Horrible prices at the Scrap yard = PAIN - Page 3

you know guys this is not only an indicator of painful price drops. The fact that the prices are dropping means demand is falling. But wait, if our economy was doing as good as the establishment says it is, shouldnt production, development, and demand be up??? Might be time to turn whatever you got into silver and gold bullion, before the prices really bite you in the ass.

Originally Posted by matador

What yard in Montana is that, if you don't mind me asking.

I talked with Pacific in Billings, and shred is down to $0.03 per pound ($60/Ton)

No, I don't mind. It was Pacific - I just called last Monday. My scrapper buddy called the same day and got the same prices I did.
I love Pacific but I DID get 3 different prices on bare bright the last time I went in. That's how I met the manager.

Here in Houston, I took a load in on Wednesday and it was paying $0.065 a pound. Today I took a load in and it's down to $0.055 a pound. Just keeps dropping. Hopefully this will be the bottom. My load today was 2600# so if I had taken it in a couple days earlier! it would have paid $26 more.

Dropped off a large load of light iron today $95/ gross ton!!!. That is the lowest I've seen in the 5 years I have been doing this

I actually took a little in to Pacific in Billings, today. Dirty Aluminum is still $0.10 per pound.

Pacific does a car event every Earth Day week. The lady there said she didn't know if they'd do it or not this year. That's not a good sign!

CTscrapman, you got on board when prices were good and going up. I have been scraping metal for 29 years, when I started out you could hardly give steel away, when yards around here started buying it at $1.00/100 it was like I hit the lottery. To me the steel is leftovers after the non ferrous is recovered if I can get anything out of leftovers I'm happy. I made more money off of scrap back when steel was$5-$6/100 than I have been lately, there was a whole lot more to be had and not as much competition.

Originally Posted by junkisus

CTscrapman, you got on board when prices were good and going up. I have been scraping metal for 29 years, when I started out you could hardly give steel away, when yards around here started buying it at $1.00/100 it was like I hit the lottery. To me the steel is leftovers after the non ferrous is recovered if I can get anything out of leftovers I'm happy. I made more money off of scrap back when steel was$5-$6/100 than I have been lately, there was a whole lot more to be had and not as much competition.

Anyone that got into this business within the last ten years needs to read this and absorb it for a bit. Then they need to do a little research and check out a few historical charts. Start with copper and lead for some insight into where we are currently compared to where we came from.

It sucks down in Houston but its not as bad a some of you other guys. Today I took in 1450 #'s and it was still paying $0.055 a pound. It has held at that price for a week now. I also has some aluminum and it payed well. Extrusions paid $0.70 #, clean 6061 aluminum paid $0.60 #, and clean sheet paid $0.50 a #. So the aluminum has been the stable metal in all this. I have 2 more big load to haul out for this job and I hope it doesn't drop anymore.

Got $45.00 net ton for some water heaters on Monday. Price went up from $30

My price for shred went from 150 an m/t to 60 an m/t in the last month

I remember the first time I ever went to a scrap yard. Back in 78 me and my brother got 15 dollars for a truck load of metal. A penny a pound.

I drive past PSC metals in Nashville on my way to work every day and have noticed the piles of metal disappearing. I've never seen the yard that clean and empty before.

Originally Posted by sledge

Called my yard today.. Still sitting at $110/ton.. he told me a buyer was in yesterday and we could see another $50/ton drop.. So $60/ton.

You can count on that drop as we're already at $60 for unprepared here and $20/ton for cars. I called today and priced a grain bin. They said it goes as shred and quoted me the $20 and then he said it isn't worth hauling for that price so "we'll give you $60".
I have to torch alot of it so it's going to reward me with exercise and maybe a cup of coffee but the guy wants it cleaned up.