Almost everything I buy comes from a dumpster. I think.

[cyberdan]

I am a cell phone recycler, among other things. About every other week I buy trashed cell phones from this guy. I get from 300 to 500 at a time and they are trashed. I want to share a pic of two phones that I bought two days ago. They are the MOST TRASHED phones I have ever bought.

But I don't care at all. They all have gold in them no matter how bad they look. I will buy any phone for 50¢ latest count is 38,207 and I estimate I have saved $44,584 worth gold from the dump.

The guy I buy from speaks very little English. But from the bits and pieces I have picked up he buys them from others that dive the cell phone stores dumpsters after hours. Some are caked in mud and some are even shot (the phones, not the divers) but I have not seen a cell I won't try to buy. At yard sales I offer the same but I have been known to go up a dollar or two if it is an iPhone.

 

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[aa battery]

oh yes i see you not from this area i sell you phones cheap.

 

[cyberdan]

oh yes i see you not from this area i sell you phones cheap.

how cheap? you do not say where you are in your bio. I am betting on NoCA? CentralCA?

If you have a lot (20lbs or more) I know a place in Florida that will buy all and pick up the Fed-x charge.
I used to sell to him till I found a local recycler that paid more but i had to drive 20 miles and get check right away.

 

[kingskid1611]

Huh, who knew. I have sacks of old cell phones that have been thrown away. I was using a recycle website for awhile but then they wanted to charge me to send them in so I quit. I still have lots of old phones. I almost tossed them several weeks ago. Which ones have the most gold? Anyway guess I had better try to sell my cells again....

 

[cyberdan]

I still have lots of old phones. I almost tossed them several weeks ago. Which ones have the most gold? Anyway guess I had better try to sell my cells again....

If you are going to toss them send them my way. More than 20 lbs, send them to my FL recycler and he picks up Fed-x. Less than that I will buy at 50¢ each. (I am always hustling for phones. I have 782 right now. I won't think about a trip to my local buyer till I hit about 1200)

I believe the older phones have more gold, but i sell them by the pound to my local recycler. so the bigger clunky ones make me more ¢¢ each.

All the real old "brick" type phones get saved and sold on feeBay to collectors. I still have not gotten a real brick yet, but close.

I do have two real car phones. (the big metal box goes in the trunk and what looks like a house phone bolts under your dashboard.) and yes I paid 50¢ each.

 

[Picasimus]

Dan, do you sell the cell phones whole?

 

[cyberdan]

Dan, do you sell the cell phones whole?

Yes, to my local recycler. or I pull the greenboards and sell on feeBay, but that tends to be too much work. I have also tried to sell bulk phones on ebay for recycling and after all the work and fees I only make a little extra profit.

I do pull all batteries (I get $1.50 lb) and SIM cards (I get $12.50 for 100)

 

[Picasimus]

I ship out thousands of pounds of circuit boards, etc. every few months, including batteries($0.85 a pound), and cellphone boards($9.25 a pound). So........ whom is your buyer?? what else do they buy?

 

[cyberdan]

I ship out thousands of pounds of circuit boards, etc. every few months, including batteries($0.85 a pound), and cellphone boards($9.25 a pound). So........ whom is your buyer?? what else do they buy?

do you want to ship it off to FL or take a drive down to SoCA?
The guy in FL might pick up the freight. Can you pack in a gaylord?