Newbie looking for guidance

Hey Joe

Welcome to the forum. You might look around and see what kinds of things catch your interest. A lot of scrappers tend to specialize. Some guys like steel, some are more into copper & aluminum, and others are into ewaste. There are all kinds of things you can get into.

From my own experience : I was where you are about five or six years ago. Retirement coming up in awhile and looking for a side gig to supplement my income. E-waste looked pretty good at the time but the landscape has changed a lot over the last few years. It's all a matter of timing. Twenty or twenty five years ago would have been the best time to jump in. Nowadays ... it's not the best time to get into it.



I'll probably always stay with it because it's something that i really like doing but it's not a moneymaker for me. Just a fun hobby full of new things to learn as technology advances at a rapid fire pace.

One thing to consider for a retirement scrapping gig. Be careful of the heavy lifting involved. The body wears out and you can't do as much in your 60's as you did in your 20's & 30's.

Use your brain and not your back !

Yes, the body does not heal as fast as it once did.
I'm only 50, but if i retire at age 65 that gives me 15 years to figure out things so that I can make a part time income supplement.
It doesn't have to be "large money" - mighty rivers are made from many small streams.
To get started I'll go with curb finds, word of mouth, dumpster dive and grab whatever I can.
Specialization will come once I get a good overall knowledge.
Thanks for the welcome and advice