Jumper cables cell phones and computer towers from yard sales

[Bassmaster96]

I have already ran a thread in the scrap metal forum and got nothing so I figured I would try here. I know people buy these things for scrap at yardsales. My question is, how much can I safely spend on these to turn a profit. Copper is about $2.50 right now for me. Below are a list and what I would pay right now. Let me know if I need to adjust any prices.

Jumper cables=50 cents?
Cell phones=50 cents
Computer towers=$5 or less, if make an offer, probably $1 or $2

 

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[Gold Maven]

On an episode of the TV show "Meltdown", a guy had 1,000 cell phones he scrapped, and got about $1400 dollars.

So there is about $1.40 worth of precious metals in your average phone.

 

[Bassmaster96]

I plan on selling them for $5 a pound. The way I came up with 50 cents each is I weighed one without a battery and I found that they weigh about .2 to .25 pounds each. I figured around a dollar or so each sales, so doubling my money. That is an interesting figure by the way, I appreciate your reply.

 

[clovis97]

The best way to figure scrap on jumper cables is to weigh them, and do the math. The big problem is that there are so many grades and qualities of jumpers that it will be hard to know exactly.

Some yards want the spring clips cut from the cables. My local SY doesn't care, and pays all the same for #2 insulated.

If you are getting $2.50 a pound for copper, that must be for #1 Bare Bright.

Are you stripping the cables?

 

[Bassmaster96]

Well, the price of $2.50 is for #2. #1 is $2.60. Normally it is a bigger difference and #2 is about $2.65 or so, but it is down right now. I may strip some of the cables. My scrap yard at the moment is giving about 85 cents a pound for insulated.

 

[diggummup]

I don't see how you could go wrong at .50 for jumper cables no matter the size. Same for cell phones. I think $5 may be the top price for towers to pay for scrap as long as they have all the "guts". I assume you already know about the old Pentium Pro cpu's and what they are worth?

 

[jerseyben]

Try to grab jumper cables for 1 dollar or less. Try to grab towers for $5 or less. I know Dan pays 25 cents to 50 cents each for cell phones. PM him for more info.

 

[mjlalt]

Are you guys scrapping or selling the hard drives?

 

[cyberdan]

I know people buy these things for scrap at yardsales. My question is, how much can I safely spend on these to turn a profit.

Jumper cables=50 cents?
Cell phones=50 cents
Computer towers=$5 or less, if make an offer, probably $1 or $2

I have only bought jumper cables once, nice bright copper clamps. got home to tear down and checked with magnet. clamps were steele and wire was AL. I have to look closer next time.

yes cell phones 50¢ only. I bought 35 just this last weekend and my "supplier" called me last night, more than 400.

When gold was higher I could double my money but my main buyer had to lower his price to $4 lb. and the average phone is 3oz. so that is 75¢. just have to do volumn.

here are some other things I have started looking for and the price I want to pay

kindle eReaders $1.00
Ipods & MP3/MP4 Music Players .25¢
GPS .50¢

My buyer say they have value but I have not sold any to him yet. I want to fill a box and see the results.

Now on computers I try to get away with towers at $1.50 that works most of the time. On laptops I offer $1.00 if they complain I tell them they are very hard to recycle because everything is so small and tight. I think I have at least 10 laptops to tear down ring now.

 

[Bassmaster96]

I do know about the pentiums, I wish I could find those. I am waiting to buy the right tools to do a hard drive and then I will tear them down. Okay, I will try $1 for laptops and $1.50 for computers. I'll keep all of those other things in mind, I appreciate everyone that has commented.

 

[Ursus]

I don't see how you could go wrong at .50 for jumper cables no matter the size. Same for cell phones. I think $5 may be the top price for towers to pay for scrap as long as they have all the "guts". I assume you already know about the old Pentium Pro cpu's and what they are worth?

What's the deal with Pentium Pros?

 

[jerseyben]

here are some other things I have started looking for and the price I want to pay kindle eReaders $1.00 Ipods & MP3/MP4 Music Players .25¢ GPS .50¢ My buyer say they have value but I have not sold any to him yet. I want to fill a box and see the results.

Dan,

Those items have value way above scrap, even broken.

-Kindle - used, working with minor condition problems - $30
-Older ipods (2nd Gen, etc) - Most working models should be in the $20-$40 range
-Older GPS, most older working name brand models should be in the $15-25 range

There is a strong market on ebay for broken electronics. Sell them CLEARLY for parts or repair only. Make no claims that anything works and describe the condition conservatively. I have sold 2 broken ipods for $20 each (free shipping)! I sold a broken Nintendo DS for $15.

 

[Bassmaster96]

I'll keep that in mind on the electronics.

What's the deal with Pentium Pros

They have a lot more gold in them than other cpus.

 

[cyberdan]

Those items have value way above scrap, even broken.

-Kindle - used, working with minor condition problems - $30

There is a strong market on ebay for broken electronics. Sell them CLEARLY for parts or repair only. Make no claims that anything works and describe the condition conservatively.

do you think these have minor condition problems. They are frozen and no battery life to try and check them out. Those plus other on the bay right now.

 

[diggummup]

What's the deal with Pentium Pros?

They have a lot more gold in them than other cpus.

Yeah, they're worth $20-$25 each as scrap. pentium pro | eBay

 

[mjlalt]

You don't see too many Pentium Pros . They were expensive and usually in high end workstations/ servers. Plus I don't think they produced them for very long.

 

[Bassmaster96]

What about power strips. Do you guys buy them? If so how much?

 

[Bassmaster96]

Does anyone do cordless phones? If so how much do you pay?

 

[cyberdan]

Does anyone do cordless phones? If so how much do you pay?

My cell buyer will not buy these. and i do not pay for them. at yardsales i ask about cells and at times they pickup the cordless. I tell them sorry but can't offer anything they have such little resale value as cells. sometimes they just give me the phones. once got a box full. I tear these apart for the greenboards. a lot of gold will show and i put on ebay for gold recovery.

 

[Bassmaster96]

Okay, I paid a quarter for one as a test. The board looks pretty good, but I'm not sure if it will make any premium. What do you do on dvd players and small personal printers? I have noticed a lot of these at sales. Also, what do you do about cell phone batteries? I have a place that will buy them, but I can't mail them. Any suggestions?