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pennyante
New Member
10 Posts |
 Posted - 07/12/2010 : 21:19:18
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Hello. I have read practically everything posted on this forum! I've learned a LOT! I doubt I will be scavenging large items like car parts and metal buildings but I would like to be savvy enough to pick up smaller items that would be profitable scrapped. I sometimes run into excellent deals on common things like aluminum crutches and walkers and decorative brass and copper at yard sales. Any hints on picking these things up and scrapping them. For example, (1) how much would an aluminum walker weigh on the average if stripped of anything non aluminum? (2) What would be the max price I should have in my head to pay for a fist-sized brass animal or an eight inch diameter copper pot or a 12 inch oval-shaped silver-plated copper copper platter if my intent was to scrap it. I know silver plate is basically worthless except for the base material. I know to look for STERLING. I have a magnet to check these kinds of things to make sure they are non magnetic. I also know that the price at the scrap yard will fluctuate but I doubt the more experienced of you actually carry around a scale to weigh items before buying them. Any guidelines of what you are willing to pay? Any hints on other common items to be on the look out for at yard sales and thrift stores?
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Kurr
1000+ Penny Miser Member
2906 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2010 : 21:29:23
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For the wieghts you could "train" your hand. Get some ziplocks and make 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 lb bags and "learn" to use your hands as scales. Look up and know your prices beforehand, even make a note.
The price youpaywill fluctuate with the spot priceof themetal you are buying.
Other than that some small dietary scales might pay off for you on smaller brass items and such.
Sterling is also marked 925 or 92.5 at times.
I do carry a digital gram scale for jewelry.
I don't think I have read everything on the sight, lol, that is an accomplishment.
Welcome to the convdersation!  |
The silver [is] mine, and the gold [is] mine, saith the LORD of hosts. Hag 2:8 [/b]
He created it. He controls it. He gave it to us for His use. Why did we turn from sound scriptural currency that PROTECTS us?
KJV Bible w/ Strong's Concordance: http://www.blueletterbible.org/
The book of The Hundreds: http://www.land.netonecom.net/tlp/ref/boh/bookOfTheHundreds_v4.1.pdf
The Two Republics: http://www.whitehorsemedia.com/docs/THE_TWO_REPUBLICS.pdf
Good reading: http://ecclesia.org/truth/government.html
A number of people are educated beyond, sometimes way beyond, their intelligence. - Tenbears
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uthminsta
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1872 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2010 : 21:42:38
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| Dude, WELCOME! You're off to a good start if you've read a bunch on the site. There's probably no better resource that RealCent! |
Come to the new and improved realcent: http://realcent.org
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TheJonasCollegeFund
Penny Collector Member
USA
381 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2010 : 23:54:31
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| I think the man's got a couple of good questions. I saw a pair of crutches the other day...must have been the heat....didn't even check the price. |
MD Totals: Started Aug16th.(Updated Sept10th) 819 clad/cu coins/$41.13
Quarters-78
Dimes-122+1 silver roosie (1957)
Nickels-81 (56d,53d)
Copper Pennies-147
Zinc Pennies-386
Wheats-5 (36,36,46,46d,50d) |
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Heartkill
Penny Sorter Member
USA
91 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2010 : 07:25:10
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You are indeed off to a great start. You've done your homework and have one of the essentials - a magnet! Like the other posters mentioned, train your hand and you'll learn to know whether that brass candle stick is overpriced or that stainless pair of salad tongs is worth its weight in scrap. I find the best thing to do when things aren't priced is make an offer. For example, gather up all the brass candle sticks and say "how about a buck for all these?" or "would you take a quarter for this?" I find getting anything brass for .25 usually doubles my money quickly. Throw 'em in a bin and let it pile up and you've got yourself a decent return on your investment. Be sure to hunt thrift stores like Goodwill, however I find them to be overpriced about 75% of the time. They do have sales letter days, ie all items marked with a Y will be 50% off - that's your time to strike. Good luck with it and have fun!
Sorry for the long winded post... jacked up on Red Bull this morning.  |
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Flbandit
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
851 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2010 : 18:32:05
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| Keep an eye out for church sales. Many will have "fill a bag for a dollar" as it starts winding down. In that case I just go through and pick out all the metal. As you mess with it more and more you'll get a feel for the weight and an eye for spotting good stuff. |
Are you throwing that out? |
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wayne1956
Penny Pincher Member
177 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2010 : 07:58:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Flbandit
Keep an eye out for church sales. Many will have "fill a bag for a dollar" as it starts winding down. In that case I just go through and pick out all the metal. As you mess with it more and more you'll get a feel for the weight and an eye for spotting good stuff.
Done that before when I saw there was a bunch of brass stuff. Filled two bags for a buck each with nothing but brass. And they were happy about that because they did not have to lug the "heavy" stuff back home. Win for me and win for them. |
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pennyante
New Member
10 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2010 : 01:13:23
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| Thanks for all the hints. I'm off and running. The magnet has helped a lot already on discerning real brass from fake and silver plated copper from silver plated junk. I'm still confused on some jewelry though. I'm just avoiding it when it doesn't have a STERLING or 925 stamp but some of the silver colored stuff isn't attracted by a magnet. What could the base metal be? |
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wolvesdad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2164 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2010 : 02:33:27
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| copper plated jewelry. |
"May your percentages ever increase!" |
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wolvesdad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2164 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2010 : 02:34:05
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| I mean, Silver plated COPPER jewelry. |
"May your percentages ever increase!" |
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hobo finds
Penny Hoarding Member
838 Posts |
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rambo_k9
Penny Pincher Member
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2010 : 18:47:49
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| Hey guys.... looking for help with sorting this stuff once you get it. I know to put steel/tin with its own but do you store copper aluminum and brass together to take to scrap yard or keep them separate also?? |
Looking for a great summer read?? Stop by www.glennrambo.com You think the US/Mexican border is bad now?? |
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messymessy
Penny Sorter Member
88 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2010 : 19:04:15
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| Separate each metal into it's own bin or bucket. After you start to accumualate, you'll need to separate it even further. |
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wayne1956
Penny Pincher Member
177 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2010 : 15:09:51
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| Easiest way is to get some 5 gal buckets and put each individual metal in each one. One for brass, one for copper, one for aluminum (smaller pieces), one for lead, etc. |
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Numis Pam
Penny Sorter Member
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2010 : 03:40:16
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Hi I too am a newbie to this site and I have spent many hours the past month lurking, reading most of the back posts before I got the nerve to post some of my own. Some fasinating and informative information!!
My question on the scraping is, where is the best place to start looking for a place to sell these gathered items if you live in a rural area?
What do I look for in the yellow pages of the phone book or a website directory say within 50 miles of me or so?
I do not even know what the proper names for the recycling places are, but I sure have a lot of old metals I could sell. And I know I could come up with a bunch more if I could find where to sell it.
Thanks in advance for any advice you all can share. |
http://www.extrabux.com/r/4c6f54ba32 1% -27% cash back on purchases. Plus Refer Friends and Get $5 to Spend at Ebay or any of hundreds of participating online stores. |
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messymessy
Penny Sorter Member
88 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2010 : 07:18:31
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| Check the yellow pages for "Scrap Metal." You could also check under "Recycling Centers", but I find the ones that advertise in the scrap metal section pay better. Be sure to call around and check prices before you go anywhere. |
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Numis Pam
Penny Sorter Member
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2010 : 01:44:18
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quote:
Originally posted by messymessy
Check the yellow pages for "Scrap Metal." You could also check under "Recycling Centers", but I find the ones that advertise in the scrap metal section pay better. Be sure to call around and check prices before you go anywhere.
Thanks for the great advice. I appreciated it. It helps alot. |
http://www.extrabux.com/r/4c6f54ba32 1% -27% cash back on purchases. Plus Refer Friends and Get $5 to Spend at Ebay or any of hundreds of participating online stores. |
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little things (Cu, Al, Brass, Hg) from yard sales
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