Printable View
Phone rings. Caller asks if I buy metal and wants to sell me a brass radiator. I quote him a price and he tells me that the scrap yard offered him $1.80/lb. I told him to take it up there but he'd need to "prepare" it, first. I don't think he heard it all as the phone went dead.
Unprepared brass radiators are 0.75/lb.
What's that signature of Kris Kringle? Oh, yeah - you can't fix stupid.
ya My wale #1 called me yesterday to let me know the yard gave him $1.25 for mixed insulated wire after I offered him $1.20 #2 bragged about the $2400 dollar check he got. untill I reminded him I would have sorted it and paid $1.85 for the #1.
I get this all the time. People always call me and ask the most ridiculous questions. "What's a lawn mower worth?" 15-20 bucks. Then they ask why... I'm the one gutting the tires for short steel, taking off the wiring harness, cutting out the small engine, transporting it to and from. The logistics of people not realizing exactly how much things are worth when prepared properly, the whole thing astounds me.
Just got another one: Go to a junk yard where I get batteries on a monthly basis - used to get 20 or so a month. Last several months he's been holding back, hoping I'd raise the price I pay. Stop in yesterday. Younger guy is glad to see me as the batteries are getting in the way. Older guy asks how much I'd pay - still $4. He wants to hold off as "somebody" offered him $10 a battery. I'm thinking to myself "Then why hasn't he sold them?". THEN - he let it slip that he almost had a "cube" (pallet worth or 48 batteries). The trick is that core buyers want at least three pallets/skids (144 batteries) at a time. At this rate, it'll take another two years to get a shipment built up. And if he thinks 40 or so batteries clutters up the place, wait till there's 144 of them laying around.
So, let me get this straight...you go to a junk yard, take batteries out, pay the junk yard, and then go get a few bucks more from the scrap yard right? If so, makes sense.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick
Also, what about doing it for aluminum tire rims that have no rubber on them? Would it be worth it for them, do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeB
Not quite. I go to the junk yard. Get the batteries that they've taken out of cars they're scrapping and have on a pallet. They load the pallet(s) of batteries on my trailer. I store them until I have enough to sell to a core buyer (3-4 pallets). I'll more than double my money.
Aluminum rims - wouldn't hurt to ask. Figure out what an average aluminum (or steel for that matter) rim is worth, what you're willing to pay and approach a tire repair place, junkyard etc. One thing is certain - you won't get them if you don't ask.
I considered going to the junk yard and buying aluminum rims, to resell later to the scrap yard, but looking over the prices at the junk yard I don’t think I could make it work, Looks like they have them priced high enough I wouldn’t make any money.
Any Aluminum wheel is $13.98 + $10.30(core charge) =$24.28 total
I have never tried to figure the average per wheel but I’m sure at $25 it would never work for me…
They do have another price . for bad tire aluminum rims.. 13.98 + 3.05 core even then that is little over $17, and would have to pull the rims with bad tires.
I have had a few calls go like this.
Caller: You hual away metal right?
Me: Yes i do
Caller: I have some metal for you to haul off, oh and you can sell it if you want to
I have a couple callers say that i could sell what I haul off. First off why do they think i am hauling it off for and second if i haul something ff I am going to do whatever i want with it lol.
Or you can sit on it and watch it rust,,,, lolQuote:
oh and you can sell it if you want to
One way of getting rims and batteries is to start buying scrap cars. I have a pallet of batteries that way. Sadly no aluminum rims yet.
I have a backyard full of aluminum rims still on the tire from where I junk out cars sporadicly. Don't get excited, they don't weigh much. For average 15 inch tires, I usually get 50 bucks a set. That's when prices are high-norm to boost the size of my wallet. Get yourself a truck bed full and then take them in. The odd tire or two is hardly worth all the time and effort to cut into them. Get a pile, start a little fire out in the hills, and then come morning reap the benefits and get yourself close to a grand when you have enough to fill a truck bed about cab high or so.
LOL It's not that bad if you keep a hose handy. I've done the whole melt your aluminum thing on the first couple go arounds. The stuff puddles up below the tires, you can actually take in the tire belts with the rubber burned off for tin at some yards and the aluminum still sells even if you can't tell it was a rim. Try it before you snub you nose at it.
If you have a small box truck filled with them, yeah perhaps a grand, but just a truck, filled up, I don't see that being 1,000. Perhaps 400 to 500 at 50 a set.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheFatMan
Bobby, The yard I work at pays .75 a pound for aluminum rims. It is less for chrome, which is .45 cents a pound. From what I have bought, I would say a set of 4 alum rims will average anywhere from 45-75 dollars. Hope this helpsQuote:
Originally Posted by Bobby
I have never tried to figure the average per wheel but I’m sure at $25 it would never work for me…
Sorry for the late reply. That would make more sense. How much do you normally get for 3 or 4 pallets of batteries Mick?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick
I have gotten this one jaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Sorry if this is a dumb question ( I tried to look it up on the search function but didn't get anywhere) - how do you "prepare" a radiator?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick
Thanks
You take the sides off of it. Cut the copper ends off, then peel the steel sides off of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrapette
Prepare - For a brass radiator, remove any steel lines and other steel parts. That will also mean cutting out the filler neck. For an aluminum radiator, bend the tabs that hold the plastic sides on. Remove any plastic and steel. Don't forget the drain petcocks.
Mick:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick
For those who might not know, by filler neck, your referring to the part at the top, that you twist off the cap, and pour in the antifreeze in correct?
And - No, it was not a dumb question. I see all kinds of stuff go to the yard that could be worth 2-3 times as much if only people would do just A LITTLE bit.
Yes. Sorry, probably an old expression given the overflow containers today.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeB
Welcome to my world. :) It amazes me how people think their wire is worth $5.00 a pound mixed.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheFatMan
It's alright. I doubt anyone would not know what you meant, but there is always that possibility, so I figured I go ahead and get it cleared.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick
Everyone's answers have been very helpful. Thank you all.
One thing that a few have done since I have joined this site Scrapette, is if they have a question about a certain item, they post a picture of it, and ask for guidance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrapette
When you come across the next radiator, or anything else, and get confused or unsure, feel free to post a picture, and we can help guide you.
You mean it's not!!!Quote:
It amazes me how people think their wire is worth $5.00 a pound mixed.
LOL I just had to,,
Dear Scrapette, first you sit it down and have a very heart felt talk with it, then..........Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrapette
I see you got advice to cut the ends off. This is how you would prepare a air conditioning coil. An auto rad is different.
It has metal or plastic tanks ( top and bottom) that need to be removed with a hammer and a few well placed shots. Then a few whacks at the steel bands and you have a cleaned rad.
Thanks for telling me that GeorgeB., I was thinking about doing that with some electronic thingy I trash-picked. I just have to get my camera and computer to cooperate!Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeB
Lol, thanks InjunJoe, I guess I need to prepare it for the violence that I am about to inflict upon it!Quote:
Originally Posted by injunjoe
And thanks for the serious part of your answer, too!
Scrapette, you might have better luck by using Photobucket or one of the other free photo sites. Then once you have them at the free site you put your curser on the pic and a menu will come out and you pick the direct link. You will see it'll say "copied" after you have clicked on it. Then you just go in your posting and hit the little square window looking icon right above where your typing and it'll open up and you just paste what you just copied right there and the pic will be here. Clear as mud,, Right?Quote:
I just have to get my camera and computer to cooperate!
If your PC has a member card slot, you should just need to plug it in, and it will auto detect it, and then ask what you want to do with the info on the card.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrapette
Same thing, if your using a USB cord too.
I take it you didn't know the price when you took them in? I would have held onto them if you have the space.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrap-It
Interstate was advertising they pay $12 per battery. Not sure how that compares to others.
Sounds like that would be an average of about .25 a lb.Quote:
Interstate was advertising they pay $12 per battery. Not sure how that compares to others.
Hey, did he actually say that out load??Quote:
Originally Posted by TheFatMan
:)
Good eye. I never caught that!
roommate gave me bout 6 radiators and i didnt have the tools to take them apart so i just turned em in as-is
a while later she comes to me asking me for some money saying she knows i she wants at least 50 bux cuase she knows how much those radiators were worth
haha. Tell her tough, if she wanted the money she would have hauled them in her self. Sounds like she waited for you to do the work before she comes a cryin' to get paid.
I was at Sims a while ago & some guy brought in a bunch of metal, more like a box of it, all mixed up, not scrapped down at all, & a radiator...
So the guy at Sims gets his tools & shows the guy how to scrap it down, then gives him the scrapped down price....
Talk about good service..