Given the market, why are the newest scrappers even bothering?

I have to completely agree. This spring, I picked up a project truck at auction. It was consigned by the county, after a mere 29 years of service. It drives very nicely, and so far is one of the best trucks that I've owned. I have two Gateway LCD screens in the processing center that date back to 2002. Thirteen years later, they still work great.



Both the truck and the monitors were thought to be worthless or obsolete to someone. That's the problem- we're too quick to assign that tag. In scrapping, the skill to determine what is and is not obsolete is the most important skill out there. If you know what to save from going to the yard, and resell it for more than scrap value, you'll do well. If you have those abilities and can do reasonably well in these markets, wait until the times get better. Now, you have an arsenal of skills that will earn you even more!