There have been lots and lots of articles written on places and or legal ways to find scrap metal to resale for a nice profit. As scrapping has become more popular and it’s a dog eat dog or feast or famine way of life in this scrappers economy, I thought I would do some research and find the newest ways to dig up some scrap “literally” and how to find them. A word of caution, this will take work and communication, the days of driving your truck around the neighborhood could be long gone, especially if your neighbors are right behind you doing the same thing. Here are some different places to find scrap:
Different Places to Find Scrap
Your local auto mechanic- not the national chain type (Pep Boys) more like your local down home shop where the owner uses his own name on the door. It is possible that he is paying someone to haul off old rotors drums and other engine parts, that you can haul and sell at no charge to them. This might take some footwork or phone work at first, but the hauls could be huge. We suggest driving up and scouting, just to see if they keep a stock pile or how they are storing old parts first.
Pawn Shops- Always check first, but most pawn shops are regularly tossing old cords and junk they no longer sell or can sell due to the product being out of date (we liken it to spoilage in the food industry). Normally a pawn shop deals in high margins/high no loan pays, that is why they loan so little versus true value. So for smaller items they cannot wholesale, they may just junk it. it never hurts to check and ask.
Fair Grounds- Now this is either a couple times of year, or if you live near an active grounds where they have trade shows every week (knife and gun or RV) and carnivals, there is always something they need hauled and they will probably let you comb the grounds with a metal detector after an event.
These are just a few newer ideas we have seen lately and hopefully will have more to share in the future.