Several e-waste questions

I've been getting into more and more e-waste lately and I have several questions:

1. The first PC tower I scrapped, I butchered the motherboard a little. I pulled off the copper, motors, aluminum, and cut off most of the little pins. Is it still worth motherboard price? Should I pull off anything else (plastic, etc)?

2. Are motherboards classified as high grade, low grade, or in their own category and price range? If option #3, what's the average price?

3. I cut the gold fingers off the RAM. Is it still worth RAM price or is it just high grade now?

4. I've heard rumors that there are rare earth metals (besides gold, platinum, palladium, and the other common stuff) in certain circuit board components. Is this true? If it is, which ones?

5. Are the little transformers worth anything extra?

6. Does it matter if the low grade boards are broken so they fit in the box?

7. Are the connector pins plated in gold? If so, are they worth anything? Should I keep them seperate?

8. I have one circuit board out of an old radio that has a few slivery rectangular boxes on them. I think they're aluminum, but I'm not sure. Should I put them with the aluminum or something else?

9. I cut the gold fingers off the daughter boards. Are they worth anything now?
I'm sure I'll have more questions eventually. Any answers are appreciated. Thanks

I can't answer most of the questions, most people here know more than me, I can answer a few.
5. The transformers or inductors are just coils of tiny copper wire, nothing more. If they're big enough to be worth it seperate the coper from the core material.
6. See below, it should be shredded or acid-bathed ultimately so it doesn't matter if they're broken.
9. All of the plating (flat wiring between components) on any circuit board is copper, and as such they should be able to be sold for at least 20 cents a pound if not far more. Just save them up in large quantities.

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Originally Posted by Scrap man

I've been getting into more and more e-waste lately and I have several questions:

1. The first PC tower I scrapped, I butchered the motherboard a little. I pulled off the copper, motors, aluminum, and cut off most of the little pins. Is it still worth motherboard price? Should I pull off anything else (plastic, etc)?

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It isn't really worth as much now that you butchered it, although it all really depends on who you are selling to and how much you are selling. If you plan on breaking down many more scrap computers, then it doesn't really matter. Keep saving everything until you have over 30 pounds, then 1 butchered board won't be that big of a deal.

When it comes to pulling off plastic, ect, it really depends on who is buying. Some people want you to, others don't.

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2. Are motherboards classified as high grade, low grade, or in their own category and price range? If option #3, what's the average price?

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Motherboards are a type of High Grade Board. If I sell just Motherboards as scrap, I generally will make more. Pricing all depends on who is buying, what their preferences are, ect. Right now you can sell for $3 per pound on eBay.

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3. I cut the gold fingers off the RAM. Is it still worth RAM price or is it just high grade now?

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Just like the motherboard you cut apart, the RAM really isn't worth as much. Yes, it still has value, but not many people are looking to buy RAM w/out the ]gold fingers. Unless you cut apart like 5 pounds of RAM, don't worry about it. One ruined RAM stick isn't that big of a deal. (plus I've seen people sell them like that on eBay, and they still sold ok)

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4. I've heard rumors that there are rare earth metals (besides gold, platinum, palladium, and the other common stuff) in certain circuit board components. Is this true? If it is, which ones?

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There is rare earth metals inside of computers, but the quantity and diversity of the types all depends on the computer. Europium and Terbium are used in displays, while neodymium is used in supermagnets. There are two super magnets inside of every scrap hard drive. Rare Earth Metals, actually, are about as rare as copper or nickel. They were just hard for alchemists to find back in the day, so they called them "rare" Right now, they aren't worth anything for recycle value, because there is no recycling programs set up for them yet.

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5. Are the little transformers worth anything extra?

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The little transformers are worth motor/transformer price, whatever that is at your yard. There are also inductors and relays,which both are mostly copper windings. You may want to rip them off of the board with a pair of pliers, or leave them on if you plan on selling them as Low Grade Boards.

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6. Does it matter if the low grade boards are broken so they fit in the box?

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Nope.

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7. Are the connector pins plated in gold? If so, are they worth anything? Should I keep them seperate?

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Yes, they are usually plated in gold. Yes, if you have the patience to pull each and every pin out and into a plastic bag, then you can sell them on Ebay as plated pins by the Gram. (not worth the time, I don't think)

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8. I have one circuit board out of an old radio that has a few slivery rectangular boxes on them. I think they're aluminum, but I'm not sure. Should I put them with the aluminum or something else?

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I'm not sure. Are they heavy? If they are light then they are aluminum. If they are not light weight, then I guess they could be zinc, or maybe tinned copper. Did you hit them them with a file? how big are they? pictures?

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9. I cut the gold fingers off the daughter boards. Are they worth anything now?
I'm sure I'll have more questions eventually. Any answers are appreciated. Thanks

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The Daughter boards are still high grade boards, and can be thrown in with the pile of high grade boards. But they are no longer classified as daughter boards.

When we buy e-scrap we buy the RAM, motherbds, cpu's in tact.

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Originally Posted by Scrap man

7. Are the connector pins plated in gold? If so, are they worth anything? Should I keep them seperate?

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Don't pull the pins. I will buy the connector hole with pins an rubber housing as is at 1.5 per pound.