Another new guy, excited to learn

Hello all, My name is Jay and I live in southern CO. I'm a 40-year-old father of two stepsons, 8 and 11, and I'm the luckiest husband in the world. Seriously, I'm not sure why she married down, but her love of me is the only thing that makes me question her sanity. 

My main gig is online reselling, mostly on eBay and Craigslist. I also write blogs for a typical content mill website called BlogMutt when I can actually find the time to write between sourcing and selling, and as of a few months ago, taking loads of stuff apart.

I've always loved taking electronics apart, but I've also always considered it a somewhat dorky hobby that I allow myself to indulge in occasionally. Recently, a friend came over and saw my collection of parts and scrap metals that I hadn't separated for online resale, and he told me I could make some cash if I took it to a scrap yard.

So, I started doing a little research, but still had (still have) many naive questions, like what groups of stuff do I sort and collect copper (only found out in November that there are different grades of copper) and everything else in. Luckily, I found a scrap yard with a very nice manager who came out of his office and spent over an hour with me explaining how to prepare and sort my copper, aluminum, motors, circuit boards, and copper wire both #1 and #2, as well as #1 and #2 insulated copper wire. The number two insulated was from power cords and cables etc that I'd removed from appliances, and the #1 insulated was the relatively small amount of romex type wire I had left over and never got back around to after I'd already stripped a bunch of it over the last month or two.

Here is where you will roll your eyes if you haven't already. I put an ad in Craigslist offering free escrap recycling and pickup. I had no idea what I was in for. I had to delete the ad after one week because my phone never stopped ringing. I filled up my shed and basement with all sorts of stuff. I didn't take ACs because I knew about the problem with getting rid of the freon, but I took in so many stereo's, computers, VCRs, DVD players, microwaves, speakers, a karaoke machine, LCD TVs, old style, huge box, big screen TVs with the cool lenses and magnifying glasses inside of them, and many other things.

But here's the eye rolling part: I took approximately 20 CRT TVs and about as many CRT monitors. I've since learned about the issues with those. But really, almost all of my #2 copper comes from these CRT units, and after I've taken everything but the tube out, I replace the back of the TV and have so far just set them aside. I am currently researching my best (hopefully any) option for ethical and safe disposal.

But I've gotten so many cool things (at least half of it still works fine!) like metal detectors vacuum tube from the 40s,and yesterday I got a Vintage 1990 Amiga 3000 desktop from Commodore along with the original mouse and original wmCommodore Monitor that came with it. Included was a big box full software and games for it, all on 3.5 floppy discs.

The computer works like a champ, and despite the $400-$600 average sale price for that desktop model alone without the original monitor, I'm super sad I can't keep it. The money is too good and too needed at this time to pass on selling just because I want it. If I kept everything I want to keep, though, I'd have a backyard junkyard full of stuff to make room for and, more worrisome, explaining to my wife why I am taking in so much more than is going out. Shes been using the name Sanford and Sons more and more these last few months. Although, she doesn't really complain when money keeps showing up in the back account. She just likes to harness me like most wives do with their husbands hahaha!

Every night I spend about 3 hours in my work shed taking stuff apart and sorting the scrap and separating the parts and items I can resell. I'm completely amazed at what people are willing to just give away. People are daily giving or trying to give me electronics, and more than half of them are in fine working condition. one lady wanted to give me a three-year-old Whirlpool washer that she admitted was working just like when she bought it new, but she had just upgraded to the newest model and her only concern was that I come get the "old" one so she wouldn't have to deal with it. Too bad I don't have a truck because I could have made out well on that one. But on the other hand, if I had a truck, By now I'd have accepted so many larger appliances on top of the loads of smaller ones that I'd be filling up my backyard with even more stuff I barely have time to process.

I am learning and getting faster. Practice and YouTube work wonders. I joined this forum to learn as much as I can about this industry so I can earn as much as possible for doing nothing more than what I've always considered my guilty pleasure hobby... taking stuff apart to check out all the fascinating goodies inside.

Thanks for reading all this if you made it this far. I look forward to reading and learning from the many experts on this site.

Thanks!

Welcome to SMF

Welcome to the forum Jay. Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on things already. I wouldn't limit myself to just one scrap yard or buyer, especially with circuit boards. Check around and see if there are any other yards in your area and what they are offering. There's many great buyers here at the SMF also.
Save the money you're making from scrapping and go buy a cheap truck.

Welcome to the forum from the far northwest suburbs of Chicago. First things first, start reading the old post here on the forum. Whether your doing this as a hobby or as a full time gig, get to know your product very well, talk to your local scrap yards and find out what they are looking for as far as separation, then come back here and read some more. You will most likely find even more ways to make some money out of your back yard and shed. It isn't easy, even after a while doing it, it doesn't get any easier so always be ready to learn something new. There is a ton of information here on the forum and any questions you might have, most likely have been asked before, all you got to do is find it. I, myself do more reading on here over the last 5 years than I post. I'm always reading, even if I read it already, I read it again. Good luck to you and happy scrapping.

Welcome, loved your intro. You're ahead of most people starting out, and even ahead of a lot of people that have been scrapping a long time. Reselling as much as you can is where it's at. Some may say figuring out ebay and craigslist is the hardest part of it all, and you're already experienced there. Now, you can easily supplement your sales with scrap money. Good luck!

Welcome to the forum. THANK YOU for the paragraph breaks it makes it SO much easier to read longer posts.

You did get lucky to get a hands on education at the yard. I would look to being a customer there until I found a good reason to change.

Reading the old threads will educate you in things you don't know but will recognize when you see them in person. I have read threads in the past and really didn't understand what the writer was talking about until I saw it in person. I was able to recognize opportunities.

By the way what part of the world are you located in? 73, Mike

Andrew: Thank you! I appreciate it. 😃


jimicrk: Thanks for the welcome. I have been to one other scrap yard (the only other local one), but it was the night to the most recent one's day.

I felt like they were not only in a hurry, but they were also reading everything behind a wall so I couldn't see and then taking things out to weigh while I was still unloading. I just didn't feel welcome.

Then the one I just went to was a breath of fresh air. The yard manager came out and helped me and treated me with my little ole $45 worth of stuff like a valued customer.

I had no idea I could sell scrap online (duh!). But I will definitely be looking into those options.

And a cheap, beater truck is high on my list. ☺️


tski72: Thanks for the welcome, and incidentally, I love Chicago. I spent a lot of time downtown when I was a wayward youth haha!

Good advice on the reading and learning. I recently found this board and since I've been reading different threads every chance I get.

As far as scrapping being difficult, I'm sure you were talking about more than just the physical, but I am currently suffering. Since I began scrapping in high gear, my right hand, my pliers hand, is so sore that in the mornings lately it's even numb and tingly. I've got to find a less harmful way of ripping off transformers and such.


ryanw: Thanks for the welcome! 😃

And I love reselling. I'm getting better and better at it, almost to the point that my wife has stopped complaining about the "junk" I bring home lol.

What has surprised me the most is that many times a part inside of a working machine will sell for more than the working machine as a whole. I've found this with printers especially. Weird.


miked: Thank you for the welcome! 😃
Yes I appreciate paragraphs, too haha! I'm sometimes too OCD about my writing so I force myself to let mistakes slide sometimes because I should have better things to obsess over. But paragraphs are a necessity.

I am originally from San Antonio, but I've lived in Southern Colorado for the last 12 years. Right now I'm in Pueblo, Colorado.



Thanks everybody. I look forward to scrapping better because of this forum. 😃😃