Need help... stumbled upon a HUGE load of E-scrap and I don't know anything about it

Ok long story short I bought a car from a guy Friday (auto recycling is my line) and today I went back to get the title as he had to look for it. While there we get talking and he is a retired office equipment technician, has been in that line for 30 years or so. I bought some other auto related stuff from him while there today, but he was giving me the grand tour, he has a 3 car garage and a 2 car garage and both are piled to the ceiling walking room only here and there if you're skinny. All E-scrap. I'm dead serious. It's mostly older stuff, copiers, printers, monitors, time stamp machines, fax machines, phones, you name it!!!

He's been slowly sorting through it and gutting them for the metal cases and scrapping the metal. The boards he's been throwing in trash cans. He hasn't even made a dent in it yet and has at least one trash can full of boards, probably more. He has this stuff falling out the door when you open the door to a garage. Yea the big garage has some normal garaqe items in it but you can't find them for all the electronics!!!

I've not really messed with E-scrap before and I told him not to discard anything at this point until I find out more. I could get this stuff DIRT CHEAP and I'm sure I could fill a large Penske truck FULL of it likely... So I need some guidance to break into the E-waste thing. Preferably I would like to buy it all from him cheap and then resell it all as-is because I don't have the space to handle it all. Well, I do and I don't. I'd have to get it from him in smaller loads and process it all (which I can do if needed, but once I break into a machine I don't really know what I'm looking at).

Can you all please PLEASE PLEASE help me make a good move on this deal? I don't even know where to start with it all!!!

Thanks so much in advance!!
Eric

Sounds like M88 needs to take a road trip.

Kinda what I was thinking LOL That or I do depending on what he'd pay.... I PM'd him earlier to call me, haven't heard from him yet... He and I are about 3 hrs away though...

Good luck with this.

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Sounds like M88 needs to take a road trip.

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WOW, I'm beating the proverbial bushes up here and your stumbling all over it down there,,, LOL
Just got home from dialysis,, Sorry.

Bigblue12v I wouldn't know what to do with it either but i think you should've taken some pics while he wasn't looking.

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Sounds like M88 needs to take a road trip.

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I'm taking one Thur. morning to Ohio. The wife's had breathing problems for the last month or two taking breathing treatments twice a day. And over the weekend I had her back into the med clinic so I have to cash in early to make it thru the month. Such is the life of the self employed.

Personally I would stay away from that pile unless there are things in there that are easy to sell on ebay. Remember, if he was a Tech then he knows if something was worth fixing and selling. My guess is he sold a lot of stuff he fixed and resold. I would think if there were value in it locally to resell he would have it fixed and resold. Used parts are just that, used... and they really don't bring much just as parts.

Now, time card stamp machines are cool. I have sold a couple on Ebay with good results... look up the model numbers if you can get them. I have sold some office phone systems for lots of money on ebay also, but have walked away from pallets of phones that have no secondary market.

Everything has some sort of scrap value. Copiers, fax, printers have stuff in them, but are time consuming to strip out... depending on if your yard takes them whole as scrap or not.... Mine won't. Toner cartridges are worth $2 each at staples.

Monitors have their own threads on SMF. Copper yokes, wire, and low grade boards... if you have somewhere to dispose of the hazardous glass they have some profit in them. Hoss is very experienced with them.

Computer towers have scrap value ($8-$13 each). Keep looking for these in that stack.

I guess it depends on if you have the time to move it, storage to store it, and time to strip them out... and of course Capital to buy it. I don't have any of that so I would cherry pick the pile if he would let you.

there is a million threads you could look at to get started.......


why not just ask him what he would want for it all. I would ut it this way.

"if i was to help you out and clear ALL of this stuff, what do you think would be a fair price?"
you will probably be surprised with his response. Try it and see.

Thanks for the replies guys, Mike (Mechanic688) called me today and we got some things sorted out to help me deal with it all. I appreciate everyone being so helpful on this forum!!

My opinion is get the truck load if you have a place to store it all. Sell what you can on eBay or Craigslist whatever you prefer. The other stuff box it up and send it to boardsort.

Bigblue if you need another person when it comes to e-waste you can ask me as we are a e-waste recycling company. I will say this. Printers and fax type of items are not worth to much. Its the computer towers that there is some real money.

Yea I don't have the space to deal with it all.... Easy, thanks buddy! I don't think there's more than one or two computers in the whole lot.

I'm gonna go back down one day when I have time and try to get a better look at it all.

I would be trying to get those trashcans full of boards, myself.

I have done a few large copiers and a ton of printers and I really avoid them unless absolutely nothing else is to be had. The copiers have some decent weight to them in steel along with boards....but they give your patience and driver battery a work out for sure. They seem to easily have 1000 screws to remove.

I would for sure check on those boards, though, who knows what he already dismantled and sold the steel from. Servers maybe!

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Originally Posted by Enoch43

I would be trying to get those trashcans full of boards, myself.

I have done a few large copiers and a ton of printers and I really avoid them unless absolutely nothing else is to be had. The copiers have some decent weight to them in steel along with boards....but they give your patience and driver battery a work out for sure. They seem to easily have 1000 screws to remove.

I would for sure check on those boards, though, who knows what he already dismantled and sold the steel from. Servers maybe!

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Thats why i introduce many of my printers to Mr Smashy. ( 15 pound sledge ) Breaks off the plastic and what doesn't break of i leave attached and throw into the shred pile for some extra cash.

^^ That quote seems intact???
hmmmm

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Originally Posted by Enoch43

I would be trying to get those trashcans full of boards, myself.

I have done a few large copiers and a ton of printers and I really avoid them unless absolutely nothing else is to be had. The copiers have some decent weight to them in steel along with boards....but they give your patience and driver battery a work out for sure. They seem to easily have 1000 screws to remove.

I would for sure check on those boards, though, who knows what he already dismantled and sold the steel from. Servers maybe!

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Boy you arent kidding, the 5 I took apart couple weeks back was the first time my drill had to be recharged the same day. I was like, ''Seriously??'' lol

I took one apart recently too. I think I'd use "Big Smashy" next time also. Mine was a zerox and I really enjoyed finding all that wire and all those circuit boards...lots of weight for shred, too.