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Treasurekidd
Penny Sorter Member
USA
39 Posts |
 Posted - 03/28/2010 : 10:39:36
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Hi everyone! I was just wondering how many of you do scrapping as an actual business, and what sort of income you manage from it. I don't mean actually owning a scrap yard type of business, I mean just you, a truck and loads of scrap metals. I have been a small part time scrapper for about 2 years now, and I was wondering if buying a used truck and making a go of it as an actual part time business is a viable ideas. Thanks in advance for your feedback, and any advice or tips you could offer are appreciated!
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Ebay Stuff: http://shop.ebay.com/pktchng/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25 |
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silversaddle1
Penny Pincher Member
USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2010 : 15:27:30
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| That's me, and it's six figures a year, work all the time. |
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Treasurekidd
Penny Sorter Member
USA
39 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2010 : 15:48:40
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| Thanks for replying Silversaddle - six figures, wow! What's your secret, besides hard work that is? You just drive around looking for scrap? Advertise for it? For half of six figures, I could tell my boss to pound sand and do this full timer. I'm willing to do the work, I just need to know where the work is. What advice can you give a soda can collector to get him into more serious scrap levels?Thanks again! |
Ebay Stuff: http://shop.ebay.com/pktchng/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25 |
Edited by - Treasurekidd on 03/28/2010 15:51:16 |
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oldBPman
Penny Sorter Member
83 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2010 : 16:18:33
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| The junk business around here has petered out, all the farm machinery has been junked yrs ago, now there is nothing left but hot water heaters,used oil tanks and other things that are hard to get rid of because of regulations.. to junk autos, a person has to have a DOT# and have the title of the junk auto with you at all times when transporting them. when taking them to the yd, the gas tank and all the tires have to be off or they"ll charge extra and there'll be no profit at all for the junkie. |
Edited by - oldBPman on 03/28/2010 16:20:09 |
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cptindy
Penny Hoarding Member
572 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2010 : 17:14:42
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From 2003 to 2005 I junked full time in the motor city and surrounding areas. Having some business knowledge soon after beginning to stroll the streets I seen profit. I immediately made cards and solicited all property managers and contractors. I also made contact with appliance delivery sorts which lead to a whole other operation. It got to a point of renting my own space and having contractors deliver the items I wished for to my location. I would spend my days separating metal and wire and finding more regular accounts. Each day I would load up my truck and trailer to max capacity twice and run to the yard. (6 ton of steel per day 200 lbs of goodies) My day lasted till 1 pm or so and then I went home to my man cave.
Today I live in Florida in a much smaller community. Yet the same practice works just not as large scale as I have other things to do. There is more competition from unemployed people but they are not very knowledgeable as to what they have.
I approach my target professionally, I point out that sure your guys can bring items back to the yard and they can break them down but what is your actual return on this? Let's use hvac in this as they are the number one money makers. If you as the owner are paying two high labor technicians, Usually its a $15 hour guy paired with a $10 or $11 helper. They need to bring back the material and remove the freon and then cut it up and separate it. At some point they are going to have to run this stuff to the yard all on your dime when their primary function should be hvac which is the business your in. Do you think this will all be done efficiently? No stops at the store or skims to their own pocket? Your looking at dozens of man hours and potential liability in an area that is not your primary function. Let me take all your materials I will drop a trailer on location for you to load and keep your yard spotless. I will pick it up once a week or when you call. Let your guys do what they are hired to do.
Yes with motivation and the right mindset you can easily replace your income. Certain laws have changed and I recommend getting a license. Check with your city or county. There are expenses and it is not easy without the right tools and understanding.
I walk a slightly different path than most, "Greasing the palms of the scrap yard workers can reveal a virtual gold mine". Start by simply bringing bottles of cold water, passing them out and see where it leads.
Good Luck
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"It is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting"
" The average man doesn't want to be free. He wants to be safe."
H.L. Mencken
http://silver-news-today.com/ |
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Flbandit
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
851 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2010 : 19:39:49
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| When I was into it more than I am now, I was making about $100 a week doing it part time. This was from steel, aluminium, and copper mostly. Oddly enough, when steel was at $10 per hundred lbs., I preferred to deal in that. Little to no stripping, just load it up, and push it off. I also had people who would give me junk and/or call me to say they saw something. At one point I figured I could make 400-500 bucks a week if I did it full time, but I wasn't willing to give up my insurance and my cushy gig at work. |
Are you throwing that out? |
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cpthnsolo
Penny Sorter Member
50 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2010 : 09:21:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Flbandit
When I was into it more than I am now, I was making about $100 a week doing it part time. <snip> At one point I figured I could make 400-500 bucks a week if I did it full time, but I wasn't willing to give up my insurance and my cushy gig at work.
That sounds about right IMO. I turned in $50 and $72 worth of steel the past two mornings but the next two days will be lighter for sure. It's good to know that if something happened to my job I would have something to fall back on. Of course if you're looking to do this full time like cptindy then the sky's the limit. |
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Mcprice302
Penny Collector Member
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2010 : 20:56:16
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quote:
Originally posted by oldBPman
to junk autos, a person has to have a DOT# and have the title of the junk auto with you at all times when transporting them. when taking them to the yd, the gas tank and all the tires have to be off or they"ll charge extra and there'll be no profit at all for the junkie.
Mind if I ask where you are located? Here in Bama, none of that applies. All I need is a bill of sale and a truck and trailer. Tanks and tires stay on, no fees.
The only time I have ever been involved just in the recycling business was when I was buying junk cars about 3 years back. This was before alot of people were doing it around here and it was nothing to get 2 a day without much effort. I was scrapping anything from motorcycles to aluminum Greyhound buses and everything in between. It has since dried up and the competition is heavy. I still do it on occasion but it's no longer my main source of income. I did however buy some today and it will have it's own thread with pics of the process. All I'll say right now is it's gonna be a long 48 hours . |
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hobo finds
Penny Hoarding Member
838 Posts |
Posted - 03/30/2010 : 20:58:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Flbandit
When I was into it more than I am now, I was making about $100 a week doing it part time. This was from steel, aluminium, and copper mostly. Oddly enough, when steel was at $10 per hundred lbs., I preferred to deal in that. Little to no stripping, just load it up, and push it off. I also had people who would give me junk and/or call me to say they saw something. At one point I figured I could make 400-500 bucks a week if I did it full time, but I wasn't willing to give up my insurance and my cushy gig at work.
with the price of steel going up it looks much better. I only have a small truck so I breakdown some steel to make it fit better! But a truckload of aluminum or copper pays better |
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Mcprice302
Penny Collector Member
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - 04/08/2010 : 19:30:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Mcprice302
. I did however buy some today and it will have it's own thread with pics of the process.
Sorry guys, it's coming soon. It's been pure hell trying to keep up with work lately and I've not been successful at uploading all the pics yet. Please, bear with me if you were wondering. |
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Scrapping as a business
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