New guy second post. Where is the money?

I love the art of scrapping. I really enjoy tearing things up and making money on things you find for free. The other day I was out looking for metal and I found a WW2 medical stretcher. I saw what appeared to be 4 steel posts so I picked it up. It wasn't until I got home did I realize what it was. So, when looking for metal, you always find other things that is worth more as is than to tear it apart for the metal. But I have some serious concerns about what I am doing and how I am suppose to make some real money. When I first started scrapping a couple months ago, I went through my garage and scrapped everything I didn't want or felt that is was worth more to scrap than to haul it to my next place to live. My first two and so far only two scrap yard metal runs, not including copper or aluminum, I came away with 60 bucks or so. I used my car, I don't have a truck. I need a truck. But that's another issue! It just doesn't seem financially feasible to drive around most of the day to find washer machines, refridgerators, big bulky items like that and then tear them apart only to get a few dollars. Some of you guys seem to have a network where you get copper from plumbers or you get some kind of metal from someone you know on a regular basis that brings in money. Some of you guys know a bunch of people that help you with finding stuff or telling you where stuff is. Some of you guys talk about having plasma cutters and wielding machines, tools to make it a lot easier. I live in a house and I could bring back a few machines but my wife would not put up with having a yard full of parts and what not. I don't blame her. We are not hillbilly's (and I am not saying you are either, I am just saying). My neighbors would not like it either. I cannot be grinding on metal at all hours of the night, disturbing my wife and neighbors. It seems like there is so much that holds back scrappers in making real money.

I thought I struck it rich when I found what seemed to be unlimited supply of metal that is not all bulky when I landed at a RR yard. It only took me 48hrs to realize that was the dumbest thing to do. I didn't know it was such a crime to pick up metal that seemed to be not in use, discarded, half buried, rusted, bent and twisted all up. I figured if the RR people wanted it for later use, they would take better care of it. They act like you are breaking into their office stealing the safe or something. If the pipe is rusted, pitted, half buried, why would they get all pissed off? They should be thanking me for helping them take away this stuff they obviously do not care about. If you care about something would you let it rot in a field? So now that the mother-lode is no longer an option. Where is the other mother lodes? It just doesn't seem right to find a half dozen dish washers and refrigerators, load them up, unload them, tear them apart, load it back up and then to the yard. I can see the enjoyment of the find and the tearing it up and seeing how it works, but I don't see where the money is. I see potential opportunities but you have to have that supply. Like if you could get your hands on rims, I can see making money on that. But then you got all those tires to deal with. Plus where are you going to find enough rims that you can make a living on? If you work at a tire shop, thats your mother-lode I would imagine, or if your brother owns plumbing company, or your best friend works at the rail yard and he lets you in, but how about the rest of us? I am sure we all will have a day or week where we stumble across a huge metal pile that is free for the taking, but that is not a common occurrence.



I am a wanna be scrapper that really wants to make this work. A part-time scrapper that has a full time job, that is one thing, but I am talking about a scrapper as THE full time job.

The money is everyware. Got to go look for it.

lmfao heres some seeds for a money tree. i swear if you dont got the drive to do this ur just cleaning you house for money.

The networking takes time....and above all, patience. It does happen as long as you are working it ALL the time. Everyone you meet you need to let know that you are a scrapper. Not in those exact terms, but you can catch my drift. Word spreads and eventually you are getting calls from who knows where.

Patience, Grasshopper. It may seem hard, but it will pay off.

Like parrot said. You can't start out and immediately expect to start making great money. Use your imagination, get creative with advertising, NETWORK.

And above ALL, have a place where you can store things. Since you've got a wife and neighbors, id recommend getting a storage unit. Relatively low cost. You can fill it with junk, and work on the junk, nobody to complain about sound.

I started out on my tailgate, processing what i could fit in the truck bed. Then it spilled to my garage, then a storage unit, then a BIGGER storage unit, and now i'm in a 5500 square foot shop. It's ALL about networking and making friends. A lot of people say "it's not what you know, it's who you know." I disagree. I believe "it's not who you know, it's who you blow". It's obscene yes, but if you make friends with the right people, they'll treat you right and tell their friends.

if you dont have a truck, tools, the time, the drive, or willing to do some hard work for a few bucks. scrapping isn't for you. and what's wrong with being a hillbilly? lol

Seems like he's just getting started, mongo. I'm sure we all werent full equipped when we started out.

And i agree, i'm a proud hillbilly, be nice. LOL.

You will never make it as a scrapper if your constently worred about your wife or your neighbors. You have to figure out a way of doing this whitout dissterbing everybody. You need the proper tools for the job. This might mean collecting cans until you get the money to buy the right tools,truck or whatever. Start small alu. cans, copper wire alu. these things you can haul in your car. We live in a through away world, people through things away every day, keep an eye out. Talk to people, tell them what you are doing, aske them to saave things for you. You will find that almost every thing can be recycled. Why would you take a washer or a dryer if you only have a car to haul it in. Check with places like thrift stores, ask for things like small kithen appliances mixers, blenders food processors ect. anything with an electrical cord. Cut the cords off and throw them in a garbage can, should be able to get at least 70-80 lbs. take the appliances abart and pull the moters out. You can sell the moters or you take the moters apart and get the copper out. Best thing you can do is use your head and then read every post on this forum and then read them again. I don't thingk any of started out at the top of the game, strat small and work your up. If this dosn't help then you might want to look for a diffrent line of work. good luck and god bless!

i wasnt being mean i was just stating if your goin to scrap full time you kinda need a truck, unless your just doing e-scrap. and you gotta work hard for money in this bussiness, so if you only make a few dollars scrapping thats your own fault. get your wife to join you, i just got my gf to start tearing down with me (she still hates it though lol) and neighbors can get over it.

not true mongo, i do ferrous loads out of a honda civic, even can fit a fridge on the thing. if you are determined you can bring in just as much as the guy with the truck. then again........ some peoples trucks on here are pretty big lol.

I scrap with a subaru impreza hatchback... little car. scrap yard laughs at me every time i go in. but I took in 400# of ferrous and 10# copper, 80# motors, and 15# cast aluminum on Friday.

tonight on the way back from dropping off some movies I spotted an electric water heater behind a Big Lots. With some patience, towels for padding(always in the car), and a large cardboard box (found next to water heater) to help it slide I laid down my back seats and shoved that water heater in the trunk!! along with a metal folding chair and a large satellite tv dish. had to get the hubby to help me get the water heater back OUT of the car safely, but yes scrapping can be done in a car, a nice car, and done pretty well...

for me tonight, the money was behind Big Lots...

This profession is not for everyone in order to succed you actually have to work harder than at a real job

For those that scrap with cars (or anyone really), be careful you don't load something that has a wasp/hornets nest.

Last Summer I stopped to toss a BBQ grill into my van. To make things easier I pop the lid off these when I grab them. I popped that lid open and slammed it back down when I saw it was swarming with 4 or 5 nests.

Went home and got my truck and wasp spray.

Had I not seen the wasps and just tossed it in as is, I wouldn't have been a happy camper as I veer all over the road, get the van stopped and run out screaming.

Idaho that right the is like a worst nightmare for me. i get stung 15 minutes i be a dead fish. you wanna see me run like a scared little girl, just let a wasp go in my car well im in there.

"I didn't know it was such a crime to pick up metal that seemed to be not in use, . I figured if the RR people wanted it for later use, they would take better care of it. They act like you are breaking into their office stealing the safe or something. If the pipe is rusted, pitted, half buried, why would they get all pissed off? They should be thanking me for helping them take away this stuff they obviously do not care about."

I work at a scrap yard as a buyer. We deal with a myriad of farmers on a day-to-day basis. Often times these farmers have a field full of the "discarded, half buried, rusted, bent and twisted all up" old farm equipment, cars etc. They don't see it as being junk. They see it as their savings account. When ferrous prices get up high they cash in their scrap and make a pretty penny. Now, if you were to take the railroad scrap (we call it OTM or other track material in the industry) you might be facing legal ramifications. However, try stealing that same scrap from a farmer and you will be facing buckshot ramifications. Just because it appears to abandoned, discarded or left rotting in a field doesn't give you the right to take it.

And as far as this statment: "Where is the other mother lodes?" Why would you ever expect people that you have never met to give you prized industry secrets? For all you know this could be taking food out of their mouths. While this forum is a great way to educate yourself and maximize profit, it is not a spoon feeding site where people will just divulge information that may have taken them years to acquire. What you expect is tantamount to going to the opposing coach a week before the big game and asking them for their playbook.