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ALMOST made a big mistake

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  1. #1
    Mick started this thread.
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    ALMOST made a big mistake

    Went around one of my auto shop routes buying today. Hasn't been much activity for the past couple of months and business has been way off. First place I went today, he'd been having a good buildup of business and had a catalytic converter he wanted to sell. He said it was off a Ford pickup 6 cylinder so I looked it over. No Ford markings; no aftermarket markings; one tube ("Cigar") and about 12-15" long. Conclusion - Small Domestic. I've had a few like it before. As for pricing - I knew what I'd gotten for them but that had been about a year ago. Metal prices in general and precious metal prices have gone up since then, but there has been a sharp down turn in the stock market (metal prices tend to follow the stock market) and in base metals. I decided I'd offer the same as in the past and hope for the best (I usually call the cat buyer at the scrap yard as I'm negotiating). Added factor in pricing is that this shop is 50 miles from the scrap yard. I pay half of what I expect to get. Most recent similar cats went for $40 at the yard. I offered him $20. He said he'd think about it and we'd talk it over when I came back next week. Then he'll have a bunch more batteries and brake rotors, too.



    Got home and finished the "paperwork" (computerwork?). On a whim, I called that cat buyer and described the cat. He said he suspected it would be classified as Small Domestic and he'd pay --- $25.

    He should have taken me up on the $20. The price just went down - considerably.
    Last edited by Mick; 02-24-2011 at 12:16 PM.
    People may laugh at me, but that's ok. I laugh all the way to the bank.

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  3. #2
    Instaed's Avatar
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    That's a good habit to get into Mick. I need to call my guy and start figuring out how to buy cats.

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    Mick, if you get you a boatload of them things saved up I can set you up with a core buyer from our area that will probably be going up your direction on occasion and will pay you loads better than that. Buying converters will be your main business at that point! The big guys here travel all over the US to buy core stuff. Friend works for one of the larger companies, they are sending 3 trucks to Florida tomorrow to buy cores (they buy big rig core parts also).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Focker View Post
    Man whoever you sale to dont pay squat lol.
    Grammar is a lost art I see! More and more each day here.
    Scrapping don't make it right to be wrong!

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  7. #5
    Mick started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigblue12v View Post
    X2 My thoughts exactly!

    Mick, if you get you a boatload of them things saved up I can set you up with a core buyer from our area that will probably be going up your direction on occasion and will pay you loads better than that. Buying converters will be your main business at that point! The big guys here travel all over the US to buy core stuff. Friend works for one of the larger companies, they are sending 3 trucks to Florida tomorrow to buy cores (they buy big rig core parts also).
    Appreciate it. I don't get a lot at any one time. I was saving them up when the prices were down. I may just start saving up again and take you up on that. I hadn't really gone after cats, but buy them when they "present themselves". Every so often I run across someone trying to sell one or two. The competition was buying for more than I could sell them for and I never was able to figure out their/his market. This could change things. Can you get me a "Price Sheet/List"?

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    Absolutely. PM me with your Email and I'll send it to you. I think it'll be too long to send in a PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigblue12v View Post
    X2 My thoughts exactly!

    Mick, if you get you a boatload of them things saved up I can set you up with a core buyer from our area that will probably be going up your direction on occasion and will pay you loads better than that. Buying converters will be your main business at that point! The big guys here travel all over the US to buy core stuff. Friend works for one of the larger companies, they are sending 3 trucks to Florida tomorrow to buy cores (they buy big rig core parts also).
    See Blue that's where you are messing up.You need to have him save them then you buy them and sale them to the core place yourself.Not give the core place more business where you aren't getting anything.

  10. #8
    Mick started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Focker View Post
    See Blue that's where you are messing up.You need to have him save them then you buy them and sale them to the core place yourself.Not give the core place more business where you aren't getting anything.
    I doubt that would work in this case. Bigblue is in Indiana and I'm in Maine. Besides, isn't that what this forum is all about?

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  12. #9
    Mick started this thread.
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    I'd prefer to think that we're all here to help each other. Not sure what "the point" is.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mick View Post
    I'd prefer to think that we're all here to help each other. Not sure what "the point" is.
    Focker has just been banned. Yes, we should all be here to help each other.

    Carry on.

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  15. #11
    Mick started this thread.
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    This was supposed to just be a "fun" thread, kind of poking fun at myself and if it helped anyone, that was good, too. I feel bad that it resulted in a member "picking" on another and wind up getting banned, but he brought it on himself. There were a couple posts that got deleted (and just as well) so one of my replies might not make a whole lot of sense. Thanks to the admin/mods for keeping things on keel.

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