If I remember, you didn't need a Certificate of Destruction for anything less than .50 Cal.

I have watched these sites for several years. I have bought a few cars and trucks in past years but it is getting difficult with joe wannabe down the street buying scrap cars and pickups for $500 +I have also bought some tires. and several palets of computer scrap over the years, that computer scrap set in my barn for years, that is what Im scrapping now. the big boys get the good stuff. i saw a load of water meaters the other day with a bid of $17,000, just a scosh outa my league. :)with the economy the way it is there are litterally thousands of noobs getting into scrap every day, it will get tough, but ya just got to work a little harder and a whole lot smarter. the days of cherry picking scrap piles are about over I think.

Wow? Being a new member, I'm just now reading and catching up on some old posts here. Never know if/how one might pick up on some good (albeit dated) advice, tidbits, or even contacts). I deal specifically with dehumidifiers, so your original post regarding your winning bid on 400 of these beasts intrigued me!! Mind me asking if and how long it took you to sell them all? I'm sure you've sold or scrapped these a long time ago but have any left that you'd consider selling?

The key to the gov surplus lots is product knowledge..........I normally buy mixed lots of computers and electronics and do ok...........I refurbish/re-sale/re-use what I can then scrap the rest...........With scrap prices the way they are I don't think one could scrap these lots and come out ahead but by selling a few items then scrapping the rest the numbers usually work out in my favor

I live just outside of Atlanta and that is a major issue. There's lots of large corporate recycling companies around here. It prevents us home scrappers from getting the good stuff to scrap. we just pick through what no one wants or what's left. Pick through the scraps, literally. But what makes your case for a job is how professional you are, and how fast you are. If you offer extra services for them, (or treat them well instead of just showing up, loading up, and leaving) they will probably call you back before any of these major corporations because those guys are simply in it for the money and advertising.

Everything which is widely klnown and readily accessible will likely attract idiots that have no colue that will bid it through the roof making you ZERO profit.
You need to find your own sources and niches nobody else has discovered yet.
Or if you get into it with some established plac es, offer them added value the other guys don't offer.
Biggest issue I hear most places have is that their scrappers are not reliable.
I went through the same.
I made all my $$ from above scrap value items.
Gave my scrap to 5-6 diff. scrappers over time in exchange for some trade value.
They would have made out like a bandit.
But they were never reliable.
Left stuff outside for them more often than I can remember and the **** is still out there Monday morning after the weekends.
My neighbors got (rightfully) pissed, so eventually I started taking in my own scrap.
Funny thing is, these idiots by now would make $1,000 a week clear, between the scrap value and what I would buy from them on top of the tr4aded in stuff.
Yet I still see them run around town picking up crumbs here and there.
JMHO
Martin