Scrap question

[beervestor]

Where does everyone get all the various scrapping items to turn in? Do you guys drive around and look for stuff? go to garage sales and try and get em cheap? Just curious cuz this looks fun but i have nothing to scrap lol

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[Austin Powers]

I drive around and pick up discarded items. If it's in a front yard I ask permission. If it's a car battery or microwave oven I suggest these are dangerous with kids or loonies around
because of strong acids/lead poisoning and radiation leakage/high voltage hazard respectively. I sometimes show a picture of a disfigured face (of a dead person).
If it's a fridge I suggest poisonous gases or liquids are being released. These half truths usually prompt a "yeah take it - quickly".
And so it goes.

[Frank1960]

also check your free section of craigslist if you have one in your area but yep drive around the day before garbage pickup. If there are houses backed up to the road check backyards as you drive by for washers and such sitting there and then go ask. You have a 50/50 shot at a yes. I offer to haul the stuff for free. Rremember though for fridge and A/C's that they have freon and it has to be removed. And there is a hefty fine for just releasing it into the air. The scrap yards charge if you bring one with freon in it. Maybe see if you can get a appliance store or repair shop to remove freon for a smaller fee or if you get lucky for free and then they can reuse it.

[DemonWolfe]

If there are any old farms or rivers close to you look around for old trash pits. You should probably ask permission if its on a old farm but trash pits at the river are fair game as far as I see it. Also if you have any old oil wells around you alot of guys would be happy to have someone come and pick up the old junk that has piled up over the years. Just remember to ask permission first because if you don't oil companies can be like the railroad and charge you with stealing new parts and equipment even if its old and unusable.

[brucebob]

I was given one of those home gyms for free and after about 6 months I didn't want it anymore. I ended up getting like $30 from the scrap yard.

[TJ2662]

Yup if it's metal and on the curb, go for it... Also if your community has a "clean up" week, where big items are allowed, be prepared to start hauling in tons of metal.

TJ

[cyberdan]

yardsales only on metals and a few cell phones.
I get my biggest amout of cells from two guys. One just "finds" them (these are bad broken and some caked with mud so I know they are not hot) the other has a swapmeet cellphone store his rejects are also in the same condition. Just bought my 5350th phone last weekend. (it took 2 years to get that many) and 330 are on their way to Florida as I type.

[Austin Powers]

Cyber,
what do you pay for dead phones and how much do you get ?
Do you process the phones in any way before despatch ?

[zola84]

I go to garage sales when I get an opportunity. Sometimes I by broken stuff, electronics, sometimes I buy straight gold.

[cyberdan]

what do you pay for dead phones and how much do you get ?

I go to yardsales and sometimes they just say "keep em" but most of the time I pay 25¢ for one OR $1 for 3 OR on larger qty 50¢ each. On newer phones that they say still works I try to pay as low as $1

I sell all my phones to a guy in FL and he pays fed-x to pick up. He pays $6 lb BUT if the phone looks good and works he has buyers for these and he pays extra. My last shipment I was expecting just over $400 but his check was $630. I guess a lot of my phones were good.

I also have two swapmeet phone sellers. they toss are the junk ones in a box and when it gets full I come and pick up at 50¢ each.

Cyber,
Do you process the phones in any way before despatch ?

On the obvious runied ones I pull the back panel. Jack does not pay for the battery doors. On any that look good I leave the door. I always pull all batteries. I have another source that pays $1.75 lb for LiIon batteries.

My contact is (PM me) in FL.

[centfladigger]

I am currently sitting on approx 77lbs of copper I have found in vacant houses I clean out. I had 2 houses from last year that was used as a "stash " house I guess for the local thieving kids in the nieghborhood. These were piles of the copper tubing and lines .The banks dont want it, everything in the houses go, either to be thrown out or kept by us. I also find ALOT of extension cords and good quality jumper cables. I bought , as a gift, an old 1950`s welder for $50 from a guy and the cables alone were at least 15lbs of copper.
I also have kicked out numerous squatters who stay in the houses to strip them. Got 1 to do tomorrow, should be fun