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Ok so I was thinking of diffrent ways to make money. I sell on ebay and sold a 10% HomeDepot coupon for $25. what are some of your creative ideas that made you money with minimal effort.? I have also tried Dropshipping on Ebay, Bitconnect (Lost a lot of money on that.), Other Cryto Currency, even P2P lending and I even have my own website buying computer scrap with actually 2 repeat customers. So what are your endeavors?
It is no secret here I shop garage sales for items to flip. I have used ebay and craigslist, but lately, I have started using facebook marketplace with some luck. I would say the facebook/craigslist success rate is probably split 50/50 at this point.
Microwaves, microwaves, microwaves. Most of the used appliance shops around here hate doing them so I get them for $5-$20 per unit (based on what the extent of repairs are needed when I work on them) to fix up, clean, and resell. I have 15 of them ready to list and at least another 10-20 I have to pick up today. Repairing microwaves is also a good option. The next venture I am very seriously looking into is appliance control board re-manufacturing. I have access to all the tools needed at the place I work so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to pick that one up.
A few ventures that are sometimes overlooked:
-buying #1 insulated wire to strip and resell as BB wire
-growing and selling micro greens
-growing mushrooms for restaurants
-goat breeder
-goat dealer
I dont make much money off it since its something i only do for people i know.
Fixing broken windows, the ones in Wooden frames.
Theres legalitys about windows now & people have gone to double < & triple ) glazing.
But, its just friends windows that i replace. I get my glass from random places, mostly people taking out windows to put aluminium frames in.
That gets me some firewood & some Brass window catches as well.
I now use a small angle grinder with a cutting disc in it to cut the old putty out, it sparks when i hit the window nail thing so i pick it out & reuse it. I also found some better ones at a 2nd hand shop.
Removing all the putty with the grinder & chisle & then lightly paint the inside of the frame with thin paint & let it dry.
I use a roller blade tipped glass cutter, dont bother with the cheap $2 shop scratchy diamond tip cutters, they dont work. I bought it 2nd hand too.
Youtube glass window pane cutting. I got taught by my dad when i was young & broke a window & i had to fix it.
Personal responsibility a life lesson & a lesson for life, i guess.
I use CRC on the cut & the cutters got oil in it too.
I run some putty Into the back of the frame & use 2 wood chips to hold the glass central in the frame & lightly push it into place.
Then window nails.
Then more putty around the glass & a knife to shape it, then cut the excess off from inside.
Professionally done its $100+. I get $20 a pane. I cut the glass first & get the $20 & then fit it.
Use a old bed sheet around the back of the door to keep the dust away from inside & double check the sweeping & vacuuming afterwards.
Keep the kids away from the area, best still if theres only a adult or 2 around, people get curious & kids want attention so while you are focused on the task they tend to get too close.
To me its just a few $ & helping somebody out, it pays for putty for my windows too.
Putty goes hard, best to buy it just before its needed & cover it with the grease paper afterwards & add some linseed oil ( its some yard sale stuff i found )
Be careful, I wear gloves & wrist & eye & even ear protection when cutting & i use some fine sandpaper to remove the sharp edges.
The big thing with scrapmetal & such ¢ earning jobs, and life in general is 'Dont Chance It '.
Dont think that you can 'chance' using a vehicle to get scrapmetal to the yard if it hasnt got full Registration & WOF ( Warrant of fitness ) & insurance if it needs it.
Or a dodgy trailer to haul stuff, or ' just enough' fuel to get you there....( Since you use the scrap $ to get you back home )
or old ropes & 'just enough' of them to hold everything down..
I could write a small book about things like that that have happened to me. Lolz
At the same time, if you are getting somebody else to use their vehicle, pay then generously.
Tell them what you will pay, but that you "take $5 for every eff around ".
I tend to do this. "Im expecting $100 plus for this metal, say $115-120, I will pay you the $15 ( hey its not that far for me, and its just a easy calculatable example..) or $20 if its that.
If its over $120 i will pay you 1/2 of the exta as a bonus.
So. If it ends up $115, they get $15. & If it ends up 140.. they get $30. & If its $150 they get $35.
I always calculate my metals value concervitivly (sp?) Last time i figured $55, got $105.. Brass & Aluminium were up.
The car got extra fuel, i bought some extra food & a phone top up & some bulbs for my high stop brake lights ($10)
There are all different ways of making money. There are tons of opportunities out there just ripe for the taking. To one degree or another ... we're all creatures of habit. A good opportunity could be sitting right there on the tip of your nose but you just don't see it because it's not the way you usually make money. You gotta force yourself out of your comfort zone and be willing to take on something new.
Yeah ... i know ... that's an awful lot like work !
It really is hard work but oftentimes the hardest part is overcoming your own internal obstacles and taking that first step.
It's usually slow going at first but it gradually gets easier over time. You get better at it. Maybe a job that took two hours at first ... only takes you ten minutes now.
JMHO .... but there's really no such thing as easy money.
It's more like the money gets easier to come by when you're uncommonly good at something.
Love your insight.......Whenever I see your posts I think of the old Mad Max films it's about all I know about the "Outback".........I know it says you live in New Zealand is it very similar to Australia?.........Is it a very developed area you live in.........I assume all scrap gets shipped off from New Zealand.........Where does it go..........When reading your posts I would just like to have a better image in my head of how things are doneQuote:
Originally Posted by eesakiwi
Oddly, I just scheduled a gig today where I will need to change two window panes. I don't do it so often, so the window plan will be taken to heart and used.Quote:
Originally Posted by eesakiwi
A week or so ago I picked up a small profile computer for $1. If I can get them for that, I figure I can screw around and scrap them if I can't get them going. Well, it was a Windows 7 and it was pretty tweeked, but I ran a couple tools on it and let it cycle through all the updates and it settled down quite nicely. Wound up selling it tonight for $25.... That goes right back into the garage sale purse... The purse just loves to eat!
A career was spent in public service, to busy trying to earn my keep to make any money. Now that I am retired, it is easy to do what I want, when I want, and make more money. Todays deal was trading a cattle guard ( scrap plus $ 50 of materials and my time in return for a backhoe for my skid steer. New these would cost between $ 5,000 and $ 15,000. I will have to rebuild the hydraulic cylinders and replace the hoses (about $ 500) and will be able to finish my leach field, pond at the cabin, and have another source of revenue in the future. I am working with a widow who just wanted it off her property, but I knew she had trouble with her mules getting through the gate onto the neighbors property. The neighbor pointed me into her direction and I was able to solve his problem, rid her of an eye sore, and make a profit.
Long story short, sometimes we are so busy earning a living we miss out on great opportunities. In this world there is not one way to make money, only common ingredients to the recipe. Keep an open mind, treat others with respect, and do the next right thing. After baking at 450 degrees, the money will come to you.
As a younger lad I would have said this is BS. Those that read my threads on the Scrappers Dream know this is not as Kansas sang, "Smoke in the Wind." Sometimes the best idea comes when we stop to smell the roses. I appreciate the education I have received from this forum, especially the statement "is it worth your time." Everything I do is worth my time as long as I learn from it. Discussions such as this only add to my education. Thanks.
I like setting up adventures that I enjoy with the intent of collecting materials to pay for the day(s) expenses (free vacation).
I enjoy gold prospecting, and while the gold collected may not cover the expenses I will gather quartz or other rocks that I then sell on eBay.
After selling some flat rate boxes to the lower 48, I received communication from one of the buyers interested in rocks with different characteristics than what I was currently providing. I had a different location with what I felt fit their description. So I took my kid, hiked in the mountains, followed some creeks and collected some rocks. Buyer also wanted galcial silt, another stop, more mountains, rivers and glaciers. Sent out 50 lbs of rocks and 40 lbs of silt. $3 lb for rocks and $1 for silt. Easily paid for gas and food and a day with my son in the mountains along with some great pics.
I also do some trips collecting antlers and horns, local buyers pay by the lb on those as well. Then sometimes hit the transfers along the way for potential scrap or sellable items as bonus. There are no boundaries, except the ones you give yourself.
I am lucky to have an online consignment auction nearby. I write the description and they take care of everything else for a 25% commission. I get extra value out of many things like the fan out of an over the range microwave...$8, Tray of misc nuts, bolts, and screws...$6. Working dryer from a free pickup...$56.
I second the comment about FB Marketplace. Craigslist had turned into a dead-end, full of no-shows and spam. Everyone's Favorite Auction Site had kinda gone sour for me, too, since I was never able to tell if anything was ever going to sell, based on prior experience (note: the only thing I ever sold consistently on the 'Bay was SodaStream cartridges). That meant a huge pile of speculative crap, from which I would always be cutting out 13% of revenue, plus shipping. Not worth it.
Really, in my opinion, pick like seven or eight things which you routinely find and have had consistent luck in selling for a return which is worthwhile. See if any local businesses will buy any of it from you on a regular basis, even if it's a little less than you might get selling it yourself. Don't discount "Fat-Head" economies; the hidden costs of inventory management are not worth it for a small-time operation. For whatever's left, you can take it upon yourself to find a market, even if it's something as hodgepodge as a regular yard sale at your storage unit.
BTW, find forums which have to do with your materials. I have found AMAZING buyers here for some pretty crazy stuff on SMF but there are great people in other places, too, like reddit and the various vintage electronics forums. There are also some FB groups which do live auctions (the cynicism regarding the big auction websites is a widespread phenomenon) and I've been able to move some weird collectibles in those kinds of places.
I just sold some duckweed for $6 and another fish tank starter pack for $30. About $22 profit all from my 10 Gallon low matinance tank. Not back. I'm also trying my hand at Dropshipping to Ebay and Amazon so far made $16 profit with one sale. The reason for this post was because I know someone who's wife was complaining about her husband getting out of jail and not being able to make money. So I told her about scrapping and other things I do to make extra money on the side plus some programs the state provides for ex-felons. She just gave me one excuse after another of why they couldn't do any of it. I even told them where to get free buckets to start storing wire and brass. So finally I told her I don't know how to help you guys, sorry. So that got me thinking it was more of a mental think with some people I don't know.