Newbies First Day Results

Okay, Day one in the books.

Hours worked: 7am-2pm
Amount recieved at yard: $17.80 (10.10 in steel, 7.70 in cast aluminum)
Amount in gas for day: $20

What to change:
---Dont's waste time on cleaning junk.
I get to the steel heap and I see guys throwing in items that are covered in fabric, wood, all sorts of things on them. I guess they don't care. As long as it has metal in it they didnt even notice. So i wont be cutting fabric or removing plastic feet anymore.

---Patience!
So, guilty. First time ever to scrap yard with an actual load and while trying to learn the procedure I look over a few things... I had 2 nice sized electric motors. One was welded to a big blade and the other was a celing fan. I told myself "next time I will find out where to turn in motors." And I threw them in the steel pile. Only to make it over to turning in my alluminum to find a few guys turning in motors with all kinds of blades and bulbs attatched! (Wish I would have known that)

---Get out earlier, and end earlier.
Things were going good in the morning but after noon I couldnt even find a pile of leaves! Next time, start earlier and end at noon. Get out before the trash guys and hopefully before a few other scrappers. I wasted too much gas driving all over to find nothing. (Now if only I could find a money making venture from noon-5... Ideas?)

In short I didnt profit anything today. But I can understand the appeal. A lot of fun in the hunt. Tweak a few things and maybe I can come out ahead. I'll take any advice I can get. Thanks for all your help. Wish me luck.

Don't overlook things that you could possibly resale, I started scrapping only after I started seeing metal in the garbage while out looking for antiques to sell at yard sales and in my booth at an antique store.

Hey Newbie, I applaud your effort. It's all good, you did ok. The only way to learn and get better is by jumping in head first. However, by being on this forum, read prior post on how to maximize your cash at the scrap yard. Take care.

Spend your 12 to 5 time breaking down your finds for max profit. Also listing stuff you find on craigslist. I once found 4 tires whiole out metal shopping that still had half tread on them. Put them on CL and sold them for $100 that night. Also found a outdoor table and 6 chair set that was aluminium that was worth maybe $20 scrap that I sold on CL for $150. SO dont corner yourself into doing one thing and youll make money :)

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Originally Posted by Mabrito88

In short I didnt profit anything today

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Sure you did...You learned a bit of what to do, and also what not to do. Another trip or two to the yard, and you'll be seein' a profit. Hang in there...:cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mabrito88

Okay, Day one in the books.

Hours worked: 7am-2pm
Amount recieved at yard: $17.80 (10.10 in steel, 7.70 in cast aluminum)
Amount in gas for day: $20

What to change:
---Dont's waste time on cleaning junk.
I get to the steel heap and I see guys throwing in items that are covered in fabric, wood, all sorts of things on them. I guess they don't care. As long as it has metal in it they didnt even notice. So i wont be cutting fabric or removing plastic feet anymore.

---Patience!
So, guilty. First time ever to scrap yard with an actual load and while trying to learn the procedure I look over a few things... I had 2 nice sized electric motors. One was welded to a big blade and the other was a celing fan. I told myself "next time I will find out where to turn in motors." And I threw them in the steel pile. Only to make it over to turning in my alluminum to find a few guys turning in motors with all kinds of blades and bulbs attatched! (Wish I would have known that)

---Get out earlier, and end earlier.
Things were going good in the morning but after noon I couldnt even find a pile of leaves! Next time, start earlier and end at noon. Get out before the trash guys and hopefully before a few other scrappers. I wasted too much gas driving all over to find nothing. (Now if only I could find a money making venture from noon-5... Ideas?)

In short I didnt profit anything today. But I can understand the appeal. A lot of fun in the hunt. Tweak a few things and maybe I can come out ahead. I'll take any advice I can get. Thanks for all your help. Wish me luck.

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One more thing Mabrito88, do what you are doing now, network, network, and network some more. The more people know, the more they will give. Lastly, be pleasant and respectful and watch what happens.

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Tweak a few things and maybe I can come out ahead.

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I see what your saying but you might want to use a different word, as we all know how much we love tweakers,,,lol

I'm by no means an expert, Mabrito88, but here's 2 tips that can make you $5000+ over the course of the next 12 months if you work them right.

Step 1A1: find a safe, legal, and environmentally responsible way to dispose of CRT tubes from TVs/monitors. Goodwill is ideal, but get this aspect nailed down before going any further with this idea!

Once you have CRT disposal lined up, go to every thrift store in your area. You're looking for places that people take donations to. Stuff that they couldn't sell in their own garage sales, but that they don't want to take to the dump. Make an appointment to speak to the store manager, and clean up/dress up halfway nice for the occasion. Present yourself as a professional or you won't be taken seriously. Now... remember going in that this guy operates on a tight budget. One thing that's straining his budget is the way people keep bringing him bulky old CRT TVs that just don't sell. He has to throw them away, and they're filling up his dumpsters, taking up LOTS of room, and making him have to have his dumpsters serviced more often, or making him keep more dumpsters than he would like to have to keep, either way, those TVs are costing him money. That's where you come in. Ask him to have his helpers set the unsellable TVs aside and tell him you will be there EVERY DAY at 4:30 (or whenever... just BE CONSISTENT!) to pick them up. Before long, they'll be asking you if you take printers/phones/radios/bedframes/ceiling fans/lamps/etc/etc/etc. I have ONE (very busy) thrift store account that gives me probably 300 bucks a month worth of scrap. Be sure to take good care of those guys as time goes on, too.

Another tip, stop & talk to every sole-proprietor plumber you see. Ask them what they do with the old water heaters they remove when they do replacement jobs. Ask them to shoot you a text with the address and tell them you'll remove the water heater, the box the WH came in, and any other trash they may need removed from that job as a courtesy for letting you have the water heater to scrap. Ask them about Garbage disposals they replace, too.

Stop & talk to pool maintenance guys. Ask them A) what they do with those 5 gallon (and some have even larger) buckets their pool chemicals come in. You can never have too many buckets! But mainly, B) what you want from these guys is for them to let you know if they ever do a replacement job on a pool heater. Offer them the same deal: Removal & site cleanup in exchange for letting you have the old heater. And believe me, you'll be a happy man when you see the goodies inside one of those things!

Stop & talk to DirecTv guys (satellite dishes & LNBs)... security system service techs (lead acid batteries)... electricians (in the off chance they don't scrap their wire refuse)... the list goes on & on.


Well, I guess that was more than 2 tips. Sorry. ;)

Thanks for taking the time for this post. It isn't easy, but you have a start. Keep updating this thread for us please to see your progress.

Very well said Auminer. Hit those thrift stores! I got one across the highway from me, an thats how I started with them. I offered to take their tv's now I have 3 or 4 totes at a time up there, an I come by every saturday an pick'm up. They now give me their cell phones, cables from various electonics, etc. They know what I'll take an what I don't, an know I'll show up to get the stuff. An they love seeing me walk in the door! LOL.

Funny store tho on this store, me an the wife stopped in two weekends back, for me to do a pick up an her some shopping. She's looking at this desk in the back, and is like.."Babe, I really want this desk but the drawers are stuck, think we can pop it back at the house?" before I could answer one of the young guys came over an offered to open it for her. So he gets to working on it, pops the drawer out. Filled with paper mess, think rat nest..cept instead of a rat coming out..a big ass black snake did..LOL. I've never seen a shop clear out so fast from employee's to customers. I had a good laugh, an so did the guys working..but man..seeing a bunch of young guys shriek like that was hilarious. I tease them now everytime I go in, an they all laugh about it.

Sirscrapalot - Glad he didn't just say "yes dear, lets take it home".

You wrote:
"What to change:
---Dont's waste time on cleaning junk.
I get to the steel heap and I see guys throwing in items that are covered in fabric, wood, all sorts of things on them. I guess they don't care. As long as it has metal in it they didnt even notice. So i wont be cutting fabric or removing plastic feet anymore."

Where-as it is true that many scrap yards will allow certain noticeable amounts of contaminants (such as plastic) on the steel, selling the steel "as is" with these items attached to them, does indeed actually decrease the price per pound of scrap steel, in reality--the long run.
The cleaner steel is, the more it is actually going to put the price of scrap steel at (per pound).
So therefore, if you are merely interested in the short-term result--saved from doing the work of removing the contaminants--it does indeed make your job a bit easier!
However, if you prefer to make a (likely extremely small, insignificant, possible even questionable) investment, you may wish to remove the easier-to-remove, more size-able contaminants.
Thankfully, where I live the price per pound of steel has just gone up another cent per pound--now it is sitting at .6!
Thanks for all of your time!

This is a good post Mab, and welcome to the forum. This forum can be the best tool you can have, just read the old post and you won't make mistakes like you did with the electric motors, but that is how we all learned before we had this forum. The next time you get something that your not sure what to do with log on to the forum and type it into the search box and read up on it. Every thing you get brake it down until you find out what is worth braking down and what is not. Try to find places where you can get scrap items on a regular bases and try to stop having to drive around looking for scrap in peoples trash, although this is a good way to get started you will end up putting all your profits in the gas tank. When you go to the scrap yard don't be afraid to ask questions. Most of the time they will be glad to help you out and it will also make their job easyer as well.

Okay. So for those still following. Went out again today 5am-noon. $17 in steel. $20 in gas. maybe more. Same results just no aluminum. The car Im using has a HUGE truck and backseat but i realized today that its an 8 cylinder... so that's where all my gas is going. Ill be getting a 4 soon. Hopefully thatll help. I worked 8 hours to lose $3 Im not doing so good at this. Looks like maybe Scrappin will have to be a part time gig. Are you guys tellin me you don't normally go curb to curb for scrap? Thanks for all your help!

The only time that I purposely drive all over just looking for scrap is during my city's annual spring 'heavy trash pickup'. It goes on for about 3 weeks in May, and scrappers come in from miles away. And yes, I burn a lot of fuel. Otherwise, no I don't just drive around hoping to find scrap. But if say, I gotta run somewhere, and it happens to be trash night, I will usually take the scenic route, just to see what's out at the curb.

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Originally Posted by Mabrito88

Okay. So for those still following. Went out again today 5am-noon. $17 in steel. $20 in gas. maybe more. Same results just no aluminum. The car Im using has a HUGE truck and backseat but i realized today that its an 8 cylinder... so that's where all my gas is going. Ill be getting a 4 soon. Hopefully thatll help. I worked 8 hours to lose $3 Im not doing so good at this. Looks like maybe Scrappin will have to be a part time gig. Are you guys tellin me you don't normally go curb to curb for scrap? Thanks for all your help!

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Yes, that is what the other posters are telling you.

Curb shopping can be extremely profitable at times but most of the time I only do it for fun, and if time allows me to do so.

While curb shopping and dumpster diving in the beginning i noticed a few things in my area

1) Best time to curb shop (for me) is Sunday evening in the neighborhoods that have Monday trash pickup. People clean up and set their trash out.
Same goes for apartment dumpsters. Most cleanups happen on the weekends and by 7 or so at night those dumpsters are full. Most around me also get dumped
Monday morning, so if you wait until 5 a.m. to check out apartment dumpsters they are usually empty.

2) Seems around here the people who have Tuesday trash pickup don't want their cleanups sitting at the curb until Tuesday and usually find another outlet for their junk.
There are quite a few business dumpsters around my neighborhood that are always overflowing with non-business waste.

3) When it comes to apartment dumpster diving the best apartments (not to sound demeaning in any way) are Section 8 or government assistance complexes.
When your housing, food, and utilities are being paid on the first of the month by the Federal Government, there isn't as much worry about running out of money.
I'm not trying to start anything negative, but it is true that any and all income they get is technically disposable.
The complex closest to me even has a specific roll off, full time, for furniture, electronics and appliances, and it is usually full within a week.

I stopped curb shopping on any day of the week except for Sunday. I usually end up filling my truck every Sunday night in under an hour and a half of driving. On saturday mornings there are a handful of dumpsters i check because i know they typically have goodies in them. For example, there are 2 storage units in my town whose dumpsters are outside the fence - always full of good stuff. There is also a dumpster behind a Ross where a Direct TV guy dumps all his equipment every Friday night. There is a bar next door and i finally put two and two together. He stops for a couple beers and unloads his van on the way out. Good For me!!

Anyway, these "tips" are how i conduct my curb shopping in my town.

The best thing you can do is know who throws out what and when. It will take some time, but trust me, eventually you will have a weekly routine down.

Oh! and the Thrift Store tip given to you earlier is a must!!
You've got to let people know what you are doing. The more people who know, the more calls you will get.
I just won a couple auctions this week and on one of them a buyer backed out and they (public school) didnt have time to relist and dispose of it before school starts back up so i ended up with 2 truck and trailer loads full of everything you can imagine when i only went to pick up 35 computer towers.

Everyone has slow weeks, just keep at and be prepared for the weeks when you get slammed. It will happen.

I think you profited greatly in terms of how much knowledge you picked up on only your first day. Well done!

If you plan to focus on curb shopping, you'll do well to go to your city's municipal waste company's website & find out what day trash day is in different neighborhoods. There's probably even a map you can print out & keep with you.

I really like Sunday afternoons & Monday mornings around here! That's a pretty upscale area of town.
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/664/5kss.jpg

Only other tips I can give you is..break things down that can be. May seem pointless at first, but you'll soon learn otherwise. Some is and some isn't worth it, but you have to get that hands on experience. I started out curb shopping, tv's were my best friends. As another thread said..when you find an item..come here an do a search on said item, even if you think you know..double check, you'd be surprised. I know I was with the little barber clippers I broke down the other night. I coulda tossed whole thing in shred, gotten .08lb for it..I took 2 minutes broke it down. The wire and transformer that came out will bring more then the whole thing just tossed in shred. Also learn your yard, ask questions. If they won't answer your questions, find a yard that will. Most in my experience won't mind. An educated customer makes their life a lot easier, but they won't take you by the hand an teach you.

As an example, one yard I use, I was there dropping some alum an wire ( I have to do this in their building, pull up unload, weigh, etc) an they got a call from a guy with a window ac unit. He asked what they'd give him, yard boss said.."Depends, if you just want the quick cash, bring it in, you'll make at lest 15 bucks, but if I were you I'd break it down. You do that an you'll get from 25 on up 75." I was surprised he said that, figuring he'd just low ball the guy, but my yard likes educated customers, they don't want to be that yard that doesn't care. An this is why they get most of the business down here. An if they do answer your questions an treat you right, take'm some doughnuts, water, drinks, etc. It goes along way an they do appreciate it. It also helps them remember you.

Also find a niche, for some it's TV's, others cars, or ewaste, etc. Find your niche an act on it, but still diversify. I do mainly ewaste but I still take TV's, regular scrap, hell I'd take a car if someone asked me. Before you know it, you'll be either doing this full time, or have a nice steady part time income. Don't be above picking up cans, they can add up.

If you think your gonna make 500 a day off of just curb shopping an not breaking anything down to max profit, your just kidding yourself. An use these forums, they are a great asset. You hear this a lot an there is a reason for it, it's worked for me, an many others here. So get out there an keep doing what your doing, an it'll all come together eventually. You have a resource many of us didn't have when we first started. I didn't find this forum till several months after I started scrapping, an now I can say thanks to all members before, an even after me for helping me take this full time. Without this knowledge I'd still be just doing TV's, an cans. ;)

I wish you the best of luck an let us know how it goes for ya, it's not an easy job, an takes being stubbron, blood(yes it'll happen..), sweat an hell even some tears. Oh an lots of swearing..LOL.

Someone slipped something into my cooler, I'm awfully wordy lately..LOL.

Sirscrapalot - Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill

What a waste of time???

U gota learn somehow, I guess..i made over 500 my 1st day..I started w #2 cu from my work..

Check ur yard for prices daily..n make sure u have enough for a trip to the yard..My lowest has been $22 in shred..but it is 2.2 milez from my townhouse .i needed the room

Aint no sense in losin $$$..

Well shoot. Everyone has connections. I did not realize that...

Not the best time to get into the game with metal prices down and gas prices going up but I am sure you will appreciate when the price goes up if you stick to it. To be honest if you are ready have more bad days like the first day then hang in there this is a tough job. I am a newbie still at about a year of doing this full time and have made so many mistakes but keep doing it. My day starts at 1 sometimes and goes into the evening sometimes i I start in the morning I go 12 hours but got to pace myself. Look in every dumpster check any construction areas look for aluminum, brass. copper and other light metals that's where the money is right now. I don't bother with metal for now except what I take apart fans. lights. heater. microwaves, CPUs etc. Good luck and look for a part time job to fill your 12-5. LOL

I scrap part time and have read a lot of the forum tips, but the two most productive and lucrative things I have come across is:
1. Like everyone else said Network, Network, Network... I have a handy-man carpenter that gives me 5 gallon buckets of stuff left over from old jobs, he has supplied me with old furnaces, rusty nails, copper wire hinges, etc., one lady brings me aluminum cans and 3 miles of electric fence rope that I am not sure what I am going to do with, but I didn't have to spend time or money to go get and she gave me a bunch of old brass canteen lids.
2. The other one is to hit yard sales late day when they are really trying hard to get rid of stuff. Last weekend I bought for $2: a truck toolbox filled with some rusty old tools, 2 working cordless drills, router, and 200 feet of heavy duty extension cord that looked like my Dad had been using to power his lawn mower (he got tired of flipping the cord, would just run it over).

We've started small. The wife works as a cook, she's been bringing home #10 cans for a month or so now. Keeps them in a garbage can in the sun porch. She also saves the food cans we use. We rent so we can't go too big. We save soda cans. I get the occasional pick up from craigslist and side job tossed to me by friends who don't bother with it. There are so many scrappers here and I'm so new to it that I couldn't do it more than part time. I'm not sure how to go about networking. I'm pretty new to the community. I have been tearing down a mobile home for a friend which has netted me some aluminum, copper wiring, and some beams. Beside the trailer are 2 sheds and a carport of sorts made out of 16ft beams. I haven't torn it down yet, but will soon.

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I'm not sure how to go about networking. I'm pretty new to the community.

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Start by making up some home made business cards with who you are and what you do, what your scrapping.
Then start handing them out to everyone you meet and know (family-friends), Go to yard sales and hand them a card, their easy to approach cause their already out in their yard. That's the beginning of networking.
People know people and they talk.
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...ess-cards.html

If the carport is yours..don't tear it down, use it for your breakdowns, an storage. Drop 20 bucks on some blue tarps, an cover it up, an clean up after yourself. I rent, in a tourist town no less, an do exactly this. Granted I'm not in a trailer, but still same concept. As another has said in pas threads on this subject..Out of sight out of mind. You also have the option to budget some funds for a small storage unit, an upgrade as funds allow. Also get you some totes, or whatever works for what your breaking. Several totes, for your coppers, alum, etc if broken down small enough isn't gonna get you kicked out if you have it properly stored an covered.

Edit : On the tarps, I'm saying to cover the stuff your breaking down..not the carport..lol. Figured I should clarify..

Just some ideas. Don't use renting as an excuse to not do it. Find away around it, that won't get you in trouble. I must say..I've never found a trailer park with a HOA...heh. Unless it was a 55+ park. An again..out of sight..out of mind.

Sirscrapalot - Tarps an totes can be your best friend

And like Sir was talking about, We had one of our members that was running a pretty good sized business (escrap) right out of 2 big storage units with a pallet jack. He did pick-ups and sales and breakdowns right there. I noticed right close by that our units have a electric plug-ins about every 3rd unit, nothing an extension cord wouldn't cure. That way there's nothing stored at your trailer.

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/day-l...ny-update.html

It's not a real carport, just didn't have another explanation. It's I beams, cinder blocks, and sheets of tin cobbled together to make a very tall shelter of sorts. It's on the property I'm clearing. As for the trailer park, let me elaborate. I can't leave trash cans in front of the house or my kids' Powerwheels and bikes. Their playhouse and swing set must be out of sight. No flower beds, gardens, or digging of any type. Satellite dish was installed with owners present to oversee digging. No watering the lawn, swimming pools, sprinklers, washing your car, or car repairs that can't be done within an hour. No dogs outside without a leash, no tie outs allowed. Lawns mowed once weekly no matter how little growth occurs. My yard has deep cracks in it, but hey, let's not water it! Let's let it die! I hate where I live, but I'm stuck for now.

I have a 16ft car hauler that I'm not allowed to keep in my driveway... 2 vehicle maximum. The owners are older and very strict. There are only like 5 of the 20ish tenants here that are under age 30