Loaded a ton of Good steel into the trash dumpster This evening --- - Page 2

Originally Posted by AuburnEwaste

Why are you giving this guy such a hard time? Plenty of people here waste gas driving around to curb shop steel, not even making enough to recover the value of the gas. And when they post a picture, everybody jumps in and says "great haul", "good job". I agree throwing it in the dumpster is dumb, but if you are loosing money, why haul it in?

Because any amount for it at the yard is better then no amount for it at the yard. To throw out $40 worth of anything is dumb. Would you throw out $40 in gas? or good food? No, you wouldn't. That's why we're riding this so hard... we get prices are low, but you have to change your view with the times or you're going to end up burying yourself.

Lets just say, everyones situation is different.

I personally, will take my sherd to the local transfer station and dump it for free. Like nhscrapman, my yard is too far to profit vs/ gas + wear/ tear. The city can take my profit.

But that is MY situation. The shred is a byproduct of my main scrap income.

Originally Posted by logansryche

To throw out $40 worth of anything is dumb. Would you throw out $40 in gas? or good food? No, you wouldn't. .

But would you pay $40 in gas to drive to the yard to make $40? That is the issue

Originally Posted by ParkerFlyer4

Lets just say, everyone's situation is different.

I'll agree with that. Here trash and recycle are picked up by one truck now and both end up in the same place: the landfill. It's counter productive but it's how the city gets around one of several EPA regulations.

Originally Posted by ParkerFlyer4

But would you pay $40 in gas to drive to the yard to make $40? That is the issue

Yes I would, why? Because my mindset is different then yours. In my mind, I'm helping the environment, not just padding my wallet, no matter what prices are at. $40 in gas also lasts me two weeks now that the ford's gone.

Originally Posted by BRASSCATCHER

Not arguing either, its just that any scrap metal can be profitable. Maybe you could have traded it for something else. Most scrappers I know are willing to trade towers for metal or anything else that they dont want to put effort into. I have local guys here that drop towers off at my house for 2-4 bucks because the scrap yard is paying .08#.

You have to start thinking outside the box. I have also traded steel for a/c, microwaves, water heaters,furnaces whatever they have that they are to lazy to put any effort into.

Did you ask if the scrap yard would come with a truck and pick it up. Most here will and pay you for it.

i never thought of that - thats a good idea --- we took the ac's - wires - batteries just not the steel which goes to the city -

You sold the F-150?

Back on topic, I make the trips pay. Our yard is in the city, so we make a day out of it. Last week, some dirty aluminum paid for our fuel. Most people on Saturdays will just drive up there and have a day. Mine was paid for with scrap.

Of course, I have almost infinite storage space, so I can do it.

For people that can't store a lot, it makes sense to me. If you can barely break even on scrap, renting a storage unit is not a good idea!

matador: "Numbers ruin all of the fun in life!"

I would have set it outside for someone to take or list it on cragslist for free. The city charges us monthly $17.06 for garbage & recycling once a week, and twice a year bulky item pick up, so I don't like to give them any metal... And a run to the dump is $15.00!

Originally Posted by matador

You sold the F-150?

Technically yes, the guy's suppose to come by sometime today to jump it and pay for it(left the lights on by accident). I don't want to since it's been good to the wife and I but the town of Fulton wants $186 over the ticket I got when I was up there in December(day before Christmas of all days). Might see if my folks can bail me out on this one since I can't scrap if I don't have a truck lol. If he doesn't come by tomorrow, I'm taking the for sale sign down.

Originally Posted by ParkerFlyer4

But would you pay $40 in gas to drive to the yard to make $40? That is the issue

for me ..i would...miles are a write off, when im at the yard i usually buy other stuff from the yard, while out delivering to the yard i will also stop at regular scheduled pick ups while on way back running empty.

worse case scenario offer it to someone else for free so you dont have to pay dump fees and its still recycled

I could see it both ways...But what about the time that it took to acquire the steel? To then throw it out later??? To each his own I guess

If the steel is just waste left over from a more profitable enterprise then I don't see what the big deal is (other then not having another scrapper come by and take it). People who specialize in ewaste end up with computer cases they don't want and there might not be a scrap yard close enough to make getting rid of the cases profitable.

Originally Posted by unknownk

If the steel is just waste left over from a more profitable enterprise then I don't see what the big deal is (other then not having another scrapper come by and take it). People who specialize in ewaste end up with computer cases they don't want and there might not be a scrap yard close enough to make getting rid of the cases profitable.

Yeah but no one in the ewaste business throws their cases in the garbage, that's wasteful and in NY it's illegal.

Any metal I have is left over from the computers and phone systems I scrap. So far I've been getting 180 a ton but last week it had dropped to 125. I made 73 dollars and gave my daughter 10 for helping. If shred were to drop really low I would still probably take it to the yard which is 30 minutes away or put it on CL. Just have to wait and see what happens. Until then I'm still collecting as many computers and phone systems as I can.

I am not sure , I will do it yet . But I think I am going to get some skids set up in back yard and
when I find nice neat looking steel - like racks - bed frames - neat clean looking stuff I will build a stash and tarp it.
I wont hoard the half rusty - Short steel for sure .
Since steel is a balance of my pay , This has been a big hit if not the worst .
The weird thing is your perspective of metal like then and now - when you hold a hefty chunk of steel in your hand
and in the past you could equate value of like a .20 cents now if your lucky .08 cents & some yards are less .