Slightly confused on some of the scrapping game:

My name is Wesley, am a new member here; But have scrapped as a hobby for roughly 7 years. It has always been my own personal stuff, random broken appliances given by friends, etc...

No actual "Let me pay you $5 per appliance to scrap them for myself" type things.

Around here, scrap is scrap and 99.99% of it's FREE; IF you can get it. The "Scrappers" around here (Read: Random dudes in trucks) usually grab things as they come onto the "Market" (People posting to Craigslist, etc) that it's there to take.

I'm quite sure if I found some appliances at a persons' home/ business and said "I'll give you $5 per freezer to take them off your hands.", that they'd look at me weird, as if I had a 3rd eye or something.

Just not how things are done around here.


My questions are:

1.) Concerning pricing per appliance, etc... Would it be better to do it as "Hey, I'm buying these appliances @ a set amount per item, or?

2.) Dealing with Craigslist. I have had 0 luck with that one so far (One reason being that this place is picked pretty clean; And the second is that I've not offered money for them, due to question #1)

3.) I've posted to Craigslist, offering free cleanup services (And added a list of things I specifically am interested in Recycling) and have had no luck. any input on that?

Any ideas? I'm literally just trying to make ends meet here, and the scrap trail is ice cold.


Thanks in advance for any help.

_Wes

When I joined the forum, just a few years ago, I believe very few paid for scrap. In fact when some would bring it up others would say things like "I'll never pay for scrap I get too much for free". Well much has changed since then.

What I am getting at it may not be normal to pay for scrap where you are located but I assure you it will be sooner than you think. As I recall it was KzScrpper or perhaps another member who advertised on Craig's list that he would pay for old washers and dryers. As I recall it was a small amount and he found this made him money and would bring him more scrap in addition to the appliances.(by the way every dryer I have opened up had money inside,$20+ out of one) Perhaps he will stop by and contribute.

Many of our members get paid to pick up scrap and do clean outs. If you are not now succeeding at the level you want change some of the things you are doing.

I suggest you change your mindset a little and look at your activity as a service and get paid on both ends if you can and at the same time for quantity and quality pay for it.

Remember what you (I assume) have read here about the value of reselling appliance parts.
Best of luck, Mike

ps I know many do get much or all what they get for free I prefer to pay and know I will get something M

right now, my local yard (Only one in roughly 50+ miles) is paying $8.50-9.00 per 100lbs of Tin, and soda cans are roughly .65c per pound.

I don't have much money to play with, as for paying for scrap, to resell; So I obviously can't be paying $20 per item and get $25 back.. Good way to go broke FAST.

I do however, appreciate all the input so far. Definantly has helped open some ideas up!

I think a couple of people pay about $5. ea for appliances. Winder, do you have any "business" cards yet??

If not check this out and hand one to everyone you meet or know, that is the beginning of the networking.

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...ess-cards.html

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

I think a couple of people pay about $5. ea for appliances. Winder, do you have any "business" cards yet??[/URL]

Yeah; still trying to use up my old business cards from about 2 years ago.

they don't specifically say "Recycling" on them; But it has my name, and 2 contact #'s. I use Vistaprint, as they're the cheapest for ME. YMMV as for pricing, etc.

thanks for the link!

*I've always gotten comments on "How random it is for a young guy (I'm 25) to have business cards with his name, etc on them..."

Yet, I seem to get random calls for different stuff because of them. Best $10 I ever spent.

It was just how I and my partner started out a few years ago, printed a few up to have something to hand out.
Changed them up and added things as our "business" changed. Got my first few permanent contacts with those freebie cards. Money well spent.

I refuse to go into people's homes to get an appliance. too much chances of something going bad, and I do NOT want to be on the short end of that stick.

I could handle paying $5 per appliance; Just was wondering if that was too much/too little. Never did it before.

Again, thanks for the input!

Originally Posted by Sidewinder

I refuse to go into people's homes to get an appliance. too much chances of something going bad, and I do NOT want to be on the short end of that stick.

I could handle paying $5 per appliance; Just was wondering if that was too much/too little. Never did it before.

Again, thanks for the input!

Seems to be the "going rate" around the country based on some old conversations we've had here before.

I built my biz on offering $5 for appliances. Like 1956 said...It puts you in the drivers seat because by paying, you become the customer. Yes the $5 adds to expenses, but if you are legit you can write it off and it should bring in more volume to offset the extra expense. I also would only pay for pickups within a 5-10 mile radius but got calls outside of that from folks that didn't want the $5 but would still follow the guidelines in the add.