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I have never really had anyone look down on me, or at least not to my face, but you know what, what I do, allows me to put food on the table, clothes on my family's back, and roof over our heads, so I don't give a **** of what others think of me. As Mich mentioned above, it is of no consequence to me.
What I do normally get to my face is people thinking it is pretty cool that you can make money by selling what they consider "worthless junk" to someone and make $$$ off of it!
You sound like me ScrapperGirl. First day was $150...second day was $350, third day was $420....and so on.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScrapperGirl
Check out some of my threads, on ideas where to gather scrap metal.
LoL, The power tripping woman on the condo's I live at told the mangers that I was running a scrap metal bussiness out of my garage. They sent me a letter telling me to STOP that I could not run a comerical bussiness out of the garage or the house... funny thing is I had no one else come here and I Was working a full time job at the time.. but oh well I got some plans for the woman...
As long as you don't physically have none of it there, they cant say nothing. You can run it from your home. Heck, about every scrapper I know runs it from their home. They use email, a computer, and a cell and that is all.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScrapinDaddy
Also, my business LLC is registered for here, and my license is zoned for my home, so no one can say anything to me.
Recently I had mentioned something about scrapping to my mother and she said "you aren't getting involved with THOSE PEOPLE are you? Stay away from them, they're nothing but trouble." I don't understand how she even came up with that. One of my brothers works for a pool service company and his boss gives him all the burned out pump motors which he gives to my other brother to break down for scrap. We even collect cans and have scrapped broken appliances in the past.
I'm just getting more into scrapping right now, but have been dealing in usable goods for a while, which is something many people look down on as well. It seems the only "respectable" jobs involve working your ass off to make someone else rich. As soon as you are working for yourself, it's shady, immoral and unamerican.
That made me laugh. I'm finally one of THOSE PEOPLE that kids get warned about. Even as a 16 year old boy, I couldn't get that status when I met my current wife. Everybody told her grandparents she lived with "He's a really nice kid and has a great father". Watch out world - here I come to wreak havoc...Quote:
Originally Posted by gobean
To F'n funny.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick
You cannot judge everyone, because of the actions of a few...just not good manners.Quote:
Originally Posted by gobean
Ask her, what she would rather you do, work for yourself, bust your butt, and make a decent living, since it is 100% honest money, and nothing illegal about it, unless your stealing the stuff, or would she rather you sell drugs and get into a bunch of illegal stuff.
Don't feel bad...periodically people in our family will downgrade my scrapping business. I just look at them and say "Are my bills paid in full every month (yes), is there always food on the table for my wife and kids (yes), do my kids, wife, and I always have clothes to wear (yes), also you sure don't mind me doing my scrapping business when you need an appliance replaced or removed".
Just don't let it get to you.
I think its just a negative connotation associated with what actually has to happen before the stuff is turned in - the going through garbage and stuff. Like how homeless folks are looked down upon and laughed at for collecting cans when really all they are doing is recycling and making money for themselves. See, we have the opportunity to turn ppl's thinking around on this and I believe with soooooo many folks doing it today that some of that negativity is removed because recycling is huge now and ''Going green'' is the thing to do today! When I first started my mom didn't even want me to stop at her friends house when she was with me because I wasn't ''clean'', I was wearing my dirty scrapping clothing. I told her that her friend isn't going to care and she didn't so I think at least for my mom now after seeing what I do has changed her mind on all this stuff. Maybe its because I'm a girl, I don't know. Funny thing is though, back int he day my dad used to recycle copper and aluminum and it didnt' bother her then. Maybe it was just an ''Out of sight, out of mind'' type thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by gobean
I am not big as some, but, Mon nite did some hunting - WELL !! 600lbs short (heating system) sitting at curb , and 200 lbs Tin as i drove about - hit the yard up for $124. On the way home conservatively about $75 found , and here i am taken a little break as i will be off to the yard once more.
let them laugh all they want . Any way it's hard work, hard earned work money & takes brains to do it. I dare say proper scrapper can be smug !!
usually when i get bashed about scrapping i just say "hey pays for gas" at first my parents thought "oh god hes one of them" now they spot scrap for me. i go to a school where there are many rich snobby kids (im not one of them, and the school isnt pricey) i do no associate with them. all the people i do talk to accept it because most of them are scrappers too
I get more looks & comments for being a girl who scraps, than I do for just being a scrapper. I've never had anyone look down upon me or anything for it, in like a "who's this scumbag/thief/etc" kinda way. I get more looks of amazement & confusion....lol. I do get a LOT of off the cuff comments from guys though....drives me batty!
For example:
Sleezey guy at scrap yard - "Baby....why's a pretty thing like you wearing work gloves, huh?"
Me "So I don't mess up my nail polish when I fling this scrap fridge at your head...." :)
There is quite a few female scrappers at my scrap yard. They are every bit as good, ans sometimes even better than the guys.Quote:
Originally Posted by Recyclinggirlie
Some of them I feel may be single parents, or widows trying to make extra income. Just like the guys, they work their butts off for every dollar.
Most of them have no issues in lifting scrap metal, while others strain trying to get it off their trucks. They do get a lot of respect though.
That's awesome! Where I live it's fairly rural....I think that adds to the mentality. There just aren't very many women at all, who do this, around here. The guys who work at the scrap yard respect me, very much so. They were shocked the first time they saw me push a fridge full of metal off the back of the truck, as I'm on the smaller side of tiny.....I'm only 5'1", but I'm very strong! It's other scrappers, and often times people I'm getting scrap from, who I get the comments from. The good ones though, they see what I'm doing, see how thorough I am, and treat everyone with respect.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeB
Some are also just biased and don't think or feel a woman should be scrapping, but those people are just idiots.Quote:
Originally Posted by Recyclinggirlie
Being through is always key and knowing what something is worth and knowing if it is worth your time or not, definitely helps as well.
My main business comes in 2 ways. Craigslist.org and word of mouth. I am getting ready to start a mailing campaign through the Post Office where it only costs $29 to send a flyer to 200 people. Not bad, I have to say.
When I get request, a lot of time they are worth the time, and other times they are not (like when you get a request to go 1 hour away for a single dryer). I will go get everything, but I always tell people that depending on how far I have to go, what all I have to do to get the metal (drag it up from a basement, disconnect, etc) then it will depend on what I charge them.
My other business comes from re investors, realtors, and foreclosure agents who get junk properties and need all the junk removed. I love those because I get a few hundred per property.
My wife's family periodically has something negative to say about me doing this stuff, but I tell them, that they have their choice, I can do this and make a decent living, or I can sell drugs (which I would never do). My bills are always paid, food on the table, clothes, toys galore, etc.
However, they never have nothing bad to say when I am flipping a house with my investment company.
Ever have a question or need a easier way to do something, feel free to ask.
There are a lot of lazy people pretending to do what I do as well. I see the same people every day, and the lazy ones hate me because I "get all the good stuff." They don't say anything about how I put way more time and energy into it than they do or how I deal in whatever I can make some money on instead of just the things I liike.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris Kringle
I don't think she even knows that there are professional scrappers. I'm not really sure what she thinks, but it doesn't bother me. I like working for myself even if it is less money than I was making before.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeB
I think it might be the "unclean" aspect my mother doesn't like. She was always on us about keeping our clothes clean and would throw out anything that got ripped because she thinks it reflects negatively on her if her children were ever dirty or had shabby looking clothes.Quote:
Originally Posted by newattitude
But, I'm not the same kind of scrapper as most people here. I buy pretty much everything I scrap. If I think I can make some money on something I will pick it up. I don't have time to drive a route picking up scrap because I already have a route to pick up things to sell. I am just trying to find scrap at the same time.
"people can only treat you the way YOU allow them to" mcw 11/09
Who gives a **** what people think, paid cash for both houses I own, 1 credit card that sits in my filing cabinet waiting for that rainy day.
I deal in cash for all my purchases.
I'm having difficulty figuring why this even came up as a topic.
Regards
Gustavus
I told my mom today and she said what do you get out of it?? lol
Money to pay bills and buy food, maybe?Quote:
Originally Posted by submarinepainter