Won my first auction . was it worth it?

Ok i cant remember if I have been at this for 2 months or 3 but, I have finally ventured out to try to start buying scrap I won auction for 54 crt style montiors some also include power cords, for roughly $35. If i am able to pick them up and have them processed before end of next week i probably can slip them into the roll off dumpster that is currently at parents house (plumbing problem caused flooding, so insurance is paying for it.)

I have scrapped tvs and monitors but have never really weighed the products from each. here the current prices are about $2.60 a pound for #2 copper and aluminum has dropped to about .45 a pound, and last week insulated #2 copper wire was 1.10 a pound.

do you all think each one would bring in atleast $4 including the steel plate that is in most?

you might want to check with the roll-off company policy about electronic waste before you put anything in that dumpster.

50 crt's might just raise a few red flags that will lead back to your parents driveway

City of Atlanta, GA : Household Hazardous Waste Disposal

"Collection events for electronics are a regular occurrence from 8 – 4, the third Saturday of every month at Grady High School."

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Originally Posted by 99problems

Ok i cant remember if I have been at this for 2 months or 3 but, I have finally ventured out to try to start buying scrap I won auction for 54 crt style montiors some also include power cords, for roughly $35. If i am able to pick them up and have them processed before end of next week i probably can slip them into the roll off dumpster that is currently at parents house (plumbing problem caused flooding, so insurance is paying for it.)

I have scrapped tvs and monitors but have never really weighed the products from each. here the current prices are about $2.60 a pound for #2 copper and aluminum has dropped to about .45 a pound, and last week insulated #2 copper wire was 1.10 a pound.

do you all think each one would bring in atleast $4 including the steel plate that is in most?

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So much for a respect for the Environment !

thanks for the info, and i will check into that, could somebody answer about should it clear atleast $4 in scrap each?

Depends on the tv an the stuff in it. Are they big crts or little? At one point the value put on a tv was 5 bucks. That's likely changed with drop in prices in some areas, an I don't break them down in a manner where I keep track, cause I get all mine for free for the most part these days. So all profit.

I'm not touching the tv in the dumpster thing, you already got a nice chewing an sure others would like a bite. LOL.

Before ya go buying auctions you should probably make sure it's worth it before you win it. Just sayin.. Oh an for further info on TVs, their value, etc..there are tons of threads on here on this subject.

Enjoy the reading in your future. ;)

Sirscrapalot - !

To many variables to say for sure if you will get $4 out of each one or not. I have seen some degaussing cables that were really thick and then I have seen them so thin that it wasn't worth the effort. Not all degaussing cables are copper either, some are aluminum.
Are there any places in your area that you can take the monitors after you remove the parts you want? Where I'm at I can take them to the county collection site and drop them off no questions asked.

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Originally Posted by Sirscrapalot

Depends on the tv an the stuff in it. Are they big crts or little? At one point the value put on a tv was 5 bucks. That's likely changed with drop in prices in some areas, an I don't break them down in a manner where I keep track, cause I get all mine for free for the most part these days. So all profit.

I'm not touching the tv in the dumpster thing, you already got a nice chewing an sure others would like a bite. LOL.

Before ya go buying auctions you should probably make sure it's worth it before you win it. Just sayin.. Oh an for further info on TVs, their value, etc..there are tons of threads on here on this subject.

Enjoy the reading in your future. ;)

Sirscrapalot - !

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well $5 would be great , but I read lots of old posts where people say copper is $3 a pound, since i have started the highest i have been paid for #2 copper was $2.60. as far as the chewing out thing, i have noticed its an internet thing, and I HAVE developed a tough skin. I take the advice and comments and try to make use them to help make best decisions, but i do not understand the chiming in of warnings, and chewing out, without also helping with answering the original question, or atleast just saying "i dont know" kind of like going to a forum about restaurants, and asking if somebody knows what type of cheese is on the new "cheesy deesy bacon ham salami cheese burger" and the first 10 comments are about dont kill pigs and cows, and artery clogging, hormones, trans fats, etc

Its probably American Cheese, but I would prefer Swiss. lol

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Originally Posted by brandon

To many variables to say for sure if you will get $4 out of each one or not. I have seen some degaussing cables that were really thick and then I have seen them so thin that it wasn't worth the effort. Not all degaussing cables are copper either, some are aluminum.
Are there any places in your area that you can take the monitors after you remove the parts you want? Where I'm at I can take them to the county collection site and drop them off no questions asked.

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ell the company that placed th
yeah i have run into the aluminum degaussing cables in some tvs, but hadnt seen any yet in the monitors. I will start checking for places, i have read on here something about BEST BUY, but having to pay $10 to get that back in store credit. I never had more than a few to dispose of at once. My trash company hasnt put any restrictions on throwing electronics out as long as it fits in the trash container. (hate when they changed to that automatic truck that picks up the cans with the arm )

Leaving disposal out of the discussion, all that is known is that you will get your money back on scrapping them out. There are too many variables to say how much you will make on them, if anything.

Not worth it. Picking up 50 heavy crt's several Times to load and unload for a small small profit is not worth it to me. Then factoring in disposal, really a big hassle. Im guessing you Wont want to do it again, especially paying for them.

I've been to quite a few auction where they couldn't sell that many for a buck. You should clear 3-5 bucks per depending on size and check with your local Goodwill to see if the take monitors and TV's...mine will only take monitors.

Congradulations on your win! I always get a rush of excitement when I get my hands on something new to scrap. As was mentioned, you'll probably get your money back. Since you have won such a large quanity, you can probably update this forum with what your average return per monitor was. Your numbers will be a little more acurate on average than just doing one or two monitors. I'll throw in a few other things to think about:

- Before you use your dumpster, make two phone calls. First the haul away company. Ask them first if TV's are a problem to put in there (make sure you mention a high #). Second, ask them if they are charging the insurance company a flat rate or a per pound amount. If it is per pound, stop there. You would be stealing from your insurance company if they incur extra costs not related to the claim. They could even possibly bring up charges. Not likely they will take signifigant action, but it is wrong. If it's a flat rate, then you might just have your parents ask the claim rep the next time they are talking to him.

- Call Goodwill. Explain you have several monitors to dispose of. Make sure they will take them (you might mention Dell's recycling program). Mention some have the cords cut and make sure those are OK. See if they are OK with you bringing all in at once or if they have a daily limit.

- Best Buy now takes them for free, but I think there is a limit of 3 per day. Note that they do not take "Disassembled TVs and Monitors"

-Something I have done in the past is leave the cord and the circuit board and only take the yoke/degaussing cable. Take a few parts off the circuit board if you want. That way you're less likely to catch flak about trying to pawn off a disassembled monitor. Your call on that one.

-Check with your local yard to see if they buy yokes as-is, and what the rate would be for the degaussing cable not stripped. You might turn a quicker profit with less work.

- Make sure you read up on the forums here for all the goodies to get out of here. There is the silver braided cupronickel wire and stainless screws/clamps on the tube. Make sure you get those in the right spot.

- In considering the net gain of the project remember to take into account gas for obtaining these and getting rid of the tubes.

I'm quite interested in what you have to say once it's all said and done and what the dollars come out to. If nothing else, you're not losing the shirt off your back over this one, and you will have a learning experience. I had one yesterday when I bought what I thought was a printer/fax machine/scanner from the 80's for $5 from a thrift store. I figured with the cartridges I could get my money back easy. It turns out it was a thermal fax machine only so no cartridges. The total thing netted me less than $2 in scrap and took half an hour to scrap. Lessons learned: do more diligence before purchase and stick to no more than my normal price points per item.

I would say with transportation cost and not counting your time value, a break even is questionable. Then comes the big hit, proper trash disposal. But live and learn.

there are literally hundreds of discussions about this very topic in the,ARCHIVES.

Couple of things here, usually monitors have copper for the degaussing cable.
A lot of monitors will have a thin alum sheet back both sides and across the backend of the tube. The bottom will be fastened to the circuit board. As hard as they are to dispose of, I would not have paid for them. Now I charge to remove them if there is not anything else I'm hauling away.

I don't like the OP. What is the point of recycling if your just going to smash them by throwing them in a roll-off dumpster. Your just killing the environment, yourself, and everybody around you.

These types of threads should be locked to prove a point, that CRT's truly are hazardous waste and should be recycled properly, not carelessly.

To the OP if you factor in time, labor and PROPER disposal of crts you are going to lose a few bucks on the deal. Been there done it it doesnt pay unless they are free. In the future you wi know buying crts is a lose lose.

@ foobar- i would not recommend taking only certain parts off of anything and then trying to pass them off as complete items. In my opinion that is the same as stealing, which is not condoned here.

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Originally Posted by 99problems

well $5 would be great , but I read lots of old posts where people say copper is $3 a pound, since i have started the highest i have been paid for #2 copper was $2.60.

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I highly reccomend reading the old threads but warn that pricing has changed on many things as well as changes in grading of items(mother boards, "silver" ram,etc). I believe that with the information you can get here and with a little experience you will know the answers to many of your questions. Each of us have different circumstances that dictate what is the best course for us. In my case tube tvs and crt monitors cost me $5 each to legally dispose of. I would only take them if I could charge $10 each and only if there enough to justify the trip to the land fill site.

So go process these and let us know how it works out for you. Mike.

CRTs have been taken off the Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) list by the federal EPA although some states have chosen to continue listing them as HAZMAT. In those states which do not consider CRTs as HAZMAT, they are considered general household waste and can be disposed of as such. There would be nothing illegal about throwing them in a Dumpster unless prohibited by another statute, regulation or policy.

This is the current status of E-Waste law in Georgia (where the OP is located):

Georgia X
Current status: Senate Resolution 83, passed in April 2009, called for a study committee to be formed to make e-waste law recomendations. The committee was never formed.
Landfill disposal ban: no

To the OP...my 5.00 value was based on all items of value in a tv. I also noted that the value will have changed since prices have dropped in some area vs others. You'll have to figure out the current value on your own as Miked posted. If your going to go this route, I highly suggest you find a way to obtain them free, or as the others say, charge a small disposal fee, or a big one if your paying for these. I try never to pay for them these days unless it's part of a deal for something else I want. I still deal with them, cause they add to my profit margin. I also don't have to worry about paying to rid myself of them, or driving all over town finding that one Goodwill that actually knows about the recycle thing they are doing with Dell.

Edit to add - I use tv/monitor the same. So don't go getting all confused. :p Either way..don't pay for them unless you have to.

Good luck!

Sirscrapalot - We had remotes when I was kid, or as my grandmother would put it.."Go turn the channel for me, or your grounded." :(

I have been doing them for years and averages depend on how far you break them down i guess i never thought about paying for these unless they were like 25cents each or less but $35 is way to much so i say since your not yet have a way with them yet for fast break down of these your going to spend about 10-15hrs breaking them down 2-5hrs of loading unloading driving and disposal which every way your doing so for for good measure say 20hrs of work for these not for sure how far of travel and such but say at least $10gas and with out a full break down say $3each for a fair price to expect so $150say minus $50 for expenses including lunch lol you going to make about $5hr if you do this all in one day you will see what it takes to pound these out including disposal but it will be interesting a learning experience and a way for you to improve on your breakdowns speed and looking for places in the phone book or putting up a ad on clist cause you will get all the free tvs and crts you want this way and calling places will give you them and more stuff as well

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Originally Posted by Mick

CRTs have been taken off the Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) list by the federal EPA although some states have chosen to continue listing them as HAZMAT. In those states which do not consider CRTs as HAZMAT, they are considered general household waste and can be disposed of as such. There would be nothing illegal about throwing them in a Dumpster unless prohibited by another statute, regulation or policy.

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thats a relief to know. , i know the regular trash service doesnt mind as long as it fits in the trash can (so they can let the automated arm pick it up)

If these are all computer monitors as stated in your thread then you should be able to get at least 4.00ea for them and maybe more. The plugs on the cords are gold connectors, should get 1.00-1.50# for them. The cords and the wire from inside should be .90-1.00#. Should be about 1-1.5# of #2copper and low grade boards. Good luck.

thanks. the connectors on which cords?

Travis speaks truth on how to obtain them free. An on breaking them down, first several dozen will suck, but then you'll know the tricks to getting them broken down much faster. Which is why I don't mind taking them when given for free or as part of a deal. It takes me no time now to break them down, monitors or tv's. Pssshaaaw!

Sirscrapalot - Had fun in the ocean.

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@ foobar- i would not recommend taking only certain parts off of anything and then trying to pass them off as complete items. In my opinion that is the same as stealing, which is not condoned here.

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@BRASSCATCHER - Good comment, and it got me thinking. My post above wasn't clear, and since people use these forums for information, I'd like to clarify what I meant, and provide follow up.
My comment was:

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Something I have done in the past is leave the cord and the circuit board and only take the yoke/degaussing cable. Take a few parts off the circuit board if you want. That way you're less likely to catch flak about trying to pawn off a disassembled monitor. Your call on that one.

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I meant this only for Goodwill - definitely not selling to anyone, or representing they were in working order. I knew my goodwill participates in the Dell recycling program and they accept gutted TV's and monitors, however, once when I talked on the phone one to ask about this, the lady who answered said they don't take anything with any damage such as the cord cut off. I figured the lady didn't know what she was talking about, but I was willing to leave a little of the $$$ in the TV on to prevent any conflict from employees who didn't fully understand the policy. I always said the monitors were not working and should go strait to recycling - but I figured leaving those parts on would prevent any questions. I also figured it was a buck or two I was leaving there for Goodwill.

That said, after thinking about your comments, I agree - this doesn't stand up to my standard of honesty, and I spent some time checking with supervisors at Goodwill to make sure I was correct in their policy. They agreed - heck, they said one person who brings in TV's all the time cuts the cords of the ones that don't work and leaves the cords for those that do to save them time in processing. So, I've changed my practice to always remove the cord and circuit board. Goodwill is getting a CRT tube in the plastic shell with a few screws and that's it. Again, I tell them up front these don't work; I just want to see them recycled the right way. If any employee ever gives me flak about it being gutted (none have in my last few trips), then I'll ask to check with their supervisor, who I'm sure will back me up.

My integrity is very important to me, and it does often involve effort. I really appreciate your point of view. While I don't feel I was stealing, I do agree it wasn't the most honest and needed to be corrected. Thanks!