Made friends with a contractor.
Last week I meet a contractor who was out walking his dog in my neighborhood. My son loves dogs and wanted to meet his dog. We crossed over the street and approached them. We exchange business cards and shoot the breeze for a hour or so. The next week he invites me over to his garage and gives me a 20 lb fountain motor. Then tells me he is touching up a rental home and has some scrap for the taking. Saturday I meet him at the rental and he shows me a pile of garbage in the garage. Told me I can have whatever is in the pile.
I load up and stick my head in the house to say goodbye and thanks. He was astounished by how much I took for when he looked at the pile all he saw was three metal sinks with 3 inch long copper pipes, a fryer, a printer, TiVo box and some wire. I saw all that plus the cardboard, plastic, books, grilling tools, luggage and a oven mitt with the tag still on. He said that I saved him a lot of work of loading up is truck and would call me again.
Now I forgot my wallet and won't be able to go to yard without ID. Though I want to unload this quick and now I am looking at this trailer of a mess with the idea of how am I going to make any money. I start dialing every scraper in my contacts that I buy ewaste from. I lucky get ahold of the second call and arrange a trade for ewaste. On my way I find a tall standing fan with cord, more wire and a stereo receiver. I am still standing there looking at my trailer load like this is pathetic. I get to the scrapers house and he shows me his 4 laptops, 2 laptop batteries and 2 towers. We then walk out to my truck and he heads right for the sinks. So we switch stuff and he is shaking his head and telling me I am giving him too much and then he heads into his garage, then walks back with a little plastic box. Its full of CPU's. He gives me all of them and points out that there is only 4 ceramic chips. I point out DPLM chip and he says were even now.
The sinks were steel and the cooper pipes might of made me $4. Not sure I gave the farm away with that but its easier to store ewaste and make better money. I have 2 or 3 of these guys that buy from and trade with. I always tell them to store away buckets of computer plug ends and eprom chips from their low grade boards. I show them how to do it and will pay them decently, but never have gotten a call.
