How do I know when to cash in my cans?

[ScrapTitan]

Hello everyone! I've started collecting aluminum cans so that I can sell them at a recycling center. The best price I could find is $0.50 per pound. There is only one thing that's bothering me. I have no idea when I should cash them in. People claim that it's impossible to weigh them yourself because you need a special scale. Which means that I can't say "I have [x] amount of pounds so I should get [x] amount of money". So when do I know when I have enough to get a good amount of money?

[pjost]

Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale. Grab your can bags and weigh yourself again. Repeat as nesesary.
I take my cans in when they become a pita cuz they are taking up too much space. Then go buy more beer with the can money.

[HonestScrap]

People claim that it's impossible to weigh them yourself because you need a special scale.

Not so. Even if you use a bathroom scale you will get a close estimate.

when do I know when I have enough to get a good amount of money?

That is up to you. At 0.50 per pound, 100# = $50.00 Do the math....

[ScrapTitan]

That is up to you. At 0.50 per pound, 100# = $50.00 Do the math....

LOL. I know what the math is but I wrote that when I assumed that everyone was anti-bathroom scale.

Not so. Even if you use a bathroom scale you will get a close estimate.

Are you sure? The person I talked to about weighing cans was very adamant that the best scales are the ones used at the centers and that anything else is going to give me false estimates.

[pjost]

I checked with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Weights and Measures Division, they said a bathroom scale was fine for estimating aluminum cans.

[Metalbestos]

Maybe get yourself a produce scale old school type with the removable pan , or somthing simillar with a hook and you can just hang the full bag on there and get a exact weight .

[Tincankeith]

You could count the cans. There are several videos on youtube doing experiments on how many cans it takes to equal a pound most say 33-35 cans.
There's some more math for you.

But really a bath room scale is going to get you close enough to have an idea of what your taking in.

good luck

[hobo finds]

When using a bathroom scale make sure you weigh yourself first thing in the morning after you have used the toilet in order to get a true weight. LOL

[KzScrapper]

Whenever the fridge needs to be stocked is a good time to cash them in...

[hobo finds]

[dherik]

Might be time to load up your cans hobo finds.

[MattInTheHat]

How close of an estimate do you need so you can decide if its worth bringing in? I would hope your bathroom scale is within 10lbs of true weight.....

[jimicrk]

We use to have bathroom scales but for the last 2 years they have been used for weighing my scrap. It's within 2 or 3 pounds of being accurate which is close enough.

[Sirscrapalot]

How'd you get in my shop!

Curses. time to change the locks again.

**** Hobo(s).

Sirscrapalot - You see empty cans...I see a trip to Disney.

[Mechanic688]

So when do I know when I have enough to get a good amount of money?

This is mill price for the last year, you can see the trend. That is not what you will get at your yard.

Which means that I can't say "I have [x] amount of pounds so I should get [x] amount of money".

It doesn't matter what you say, it's what's on their scale reading that counts.

[scraphawker]

Ii use a hanging fish scale lbs. &oz you can hold it up or hang it in the garage works real well and spot on with my main yard

[Sirscrapalot]

On the bathroom scale thing...remember people will tell you lots of things. Had a yard employee by me tell me there is a troy oz of gold in EVERY computer. I kindly told him he was full of ****, he didn't like that.

Tried explaining to him, didn't work, he just got angrier. I laughed an walked off.

Life is to short.

Sirscrapalot - WHAT?! - Stone Cold Steve Austin an every audience he appears in front of.

[ScrapTitan]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to get myself a good scale and get to work.

It doesn't matter what you say

I meant that as something that I would say to myself in my head as a rough estimate. I never meant to imply that what I say goes. Should've been more clear on that.

it's what's on their scale reading that counts.

That's why I asked this question in the first place. I'm not sure how any of this works. I just didn't want to go there thinking I had a good amount of cans and then just get a few dollars. Sorry, I should've been more clear in my original post.

[Mechanic688]

That's fine, Just call the yard (or 2) and get the current price for the cans then weigh them at home for a good guess at what you'll bring home.

[pjost]

At the yard I use they pay .05 more if you have over 100lbs. Might want to check if your place has a similar program.