For all you new scrappers its not all about copper!

Originally Posted by saabsw

I have thought of other options. If I get a storage unit, then scrapping becomes more of a neccessity than a bonus. I don't have any friends where I live now, they're on the other side of the state, so nobody to share garage space with. As for leaving it out, the dumpsters at my apartment are fenced off from public. So, if I left it out nobody could get it anyway. If I leave it outside the fence, then there's no guarantee that it will be picked up quickly, and won't just be an eyesore for days until a scrapper grabs it. It bugs me too, every time I throw any type of metal away. I will be moving next year, but until then I don't see a solution. Also, my only vehicle is a shared suv with the fiance, so I can't just let it pile up in there. Believe me when I say it bothers me. I'll bend over to pick up a penny in the street, but I'm throwing money in the garbage right now.

I can almost guarantee you that your steel that you can stash in your storage unit will pay for itself and then some. I see you’re on the coast and I don’t know much about the Pittsburgh scrap market, but…isn’t that steel central? Should be able to get a decent price on shred and short steel to make it worth it. Plus a storage unit will give you a little place for you to break down and sort items. Maybe get a little trailer for your SUV and keep it in the unit? Then you can haul a bunch of stuff to the yard all at once.

Originally Posted by saabsw

You're right Matty, I'm just not ready to buy a trailer or pay for a storage unit. We are planning on moving and getting a house in may-june next year. I'm just holding out for that time. I hope to find a place with a shed or a garage, and I will get a trailer at that time and kick it into high gear. Until then I think I'm out of luck, but maybe I'll think harder about it. I used to throw aluminum out too because it was taking up too much space, but I found a nook in my closet for a box of it. Maybe I can find a creative solution to my problem. I'll dwell on it for a while, thanks for the suggestions.

Well, best of luck to you then. And another tip, if I may. You may already be doing this but if you break stuff down into as small pieces as possible, you will save a lot of space. You can kill two birds with one stone with the aluminum, if you can break it down to smaller pieces, you can almost certainly get all of the iron and steel out of it and get yourself some clean aluminum. Easier storage and higher price. And keep a bucket nearby to toss all of your steel screws into. That adds up FAST and gets heavy. It won’t fill your retirement account, but a few extra bucks for no extra work is always worth it, in my opinion

And as for a response to the thread as a whole…

I love it all, man!

Especially now that I’m getting more and more into eWaste, those computer towers and disc drives (not worth to ship once the boards are out) really, really add up for a tin/shred run. And they all stack nice too.

The copper is great, too, don’t get me wrong. It adds up slowly but surely and by the time the monthly non-ferrous run is ready to go, I usually have a bucket or two of the lines from fridges, A/Cs, etc. And then you got the compressor units, electric motors and other copper-bearing stuff. And, of course, wire.

So while the “pure” copper doesn’t make a huge part of my run, anything with copper in it will put a smile on my face