I recieved a call this morning from a woman asking if I picked up scrap metal for FREE? Of course I told her yes, and asked what she had? She told me she worked for a plumbing co. & they had 3 trash cans full of copper & brass. Without any hesitation I told her I was on the way! Right before I arrived to her business, my cell phone rang..... It was the woman on the other end????????? She wanted to know now if I paid for scrap---- I told her I was pulling up front of her business & that I would need to take a look at it first.
The owner happen to be standing next to the 3 trash cans full of treasure! I introduced myself and asked him what kind of money he was expecting. He told me I was the pro and that he wasn't going to bid against himself. ( Just for the record, I have never had to purchase a load of scrap yet)....... I have only been doing this for a year, but I do have a nice steady supply of scrap coming in. I tried to explain to him that I had know idea on a price offer without weighing it or sorting it out first. I then called my yard in front of him, " SPEAKER PHONE ON " to get current prices. The yard said todays copper price $3.00 - $3.10 Brass- .33 dirty - $1.50 clean.
From what I could see, everything looked like it needed to be seperated and cleaned. The owner looked at me and said he would need $1500.00 cash and that at that price I would still be getting in his back pocket. I asked him as nice as I could if he would sell me a sample pile of it for $100.00 because I wanted to take it back to my shop for my partner to see it before I agreed to his terms. He didn't like that! He told me it was $1500.00 final and if I didn't want it he would just take it in himself.
I have been curious all day why he even bothered to call me to buy his metals in the first place? Why wouldn't he just take it in himself? I don't think the stuff was stolen. He had a nice professional building ,vans, equipement with business name and number. So I don't understand ?
How would any of you handeled this situation? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks........
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