We have all had the idea that if I just took a few hours a week, and went to the best possible spots, I could supplement my income dramatically, and maybe even enjoy it. I mean how hard could it be, take my truck, find some scrap, and take it down and get paid for it. Wrong! Scrapping is not all fun and games. I imagine, most people who do it on the regular will tell you that there is absolutely very little fun, and a lot of work trying to make money regularly, maybe even support a family doing it.
First things first! How much do you want or need to make. If it’s $50 or less you can find roadside cans and metals to sell pretty quick. Anything more in a day will take planning and some precision on where you scrap, what kind of scrap, and who you sell it to. Our best advice: find it, and sell it close to home. The largest commodity that will erode the bottom line is your fuel. Driving around town looking all over for scrap metal where it is not, is moving backwards. Then ultimately driving around and asking each and every scrap yard you can find “how much” will reduce your profitability everytime you ask the question itself.
So a few things first, come up with a plan on where and how you will acquire your scrap in the first place. If your thinking at all about illegal activity for this, you need to move on immediately. Stealing scrap metals is one of the easiest way to find yourself in hot and deep water. Next, think about businesses that may need your service to haul away scrap, you may luck into something big. Demolitions, home remodels and other large industrial projects have tons of scrap.
The most common route is basic things around peoples homes: refrigerators, washer and dryers, lamps and other electronics. It might be smart to place an ad in craigslist or other easy way to place an ad for free appliance removal.
Either way, the bottom line is have a plan that affords profitability, where it doesn’t feel like work every time you scrap.