This fits neatly for those who buy cars & trucks.
This obviously won’t suited be for everyone, but if you are in the right circumstances it can be very profitable. Buying and selling lead-acid batteries to manufacturers makes up about half of my yearly income and involves way less work than metals. It also takes up less storage room. There is a bigger profit margin. You will generally be the only one in a specific area selling to that manufacturer so you can develop a captive market. You can successfully compete directly with scrap yards since you‘ll likely have the same buyer.
Contact a battery MANUFACTURER not a retailer (such as an auto parts store). Each manufacturer actually makes several brands.
There are some down sides, however. Batteries are heavy. A car/light truck battery weighs an average 34.5 pounds. You will need to be able to be able to transport heavy loads (I‘ve bought over 100 batteries at one place). Most buyers will only buy in bulk (my buyer’s minimum is three pallets or 144 batteries). You will need to be able to move heavy pallet loads to get them to/on the truck from the manufacturer (I use a 40 hp tractor with forks. Many use a forklift). You will have a significant amount of money tied up. It can take several weeks to get a check when you do sell (mine is six weeks - but it’s never been late). You should check local zoning before starting this. Check county and state DEP/EPA regulations. You will be tempted to sell the batteries locally as many will be good. If you sell (or advertise for sale) JUST ONE battery that you have bought for other than personal use, you become a Retailer and subject to a whole separate set of (very stringent) rules and laws. The fatal downfall that I haven’t found a way to combat is the retailer that pays the State “core charge” for junk batteries. I lost one of my biggest suppliers (an auto junk yard) to an auto parts store. The State’s core charge was more than I got from the manufacturer. So, mainly I concentrate on small shops further from metropolitan/urban areas. I can actually pay less per battery to make up for more travel-related expense.
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