What do you do with these things...

**Electrowaste** · 02-28-2013, 12:23 PM

I am wondering which buckets to throw these things in with...

Copperish looking plastic ribbon-wire stuff. Now I just throw it in with shred or even throw it away sometimes.

White plastic ribbon-wire stuff. Now I just throw it in with shred or even throw it away sometimes.

This is the little modem card on laptops. I can't decide if it should be bucketed as a finger card, mid grade, or RAM (I know it's not ram but should it be graded like RAM). Right now I just have it in my RAM bucket.

Assorted laser assemblies from CD players and CD/DVD players and CD/DVD drives. Right now I throw them in shred but it seems like that is a waste. I am going to ship to a buyer on the board and I know all buyers are different so I just wanted to ask you'll how you bucket this stuff.

As of now I have buckets for all of my future buyers basic categories but I just have big tubs filled with mid grade/high grade/peripheral. All that stuff kinda runs together for me. Any help would be appreciated. I've tried using the search but am missing the right keywords... I have tried Google but to no avail so try and not break bad on me...

Jeremy Burrage

**Mechanic688** · 02-28-2013, 12:43 PM

The gold and white ribbons/mylar I've been saving till I find a small refiner to split it with me. And on the laser eyes if you look around the side you should see a small mylar attached to a laser diode (I think it is) and that item has gold plating. I pluck it out and throw the rest in with my motors/transformers. My yard buys them all at the same price. There's a couple of our buyers that specified those cards, they are buying.

**Electrowaste** · 02-28-2013, 07:18 PM

What do you do with the little modem cards?

**smvulture** · 02-28-2013, 07:26 PM

I'm pretty sure that white ribbon has silver on it. I have been saving all of those for awhile now. Haven't looked into who buys them yet though.

**Mechanic688** · 02-28-2013, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by burrage1

What do you do with the little modem cards?

There's a couple of our buyers that specified those cards, they are buying.

I won't pick one buyer over another as we have a bunch of good ones here, just go to the buyer/seller section and look over their listings to see which ones deal with those cards.

Scrap Buyers & Sellers

**zito** · 02-28-2013, 10:12 PM

On the white ribbon wire, should at least get #3 insulated copper on it from your scrap yard, #2 insulated if they're being really generous. Unless I happen across a huge pile of it at once, I mix it in a bit at a time with my #2 and the yard I deal with is ok with that.

**BohemianLush** · 03-07-2013, 10:43 AM

Believe it or not that ribbon wire has a recovery of 40-50% CU. However, I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone that would buy it at that %. My guess is most yards buy it like Christmas lights.

**TechJeff** · 03-07-2013, 10:49 AM

Actually, you are supposed to throw it all in a box and ship it to me. I will provide free shipping even.

Seriously though, some of that stuff has value and I note with interest the replies here and hope to learn a thing or two.

Jeff

**joef1812** · 03-07-2013, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by TechJeff

Actually, you are supposed to throw it all in a box and ship it to me. I will provide free shipping even.

Seriously though, some of that stuff has value and I note with interest the replies here and hope to learn a thing or two.

Jeff

Jeff Are you buying those ribbons?

**TechJeff** · 03-07-2013, 02:12 PM

Lol, no, just poking a bit of fun at some of the higher value items here that he does not know what to do with.

The modem card has gold fingers- that makes it valuable right there.

The laser barrels have gold plating on them from the CD drives.

And on a side note…

I am involved in an experiment to figure out just how much gold is on the average laser barrel. Going to take ten of them weigh them pre salvage, reverse electroplate them, rinse and dry them, then weigh them again. I expect that it will take quite a number to produce any real gold by weigh- but you never know.

Looking into ways to get inside the barrel too! It is likely plated inside and out, right?

One other thing if I may? SOME of the ribbons copper thin ribbons I have encountered ARE gold plated on the end where they connect to the drive. I will take a photo tonight after I get home. SCSI drives often have a connection to one end of the drive that has a significant area that's gold. That makes me wonder if MORE of the cables I ASSUME are copper might be gold plated?$?$?$

I REALLY need to do more research here, but just have not had the time. Internet goes in today at my new house, so I will upload that photo of the ribbon with the gold plating on the ends tonight.

Jeff

**SuperDave** · 03-07-2013, 02:57 PM

I was wondering the same thing the other day I broke down my dvd/cd drives to remove the boards. I did notice that some of the ribbon cable connecting to the eye had some nice gold plating. Out of the 70 or so drives I did only 3 of them had that gold ended/plated ribbon.
I decided not to keep it 'cause it weighs nothing. I don't plan on seeing more of those anyway. Was able to do all those drives in about an hour and a half though it goes pretty fast.

**Mechanic688** · 03-07-2013, 04:57 PM

One other thing if I may? SOME of the ribbons copper thin ribbons I have encountered ARE gold plated on the end where they connect to the drive. I will take a photo tonight after I get home. SCSI drives often have a connection to one end of the drive that has a significant area that's gold. That makes me wonder if MORE of the cables I ASSUME are copper might be gold plated?$?$?$

here is one example, you should recognize them.

and another;

**happyscraper** · 03-07-2013, 09:15 PM

That ribbon cable in the second pic I have not been able to sell, no yard by me will buy it. I will save it for somebody here on the forum if you want it but you'll have to pay shipping, just send a pm. Mechanic; I'm still saving those white mylars in your first pic., haven't found a buyer yet but then again it take alot to get just one lbs.

**jghilino** · 03-07-2013, 09:19 PM

the only thing i like better than gold mylar is gold mylar trimmings

**SuperDave** · 03-09-2013, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

here is one example, you should recognize them.

and another;

Mechanic688, have you been able to sell any of these? What are they classified as with buyers?

**Phantoms001** · 03-09-2013, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by SuperDave

Mechanic688, have you been able to sell any of these? What are they classified as with buyers?

My first thought would be to ask jghilino. He often buys these kinds of material that are a little more difficult to sell. He offers good prices and fast payments.

What do you do with these things...

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