What does it take to "make it" Scrapping

Just keep passing out cards, posting flyers on every bulletin board you can find, and knocking on doors when you see something with potential to make a few bucks. I have taken on partners so we can cover a 4 county area, and we pay for a lot of our scrap which helps separate us from other folks in the area. For example, we buy old water heaters from 3 plumbing companies and (after figuring fuel and labor) we generally double our money on them when we make our bi-monthly trip to the yard.

We are growing slowly and are always looking at adding onto our revenue streams. Every time we get a new piece of equipment we try to figure out how many different ways we can use that piece to make money whether it be scrapping or doing "jobs". I've found that we make more money offering services such as demolition and storm debris removal (and cashing in on the labor and the byproducts such as firewood and reclaimed lumber), but we could not afford to quit scrapping because it's all intertwined into one big suite of revenue streams that are dependent on one another... if that makes sense.

Got that right, PR is worth every bit of a good thing. It makes people know you care for more than a guy looking for a cheap buck, makes them feel good to have someone that is understanding of what they are getting (not trying to rip them off, and usually gets a fair amount of future business. Not to mention they tell their friends, family that your a decent person.

We started out as just a computer repair business. After growing that, we expended into the refurbishing/scrapping market. Refurbs are a fantastic way to recycle (and make extra $$ off people's problems/junk).

What we don't use in refurbishing, we scrap.

If you're good with computers, give it a shot! I assure you, if you have excellent customer service people will continue to use you.

Metallic maniac since 2006 .No matter how much i know its not enough. My best lessons were patience and professionalism. I started out doing steel. Scrapping non ferrous off ferrous . I picked up a out of gas scapper one day and forged a partnership. Doing mainly non ferrous . (scrap wars ) .Then the depression .We split. Back to steel and more. Now i do so much but the return is low. I popularized scrap by advertising. Many called to ask why. Lol now my ally sees 4 to 8 different scrappers a day. City wide. I'm saturated. Even the contractors started keeping and cashing in due to my enormous loads every day. Now i off work. Steel , paper ,e and more. I have and do do big but im still new in this game. The options are limit less. Just work safe and learn. Scrap comes when you least exspect it. Be prepared. You will grow.

I have maybe a stupid question has for businesses cards would this be considering a illegal businesses because of not being register like for taxes and stuff ?

Go to Vistaprint and get the cards cheap ASAP! Own what you do and do it! Let people know and go do it! Success comes with little bites one day at a time done over time! The lessons will appear and you will learn them! For many municipalities (cities) you don't make enough "reportable" income to worry about taxes-heck this could be a hobby that you do for fun to see if it is doable as a formal business. As the Ultimate Warrior (RIP) used to say, "DO IT!!!"

I have cards on the way but all my friends bought up the irs and insurance and **** like that

Just keep your receipts from the yards when you turn in metal to report as income, but also keep gas receipts/mileage log so you can write off the driving to the yard, metal pickups, etc. Also tools, supplies, and things like that can be written off as expenses. If you donate to goodwill, you get a tax rebate, so check out the prices for things on their website for what they will write it off as and just bring things there instead of throwing them away.

If you are donating things to Goodwill, please be aware that you cannot write off donations of items you did not pay for.

A lot of common sense and hard work.

Thanks Auburn, I didn't know that. So say you buy a computer for $5, fix it so it functions well, and then donate it, it says on their site it starts at $50. Would you only be able to write off the $5? It isn't very specific so I was just wondering if you knew how that would work.

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Originally Posted by Lalla666

I have maybe a stupid question has for businesses cards would this be considering a illegal businesses because of not being register like for taxes and stuff ?

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Maybe by your state. Check their laws. All the IRS cares is "Did you report money received as income?" They don't care if you're registered or not.

This is awesome you are asking all of this stuff and getting answers and MORE questions!!! This is how we learn and get better!!! Thanks for this and keep on scrapping baby!!!

watch for stores like DRUG STORES AUTO PARTS FOOD STORES doing resets i got 600 lbs of store from local cvs dumpster tuesday store shelving is good heavy metal
only goes for shred but the way i look at it ozs make pounds pounds makes tens of pounds tens of pounds make hundreds and hundreds makes thousands keep on looking never know where the next load is ill pick up anything from a broom stick
to a bulldozer still aint got my first bulldozer yet

that shelving u probably will make more on craigslist selling to people to use

What it takes to make it scrapping:


Lots and lots of heavy objects, and the ability to move them.

The higher the ability to move those objects, the heaver the object you can move.

Everything else is a byproduct or function of increasing revenue over what heavy object you acquired.






can't get much simpler than that.