full time - Page 2

First I agree with everything said. There are two philosophies about risk. First, when you are young you can risk everything because you have time to make up for it. The second view is that when you are older you can afford more risk because you have a safety cushion to fall back on if you make a mistake. Each individual has to make their own path and live with the results. The second view worked for me and I scrap fulltime now. Good luck.

Then there are those of us who don't absolutely HAVE to do scrapping to survive. I'm one who has many interests and I know it' true with others.....that our interests and hobbies change over a lifetime. For me, I had farm machinery that I wanted to get GONE while I was still able so I began to disassemble my self propelled combines out of necessity and realized a profit. One thing led to another and then a neighbor wanted to give me a combine so I accepted. Then another and another asked me to haul something and I realized it had business potential. Then a river flood drowned our farm and more of my "good" machinery became junk so I hauled it off. Now I've acquired the reputation of one of those junkmen who frequent our highways and byways with a load of "junk". It's PRODUCT to me and I enjoy the game. When it becomes known that you're in the business, conversations always lead to "What you hauling today"..? ...and the game continues. At that point, it's easy to put in a plug for yourself and therefore increase your business potential. Scrap is an eternal product...it's always there in some form or another.

Honesty is the name of the game. The reputation you form for yourself will either flaunt you or haunt you. People learn real fast how you operate and it happens without your knowing. Oh it's fun though. I lay awake at night planning my next load.

I''m actually looking at making it a full time gig. I have a lot of regular customers in businesses and plenty of new ones everyday. All I have done is order up a bunch of business cards and place them everywhere. You'd be surprised how much a polite tone, a smile and a handshake will give you. I deal in virtually any commodity as long as there is sufficient quantities and there is a large reclamation market out there to be explored. Its been a good haul and I'm looking to give up a $20/job for professional scrapping.

I agree everyones situations different. Also treating it like a business, reinvesting back into it and going out of your way to make those connections will make all the difference.

Ill tell you number wise
We are three scrappers My father older brother and I .
Last year alone My dad and brother scrapped full time and have been doing so since the past 5 years now .
My dad took the task of counting all the payout notes and ended up with about 80,000 a year but that's for two people , also take note that's not adding most of the electric motors aluminum copper brass and all those metals. So youd be looking at around roughly 90,000 they made last year alone . So it would end up being around $45,000 per person if you really do it full time and put the effort to it , make friends with plumbers hvac companies you might have to pay , give half of what youre gonna make and they'll always call you when they get metal.

Originally Posted by TheScrapper1

Ill tell you number wise
We are three scrappers My father older brother and I .
Last year alone My dad and brother scrapped full time and have been doing so since the past 5 years now .
My dad took the task of counting all the payout notes and ended up with about 80,000 a year but that's for two people , also take note that's not adding most of the electric motors aluminum copper brass and all those metals. So youd be looking at around roughly 90,000 they made last year alone . So it would end up being around $45,000 per person if you really do it full time and put the effort to it , make friends with plumbers hvac companies you might have to pay , give half of what youre gonna make and they'll always call you when they get metal.

My gross revenue last year was high, but with expenses my net was almost zero. Most of the basics were met. Would I like more, yes, but I have made a trade off. Lifestyle is more important to me than a new truck. It is all about perspective. I would not trade my freedom and limited income for a six figure salary to sit in an office all day.

This was posted before I go out into a blizzard to work, so I know it is true.