Soooo Glad prices are down!!

I haven't posted in about a year. I sell purses at swap meets during the winter and do most of my scrapping during the off season.

I have noticed that this year there are a lot less scrappers around my area. I am associating this to the fact that prices are so low. I will say this is a good thing as it will allow me to collect more scrap in the same amount of time. Last year I could hardly curb shop this year scrap everywhere. I am not going to sell until prices go up. We have 100,000 scrappers during the up prices in a population of around 20,000....OK OK so that's like saying 3 out of 2 people are bad at fractions.


I see everyone on this forum (yes I been watching) complaining about the prices being so low. Think of the positive area of this. I bet you all have less scrappers also. Think of the good areas and just go with it. Yea I struggle during the summer and that's why I scrap but I bet even at these prices I can get enough bulk to make up for it. I am saving though and not cashing in (may some steel) until prices rise.

Enjoy the good in the prices and ignore the bad. It could always go lower.

I really have close to no competition... So I get first pick on any curb shopping within 10 miles of me basically. Only saw a scrapper once and I looked at him weird and he never came back. But I guess it could be good for some people...? I don't mind the prices, but I'd sure be happier if they were up. The low prices to me just mean break more stuff down, and find profit elsewhere.

I don't know .... if everyone is dropping out there might be a reason. It's a good time to double check your profitability and see where you are. More volume could be a blessing or a curse.

You might try keeping a logbook for a couple of months. Write down the time you have into it every day and keep careful track of your expenses. With your vehicle ... it's not just gas. I think the true cost is something like 40 - 50 cents a mile ?

Write down what you're getting as you sell your scrap metal and see how that compares to what you're putting into it.

Not saying that you are ... but ... what if it came out that you were losing a penny per pound on steel ? The more steel you take in the more money you would be losing.

Same with stockpiling and waiting for a better price. It could go either way, but in the mean time you've got all of this time & money going out with nothing coming in.

Truck load last year sheet iron $69.00 600 lbs. sheet iron @ $.115
Truck load this year sheet iron $16.50 600 lbs. sheet iron @ $.0275

I am still doing it, but cant store it (steel). Good luck and I would think those hot summer days in Kingman as would also weed out some scrappers!

KINGMAN HOT!!!!!! No I am in Lake Havasu City every weekend and that is a lot hotter...I like Kingman's weather.


I don't waste gas. I do not actively drive around looking for scrap. I may take different routs home or to and fo but its not any grater distance. I don't count gas cost for that reason. I am going there anyhow.

I will go pick up known scrap and even then I schedule it around a time I am going in the area anyhow. I will start picking up some scrap in Lake Havasu also but for the most part I have a full vehical both directions however this will soon not be the case as I have a free area to store some merchandise.

I know that most will disagree with the way I see the prices being a good thing but we all have different situations and outlooks, however; just consider there is good in everything.


Talk at you next year....J/K will start --@@-- at the forum logged in and ready to poste.

Yeah .... it's all situational and how efficiently you run. It's a little different for us because it's a fifty mile run to the nearest scrapyard. Was talking with one of the local guys that does a lot of steel last year and he was saying that the only way he could do it profitably was to have a truck come to his place and move 15 - 20 ton loads at a time. I know i've given up on copper and aluminum because there's so little there after figuring in time and expenses.

There's always an upside though. When you've got lemons make lemonade ! :)

Made a good friend even better when i arranged to pass my copper and aluminum on to him this week. He's doing enough volume to make a run every year and this will make it even more worth doing for him. The e-waste really isn't worth it for him so he's going to pass it on to me to help boost my volume.

We would still be friendly competitors, each doing his own thing, if the prices hadn't dropped.

Yea I am trying my hand at e-waste also I scrap everything down. I haven't done any acid runs yet just building up the e-waste as it takes little to no room.

I'm with the OP on low scrap prices. My bread and butter is auto salvage. Well, when steel hit 14.50 a hundred, I was having to pay 3 to 4 bills regularly for any old clunker. Makes it tough when you want to sell parts, cause you have so much tied up in your cars. Dont get me wrong, I crushed at 11 a hundred, a couple hundred vehicles I had acquired before the prices started climbing. But now everything I can get for 100 bucks or less (except late model), and there is way less competition.