ATTENTION:Any one paying more then $2.50 per scrap computer needs to read this

I read a thread the other day that stated some of you are paying $5 per for scrap computers. This got my attention since we pay only .12 per lb for mainframes and servers and are barely turning a profit. We once in a while will buy bulk computers and work stations from institutions such as schools and hospitals etc. The last load we bought were 800 Dell Omniplex 270s. I saved a few for my son and his friends to toy with so I dug one out for value analyses.

Here are the #.

Mother board SS @ 1.55 X 1.30 LBS $2.02

mem gold @ ,85 per oz $1.05

Finger cards @$3,75 per lbx $5.29 oz $1.27

Heat sink extruded @.50 per lb x 1/4 lb $ .12

Power supply w wire .27 per lbx2.80 $.76

Tin .05 per lb (that's a stretch for some) $.41

Wire if sold separately .53 per lb x 1/4 lb $.25

cpu $.25


sub total $6.13 If my math is correct.
- .60 (estimate) ship, fuel etc
TOTAL $5.53
if YOU CAN DO 50 OF THESE A DAY YOU CAN MAKE ABOUT $26. Just sayin.

I understand some of you sell parts, to those you will have to do a spread sheet and do your own math.

I have a couple of other Dells and HPs I will analyze in the next day or so and will add the report here.

EARLY HP FROM SAME BATCH UPGRADED:

TIN 11.10 LBS X .O5 .56

LG S MOTHER B + CD BOARD $3.51

POWER SUP W/WIRE $ .89

FINGER CARDS .5 OZ X $3.75 $1.17

WIRE (DIDNT WEIGH) .15

EXT ALU @ ,50 X 5.5 OZ .17

MEM GOLD (UPGRADE) 1 GB 2.19 OZ $2.19

CPU GR FIB @ $6.05 OZ 1.35 OZ .58

SUB TOTAL $6.67

-FUEL/SHIPPING 1.50

SCRAP VALUE $5.17

Don't forget to factor in time- to disassemble and collect, and fuel/equipment costs!

For resale of parts (or the system as a whole), that's an entirely different game. But, if it's not a dual core machine, don't expect resalable parts.

@OldDude- Don't forget the CPU! They're a few cents more usually. I don't have the numbers in front of me, though.

I just bought one off a dude with a 250 GB SATA in it and (2) DDR 2 1GB sticks.. for $3 bucks.
From some of the buyers on here I just made $13 on those two parts alone off of it.. not including what the MOBO, CPU, and rest of the 'puter will bring.

I also turned down 2 towers from a dude that set a deal with me to sell at $3.. I got there, he jacked them to $6 each and there were no HD's or RAM in either.. I walked
:)

I don't see an hard drive on that list , do most of yours come incomplete ? I would imagine hospitals and schools may remove them prior to releasing them . Just curious as I didn't see it on the list .

It might have been a thread from last year. The landscape is changing every couple of months so you have to change and adapt accordingly. I stopped buying altogether last fall. A few months later i resumed buying but at an average of 2.00 $ for a tower or laptop.

All of my sources went dry this winter. There's very little coming in. Even the guys that are focused on steel, copper, & aluminum are sitting idle right now.

For the time being: Scrap prices are low and the resource is scarce.

I have been saying this for a while seemed no one wanted to listen...........I said for a small socket tower $5 was probably about what it was worth.......Oh well people live and learn!!!!!!

Thanks for putting the numbers out there. It is always good to see the numbers reworked.

I remember fondly when $5 was a good number. Now I can only go there if it is a really old computer. LS motherboard, several finger cards, multiple RAM, 20 pound carcass, etc.

I only go about 2 these days for purely scrap. Taking a look at every single computer in the pile can garnish a higher price.

Thanks for posting this oldude. I have figured the numbers myself also. But I am glad you are showing others what the math really is.

A few years ago the prices were much better and a bunch of people jumped on the gold fever bandwagon. Now, the reality is, you can only make good money if you buy low and work with large quantity's. I hope these numbers convince some people to drop out of taking my business.

The biggest issue I have come across is people wanting to much for their crap. I advertise that I "pay $ for old computers" This happens all the time, People will write me saying they have 2 or 3 computers How much? I tell them and I don't hear back from them. They don't realize that my $3 is better than what they would get anywhere else.

You have to figure fuel and time into that price, too. Out here in Wyoming, it's 30 miles to the next town. I only serve those towns at our collection events, or for large quantities (Schools/Hospitals/Larger Businesses).

Even paying nothing for three computers, but driving 50 miles round trip, doesn't pencil out.

Your time and equipment has to be worth something!

as a general rule, no. For certain computers that i have a good history of parts resale then possibly

lol even from the start I did not pay $5 for towers that was only reserved for complete servers or fully working laptops. I pay $2 complete towers 50cents incomplete and same for laptops even at auctions at a higher price I may pay $1.25-1.30 but that's because there is usually 10 laptops or so with 40-60 towers in various shape

I think it all depends on how you work the angles. This is just a hobby for me so i re-invest all of the profits back into the project (business).

The net profit on just one refurb last year was more than enough to pay for forty towers @ 5.00 $ ea. Those towers yielded enough source parts for eight more refurbs plus over 100 lbs of e-waste so it builds on itself

All my sources are within a ten mile radius of the shop and i usually hit them while i'm on the way to doing something else so it's not a major vehicle expense.

The main reason that i went to 2.00$ per unit was because the scrapers i'm buying from felt 5.00$ was a bit high in light of dropping scrap prices.

That's cool ...

How can you still win these auctions travistemple? My experience with auctions is the same everytime i bid, i drop out as soon as it reaches $3 -$4 per unit. And the price continues to rise after that. How are people making money on these? Resale and refurb i suppose. I would like to hope that they are making money, instead of ignorantly taking my business and enevidably loosing theirs.

Summary: If you are buying computers just for the scrap value, then either pay REALLY low or find another job. If you are looking to build a business, then you may need to pay more for the computers to get in the door (loss leader mentality). This will open worlds of opportunity for you with other equipment provided you are in a good market and not out in the middle of the Yukon or similar. The information regarding the breakdown is relatively good, but its only 1 part of a much larger equation. For those of you depending on a scrap computer to pay the bills, you need to get them cheap or free.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shendog

Summary: If you are buying computers just for the scrap value, then either pay REALLY low or find another job. If you are looking to build a business, then you may need to pay more for the computers to get in the door (loss leader mentality). This will open worlds of opportunity for you with other equipment provided you are in a good market and not out in the middle of the Yukon or similar. The information regarding the breakdown is relatively good, but its only 1 part of a much larger equation. For those of you depending on a scrap computer to pay the bills, you need to get them cheap or free.

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How goes it Shendog

I switched over to .15 a lb. from straight 3.50 per. I figure that if someone pulls a few parts out then it'll weigh less and I pay less. A fully loaded older one is heavier and costs a little more. I got tired of paying 3.50 for one that was half empty. My prices I'm paying works out from 1.50 to about 3.00.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ParkerFlyer4

How can you still win these auctions travistemple? My experience with auctions is the same everytime i bid, i drop out as soon as it reaches $3 -$4 per unit. And the price continues to rise after that. How are people making money on these? Resale and refurb i suppose. I would like to hope that they are making money, instead of ignorantly taking my business and enevidably loosing theirs.

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Have you thought about increasing your skill level ?

The reason I ask is because I see the leavings of a number of the local scrappers. They're scrounging for pennies and missing the dollars completely. It's a shame because the guys that are doing straight breakdowns are trashing the resource for those of us who have invested the time & effort to learn.

It's useless to point fingers and create a lot of infighting. Nobody benefits from this. It only creates bitterness.

Wouldn't it be better for you to get five bucks for a refurbishable computer by putting in the hands of somebody that knows what to do with it ?

Better yet ... up your game and make 50 - 100 bucks per unit on the few that can be rebuilt ?

Even better ... re-invest all of your profits and grow the business exponentially ?

I'm being a bit more straightforward than usual but I really think that it's not your competition for the resource that's holding you back. Competition is a good thing.

I understand that. Im doing just fine without dealing with auctions. I just dont understand how he is winning auctions at $2 per unit or less. All auctions around me go to a minimum of $5 per unit before they end.

Region has a lot to do with auction pricing. Auctions here for big lots,5-20 pallets there is usually a minimum starting bid of $2500 and it goes up from there. These lots also have 50-250 crt monitors included. Most are near port citys and it states that buyermust remove with a 48 ft trailer or sea container, so you know whoever buys them they are going right onto a ship going over seas.

the money is not really in the scrap.........Sold two vintage cards yesterday for $120 total..........That could be considered better than scrap