Can hardly give scrap metel away

Are the scrap prices so low that it's more of a hassle picking it up even if it's free?

I have a deal I'm working on that involves a old farm site that the people want the scrap metels and some other items removed.

I myself am not interested in the old cars and most of the other scrap metals as I have other things that interest me more.



On this job I'm interested in the items that are not scrap metal and a few of the parts off some small farm machinery and such.

It has taken me a few days to line up a couple of guys that will take the old cars (real scrap crap for sure) and other scrap.

The problem I had was that most of the guys that I knew of that hauled off this type of scrap and even would pay for it are out of the scrap biz for one reason or another.

But I did finally find a couple of guys that a good friend of mine knew that will take the old as the hills and look like the hills cars and some other metals that are in the woods and in a old shed.

I'm getting ready to head out as I have to be there to "supervise" the clean up. Should be able to have it finished up in a couple of days if the weather works out. Seems that the outlook is good for the next few days.

Will let you know how it turns out. Off I go on another adventure...

no its people just not wanting to work hard there used to getting stuff and expecting it to be fast money or easy or some kind of excuse like gas or time or what not. the real scrappers out there are still working and like me harder than ever because as people lazz about we are cleaning up and the money is amazing. you post it they will come

I would kill for a job like this back when I was new and scrapping hard.

Funny thing is, I have 5000+ pounds of steel stacked on a loading dock. I cleaned out everything that was non-ferrous and electronic, figured I'd leave the steel for someone that could really use the job.
I posted an ad on Craigslist, fast forward 2 weeks, steel is still there. Had 4 response, either no shows or had the nads to want to charge for a clean up ... LOL!!!! It is a FREE pile of metal, you know where I told them to stick it when they asked for a fee.
Now that I have a little free time, I called in for a dumpster and I am going to take a day to get it done myself.

People are spoiled, with prices at 5 cents if your lucky, it's to the point where you pretty much got to load it for them or they don't want it. Or pay them to pick up something they're going to go get paid for.

I know that when I was young to this business there would have been a fist fight for this pile of scrap... now ... well ... enough said.

Even at .05 a lb, that is still worth $250, so I would be jumping all over it, even right now. Although prices are around half what they use to be, I am still out there, trying to set up permanent clients for when prices do recover.

I Pm'd you Id Love to assist a fellow Minnesota room member

Would be more than great if someone from here could remove that scrap for you, good for you and good for them!

Been a long enough day for me, but I feel alive for sure.

The day went very well with 2 and a half crews. That would be the 2 brothers that were interested in the old crap cars as team one. They are old car bodies from the 30's 40's and such. Smashed, windows long gone, full of bullet holes and such. There are/were 8 and a half cars, some with engines and such that had many parts missing and such. I did grab a couple of heads and some other trim parts that might be nice for art as I don't think they are good enough for parts use. Just decorative looking metal.

The old cars were partly mixed in with old rock piles and such. The old farm dump basically. Not much for weeds and brush problems as there had been cattle free to roam the fenced in areas that had been there last year.

The old farm house burned down a few years back and that was cleaned up, BUT their is a copper lining to the old farm house story that I will get to after I talk of the old barn, shed combination. I'm told that the farmhouse that burned down was over 150 years old and the old barn building is slightly newer then the house was. It's a odd looking building as if it had been added on to a few times and changed from when it was used for horses.

Now this old barn building had collapsed from neglect, age and snow weight over the years. So it was mostly collapsed on the old things that were in it. Now the copper part of the story. The old barn has/had the heavy braided copper cables for the old lightning rods, AND the copper cables from the BIG old house that had burned down was coiled up in the old collapsed barn. I get the copper knew there was copper braid on the barn as I could see it and the old stuff from the house was a pure bonus for me.

The 2 brothers brought a backhoe, a skid loader with special tires that don't go flat and they have the trucks and trailers and such. They are very pleased with what we are finding and figured that they hauled off about 5 tons today of old cars, tin, bed springs and such. They guess that there is about 10 to 14 tons for them in all.

Now the other crew, They were working for me helping get the things I wanted and when I had the brothers move some of the collapsed walls of the barn. I discovered over 300 old vehicle license plates with the newest ones being in the 70's. The oldest ones are 1919 and such. Some are aluminum plates and there are a few motorcycle and odd plates that were/are on the walls. AND they are attached with either brass screws or big headed copper nails. They look like copper roofing nails. We got most of the plates off as well as collected up a hoard of other goodies.

There is some old horse drawn equipment that is some of what interested me a lot as I do well with the stuff. I didn't expect to find all the license plates I did. I could see when I first checked the building out that it had some of them for sure, but didn't expect as many and ones so old.

I am the half a crew as I sort of did this and that and keep everyone doing what needed to be done. The brothers were doing what we agreed on and would help out when I needed something on the shed moved and such.

I also have lined up a couple of ladies that are interested in the old barn wood. That is a bit of a deal that was put together today as they are related to the brothers.

Sorry that I can't ask those on this forum for help on such projects as of now as one of the reasons that I get the types of jobs that I do is that I work with people that want things done a certain way and they want good references. I can't recommend people I don't know well. That is why I couldn't just look in the free papers and pick someone I know little about.

I figure that over time I should be able to meet a few folks through this forum. I just don't like to rush and I really have little requirement to do so at this time. I like a little stress as is possible as it seems to be bad for ones health and such.

Should take a couple of days for the brothers to finish up with the metal and then the brothers are going to help the gals get their barn boards. I made a deal with the owner of the property to get rid of all of the shed for a nice slice of barter/trade.

I do like doing biz with those that have to much money as they see good stuff as something you pay to get rid of.

I'm a bit tired out from my day, but thought I would give a update as of now, well what all I can remember of the day as it was very interesting, learning, entertaining and profitable it seems.

Sorry no pictures. Not that advanced in technology as of yet. I don't think anyone on the job site took any pictures either. Not camera people and no cell phones and such with cameras. The brothers use business radios to keep in touch with their family and such.

I do plan on figuring out my digital camera one of these daze so that I can take pictures of things I want rid of.

But as far as pictures of my yard or of jobs I work. Not much picture taking allowed. Just the weird way that it is. Not sure what else to say on that.

That is part of my Life, biz and most that I work with. They want things done in a certain way without much attention and problems. I work mostly with people that are not in a rush, but they like to get things done. The 2 brothers that I met the other day are the type of people that are not in any great rush as in driving where they are going and working the jobs they do. Go at a speed that is safe and comfortable so that accidents are not likely to happen. I have a 100% accident free record on jobs I have worked. Safety is number One priority.

I went with the brothers as they had great references and very nice older but well kept up equipment. They love to trade and barter so I'm sure that I will get to know them well as we hit it off from the start. But then they had heard stories about me in the past so they knew a bit of me but were afraid to approach me without a proper invite.

I realize that I can make those that don't know me personally a bit uncomfortable as I'm defiantly what would be called eccentric and slightly pixelated.

I Live in a time capsule and I'm just starting to open it up a bit and I have it in my plans to get out and about a bit more as I have people to meet and places to go. Need to find the collectors and artists and such. That is the steak of my meal here at the yard.

Not many people these days that know how to take life at a slower pace where there are far less accidents and stress.

This might be just me but when prices dropped my volume went through the roof. I am taking on another employee to keep up. Its all about efficiency and diversification. All routes are planned so I have both trailers full by the time we get back to the shop on client pick up days. That alone cut fuel cost by 26 percent.
Newattitude- I encourage you to go back and read some ideas in the archives on how to squeeze out every quarter you can.
I got inspired by Army G Wolf and started doing refurbished/ resell on some things and it increased my bottom line enough to start the "new giant warehouse fund because I am tired of running into people and having no space left" (btw thanks Army). What I am saying is "lazy" doesn't apply to just the physical. If you truly want to make this a career you can't be lazy in the mental side of figuring out how to make it work and searching for new revenue rivers ( screw streams go big or go home ).

actually I can lump you into the lazy category because you have not do enough research or got out there to drum up business in a 80 MILE ROUTE oh and fyi not only do I run a very successful business during the day the crazy part is I work at night at of all least money making places MCDONALDS at least 25hrs a week on a slow week ACTUALLY sit down like you do and not go out and make money one of these days and plan a real trip and factors things in like your gas you want to save and ACUTALLY look into steel prices because they only suck because your not looking around. you leaving all that stuff like all these others out there and people are cashing in on you so that's fine if you want that but don't complain about the money because there is so much out there, I am not even able to get all that I want

I had a good nap and have been up for a bit and was outside already checking on a few things so I can get on my way in a bit. The young couple that I have helping me don't like getting up much before noon and I can understand that as I many times prefer the night shift myself. I mostly have the help as I'm getting old and it's best for safety reasons and such.

I find that when you put plenty of thought into something and then you put some more thought into it and get a bit of advice and then you end up with a plan that flows together as you pretty much know what to expect. The less bad surprises the better. Measure twice and cut once.

I use small light trailers these days as I have a small vehicle that can't pull much. I Unhooked the trailer I had with yesterday last night when I got home, but I have to hook up a empty one to take with for today. For the few larger items that I need to get home. I have a cousin that will help with that as he owes me a few favors and is more then glad to help me out when needed as I don't ask his help very often. It pays to know a few that can help out in fitting a plan together that has a very good chance of working out better then planned for all.

The young couple are helping out for trade and barter as they will make and grow their profits from that. I have selections of good items such as tools, games and many other items that many people buy and use anyway that I will share with friends and such. The good stuff that I'm in no great rush to get rid of. I do know how to collect and hoard interesting curios.

There is money and fame to be made in the art biz. I don't do much art work myself, but I do understand the art world very well and have a good eye for what is good and what is not.

I make the best part of my living doing biz with the collectors of interesting and curious things and artists and hobby biz folks. Years back when I was more connected in the business world I was known to be able to find most things that others were looking for. If they wanted something that was old or tough to find, I could most times find what they were looking for from one of the many contacts I had. But over the years I lost track of most of that world as people move and move on and things change for many reasons.

But I have been getting my contacts in order and slowly putting a plan together that works well for me and those that I work with. When all come out pleased in the end, what more could a person ask for? I have a talent for making things flow and fit together like magic many times. There are always a few hic ups and such. That bolt that won't budge and things such as skunks and drunks,lol...

Life is what we make it. I find the Life that I Live most interesting and then some.

I was getting ready to sign out of here and go about my day and I thought " I bet others might wonder about this not starting the job till noonish."

The brothers scrap as a hobby mostly as they farm a bit, fix things and have families and such. I offered them a nice gig that they were more then happy to fit it into their plans as they will do well as they have the room for the scrap and will most likely wait for prices to go up as the scrap part is extra gravy in the bank. They use semi trucks and trailers when they sell a load of scrap and will deliver their loads to where they can make out the best. It's all in the overall maths.

p.s. It don't hurt to know a few small farmers as they can have some nice equipment that comes in handy on the job.

So off I go as we are going to get a early start today,lol...