Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 21 to 27 of 27

So what's the plan guys? Haul light iron and hoard non-ferrous? - Page 2

| A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
  1. #21
    Rollyrogers33's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    284
    Thanks
    1,493
    Thanked 279 Times in 122 Posts
    How long will we have to hoard copper for anyways?

    Copper down to fresh six-year low after China market falls | MINING.com



    The only hope of long-term construction that will need any materials will be Mars!
    Last edited by Rollyrogers33; 08-18-2015 at 08:14 PM.
    "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage." Indiana Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark


  2. #22
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    May 2014
    Location
    New Brunswick, Canada
    Posts
    346
    Thanks
    209
    Thanked 292 Times in 131 Posts
    I actually have been keeping a lot of my steel, and selling the non ferrous, but that might be because I've been selling a good 50% of the steel I get at more than scrap value

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Longhairboy for This Post:


  4. #23
    aph's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    118
    Thanks
    76
    Thanked 119 Times in 51 Posts
    Like it was posted by some, the story is different for all of us.

    But at the end of the day we need to make money.
    There is no way to predict when things get better (or worse). It might take a year or so.

    About 12 years ago or so I started buying common silver for less than 5% over spot from the local coin shop. Figured it was a nice savings plan.
    I also metal detect for fun and kept all my gold jewelry I found. I made good money back then and there was no need to sell anything.

    Things changed and I needed cash for a new business venture. I took all my silver and gold and sold it about 4 or so years ago?!
    I did real well. On pure accident I timed it PERFECT! I sold all my stuff on a Friday afternoon and on Monday the markets crashed. Silver lost 35% over 5 days etc.
    I got paid for my silver based on $49 spot and most I bought at $4-7 years earlier.
    The gold was all free finds and close to $1900 that day.

    Pure accident that I timed it right.
    If I would have not needed the cash I would still have the stuff. STILL worth less than what I got paid that day ... 4 years later.

    On that same Friday afternoon while one of the guys tallied my stuff another guy came in with rolls and rolls of mint condition silver eagles.
    I believe he walked out with over $5,500 in cash. But while his stuff was tallied another employee took the silver eagles and SOLD them to another guy that was buying on the believe it will go up more and more. Wonder what that guy feels like today.

    The way I handle my stuff is, I turn everything in as I have enough for it being worth my while.
    The only thing I keep is insulated copper wire.

    I have maybe 250 lbs or so? I don't really know and don't care. I call it my piggy bank. Maybe I will sell it when I get 1,000 lbs or when I need some cash real bad.

    Everything else I turn and burn.
    Time is Money - Crunch the Numbers - It's a Numbers Game!

  5. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by aph:


  6. #24
    gabrielservices's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Carson city nv
    Posts
    152
    Thanks
    44
    Thanked 126 Times in 64 Posts
    Scrap accounts for approx. 1/3rd of my income. I'm scrapping by myself again. I'm no longer servicing the thrift store. All I'm doing now are water coolers.(like 2000+) and stuff I've been stock piling(read: too lazy to break down). Now I turn in when ever I want to/need to. Space to stock pile non ferrous is nearly unlimited. Ferrous, for me presents a problem. 35 miles to the nearest major scrapyard.($40 a ton) or 5 miles to a small yard in Carson city($10 a ton) now since I don't rely heavily on scrap anymore, I fill a 20foot trailer and haul it to Reno when its full. The front 8 foot has a truck bed with 6foot sides for small things, the back 12 feet Is a decked flatbed. Parts of cars, appliances, big bulky stuff in back. I'm averaging 6k pounds per trip with the 20 footer, of just tin. It goes about once a month.

  7. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by gabrielservices:


  8. #25
    t00nces2's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Sarasota, FL
    Posts
    1,697
    Thanks
    1,191
    Thanked 2,343 Times in 960 Posts
    I cycle through the steel. It just takes up too much room. I will also cycle through brass as it becomes too much to store. Much of my brass is bought at garage sales and to cycle it through just adds to the garage sale purse to buy more brass and other items to make money on.

  9. #26
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Palm Coast, FL
    Posts
    55
    Thanks
    94
    Thanked 31 Times in 12 Posts
    I sell my ferrous when I have a car load full, which is around 500-560lbs. I get like $4/100 lbs right now, but it used to be $7.50/100lbs. Terrible, but not worth seeing it build up to unmanagable levels. I just bought 5 trash cans to hoard copper, small aluminum shred, motors, brass, and cuircuit boards. Not sure this was a great idea, since they are already nearing 1/3 full.

    Also, compounding my issue is that ALL of the trash cans have developed an infestation of some species of moth. It cannot be good, because the moths get into my garage. I hate moth balls, but I might need to add a few to each can. Not sure, at all, why I've got these moths. I do live in Florida, and we've got more than our share of bugs. One time, at a gas station, I saw a bug / insect thing that had 2 fangs 3/4" long on its head. YIKES! The wife, not too crazy either about these moths.

    BY the way - WINDEX kills bugs mostly on contact. Try it. You'll be amazed. It works.

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to FLScrapperGuy1 for This Post:

    aph

  11. #27
    hobo finds's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    tucson, az
    Posts
    4,746
    Thanks
    6,035
    Thanked 5,906 Times in 2,555 Posts
    Moths? Get some lizards or geckos, I have heard about a guy that bought a few geckos and had them live in his garage he did eventually put up a heat source for them for the winter. They lived a long time

  12. The Following User Says Thank You to hobo finds for This Post:



  13. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. Light iron general pricing
      By clr8ter in forum Scrap Metal Prices
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 03-03-2012, 09:04 PM
    2. light iron vs #1?
      By clr8ter in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 12
      Last Post: 02-29-2012, 06:31 PM
    3. Does cast iron pay more than light iron?
      By ScrapperNJ26 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 2
      Last Post: 03-20-2011, 09:03 PM
    4. More than just Light Iron
      By WHIscrapping in forum General - Let's talk business
      Replies: 1
      Last Post: 03-09-2011, 07:09 PM

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook