Recycling Secrets

How To Make Extra Money When Salvaging

2012-05-25T04:37:00.001-07:00

I've always found that it pays to keep several "irons in the fire." When I'm out doing salvage work I often run into things for sale that I'm not interested in purchasing. If the item is nice and the seller is honest and someone who I would feel good buying from, I offer to list it for them on Craigslist. I normally ask and get 10% of the selling price. Some big ticket items I've listed for less. It only takes a few minutes to take the photos, another few minutes to list the item and a few minutes renewing the listings if need be. Just one more way to make money and keep those referrals coming :)

Here are a few listings that I did recently.

C-Dory 16 Boat in Excellent Condition - 2 Motors and New Trailer, $8,750

Horse Corral Panels, Heavy Duty 16 Feet by 6 Feet, 6 Pieces, $1,000

Like New Stubben Parzival English Saddle, $1,000

Good way to make some extra cash. Good Hunting,

Mike

Focus on WAYS of Doing Business and Making Money

2012-05-24T00:35:00.003-07:00

You'll find here and at Recycling Secrets that I concentrate on ways of doing business rather than a specific game plan. I do this because, in my mind, to concentrate on a game plan is really a distraction. Some would like me to tell them to:

Go to this location,
Pickup these items
Do this and that to the items
Take them here to get your money

But this just isn't realistic. There is no one game plan. Most opportunities are location based - what works in Newark may not work in Birmingham. Interests and expertise vary. Physical abilities vary... on and on.

There are some things that are common to all of us in the salvage and recycling business and these are the ways we do business. By this I mean:

How do we market ourselves?
How do others perceive us?
Do we do more than is expected?
How do we get more business and referrals?
How do we bootstrap and grow our business?

Here are excerpts of a recent email from Mike Bucchieri, a previous buyer of How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business. Mike says that my eBook and my blog and website articles helped to create a "scrapping monster."

Mike is from Parsippany, N.J. and focuses handyman work, estate clean outs and junk removal, demolition, and metal recycling. Mike has become quite successful. He depends on his website, www.mkbenterprises.org and word-of-mouth referrals to grow his business. Mike has given me permission to post excerpts so that others might be encouraged and inspired by his success.

Here are the excerpts:

hello Mike, long time no e-mails, lol. This is mike from New Jersey, I wrote you an e-mail last year about my scrapping business and how you created a scrapping monster.

Ive been keeping busy since the spring and summer arrived, business had really picked up, between giving out estimates for jobs, and all the scrapping im doing.

Like you said about the reputation from word of mouth. It's amazing how much attention I get from people who need work done. Usually after i finish a job, I like to find out how they found me. its mostly the search engines and my web site, or a big word of mouth from previous customers or friends. And the praise they told them about my work, and I'm like WOW !!, its very flattering to hear that.

I had new customers tell me, "I heard bout your services from (blank) and he told me all about your work and the amazing job you did." Then they would tell me, "i dont care bout the price - what it costs. I want you to do my job and only you, I'm not ever going to get other estimates!!!" Now when I hear that, I'm floored!!! That puts me on cloud nine, and I'm sooo happy that I can help my customers and make them happy - no stress, no bull shit.

And i can pass that onto their friends or family. It's like the old days, when the company put 110% into their product, and their services and service was # 1 priority!!

I love my work and my business and I'll go down tooth and nail fighting for it. I'm dedicated and have heart!

And that makes me proud to be an AMERICAN!!!!

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR GREAT ARTICLES! Keep up the great work my friend

         M.K.B. Estate cleanouts and junk removal
         Michael K Bucchieri
         Parsippany , N.J.

You can see that Mike is very proud of the business he has built up over the past year. It's very gratifying for me to know that I've helped someone to this extent. If you have any interest in the business at all, I encourage you to check out the resources at Recycling Secrets and other articles here on the blog.

Best of Luck

Mike

Fire Truck Fun and Profit

2012-05-20T20:15:00.001-07:00

Hi- Just ran into this deal and had to tell you about it. I just purchased a running fire truck for $1000. I bought it for fire protection at my place. We're very rural and though we keep our property fire safe, adjoining properties pose a risk for us.

I'd hate to see a beauty like this go to scrap, but there is a great deal of scrap metal both ferrous and non-ferrous and a lot of sought after parts as well.

The basis for this fire truck is a 1969 International Fleetstar 2110 - a very heavy duty truck. Total weight of truck would bring way more than the purchase price just in scrap iron. It also comes with literally hundreds of pounds of brass pipes, pump bodies, fittings, etc.

Parts are valuable too. I just checked ebay and found a single rear axle used for over $200
Here are a couple of pix:

By the way, this is another example of how referrals work. A friend of someone I had gotten some used lumber from, told him about the fire truck and it got back to me. It wasn't for sale yet - been out of service for a couple of months and they hadn't gotten around to it. Word-of-mouth accounts for 99% of my business. I rarely find things by lurking around craigslist, going to yard sales, going to auctions and the like. It pays to have a good reputation and give everyone you deal with more than they expect.
Just one of many ways to make money in salvage and recycling.
Good Luck
Mike

More About the Value of Word-of-Mouth Referrals

Can You Succeed in the Deconstruction Business?

2012-04-05T13:29:00.002-07:00

I started off in the salvage and recycling business doing deconstruction and selling used building materials. Today I was told an inspiring story about a successful deconstruction business. Mark has given me permission to share it with you.

Mike -

I found you on the web today and wanted to share my company's story with you. Founded in 2009 after participating in a regional economic development summit, Deconstruction Management Inc. exists to preserve the memories contained within the materials of buildings that have reached the end of their useful life and then convert them into cash.

I am currently working to expand deconstruction, material reuse and reclamation opportunities throughout the Northern Ohio region and hopefully throughout the state and country through workforce development initiatives and the expansion of the resale market.

Please check out www.deconmanagement.com to learn more about my company.

Thanks,

Mark Rabkin
Co-Founder
Deconstruction Management, Inc

I hope this story inspires you. You can learn more about deconstruction at recyclingsecrets.com.

Old Automobile Reuse - Farm Equipment, Condom Machines

2012-03-07T15:23:00.003-08:00

Very interesting article about a fellow who makes all sorts of things out of old car parts. It makes you hink of all the interesting and useful parts in automobiles that are scrapped in the U.S. Here's an excerpt:

Sierra Leone's Foday Melvin Kamara trained as an automobile engineer but, instead of manufacturing vehicles, he specialises in turning old car parts into agro-processing equipment and condom machines.

He started his business in 1997 with an investment of less than $100 (£63) which he had saved while he was in Germany as a student.

He told the BBC's African Dream series that he used part of that money to rent a house and the rest to buy steel products which were transformed into shovels and door hinges.

Indeed, we are able to convert waste to wealth”

"Then we sold that and we ploughed a profit into the business," he said. That initial profit was used to acquire scrap materials.

"Indeed, we are able to convert waste to wealth," Mr Kamara pointed out.

Read the entire article at BBC.com.

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Beginner's Guide to E-Scrap, Metals and Electronics Recycling - The Short Version

2012-03-06T00:54:00.001-08:00

Hello - Not sure that you are aware but recently I added a new page - Free Scrap Metal, Scrap Electronics, E-Scrap, Salvage and Recycling How to Get Started Guide for Beginners. This is not the more detailed E-Scrap guide that I have promised to all buyers - past, present and future - of my ebook, How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business - This guide will be coming soon. I'll let you know when it is available for download.

Good Hunting

Mike

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Free Guide to Starting Up In Scrap Metal, Scrap Electronics, E-Scrap, Salvage and Recycling

2012-01-11T01:31:00.001-08:00

Hi - I've just created a new resource especially for newbies (newb, newby, newbys, noob). I'll be updating it frequently and I'd love to hear from you if you have questions, comments or - anything at all. Check out the New Guide to Starting Up In the Home-Based Scrap Metal, Scrap Electronics, E-Scrap, Salvage and Recycling.

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Older Computer CPUs Worth Much More than Gold Content

2012-01-09T00:55:00.001-08:00

Found an interesting article about the value of older CPUs. Here's an excerpt:

"For those individuals ready to set off on a treasure hunt for rare and valuable microprocessors here’s a quick list,” said Gallagher. “C4004, C4040, 8080, C8080, MC8080, G8008, X8008, C8085 and C8086, all these go for at least $100 and some of them will go for over $1,000. Generally speaking anything from Intel with a date code from the 1970s is worth more than its gold value. Gold value for most ceramic computer chips is around $2 to $4."

Entire article is here: http://archive.arabnews.com/?page=11§ion=0&article=75682&d=5&m=1&y=20066

Dated 2006 so gold value a bit off. Hope this is useful.

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Old Computer Chips, CPU and Computer Values - Alternative to Scrapping E-Waste

2012-01-07T19:50:00.001-08:00

I advocate selling scrap metals and e-scrap as the last option after reuse and collector alternatives are checked out. If you are into e-scrap, computer recycling, these may be of interest to you.

Here's a wanted list of various old chips/cpus with some descriptions
CPU World Wanted Chips

A resource for computer chip collectors:
Resources for Chip Collectors

There's a list of old computer collector values at
Values of Old and Collectible Computers

Good Luck! And Happy Hunting.

Mike

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Beware the Scrap Metal Bubble is Leaking and Will Burst

2012-01-07T00:41:00.001-08:00

Actually we're in a bubble inside of a bubble - more on that it a minute.

The dotcom bubble and collapse was a given. I could see early on that most of the dotcom startups were making money off of other dotcom startups. There was little money coming in from the outside. It was inevitable that it would collapse and it did.

The housing boom bust was also foreseeable. Prices kept going up and along with them the percentage of people who could afford the higher prices kept going down. It only lasted as long as it did because oversight of the mortgage industry was hindered by the Bush administration so that people could easily borrow too much. The bust will be over when people can once again have a job in America and purchase a home that they can afford. We are not there yet.

Scrap metal prices have boomed in recent years mainly because of the demand in China and India. This demand is based on them being able to use these raw materials and manufacture things to sell to us in the U.S. especially through big box stores like Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. As we get poorer and buy less of this stuff, the demand for our scrap will surely go down. The irony is that these big box stores don't pay enough to folks to be able to buy homes (so housing bust goes on) nor do they pay enough so that they can buy all the goodies from China that are made with our scrap.

The big bubble is the 20th century and in the early 21st century we've seen it begin to burst. Poverty is up, jobs are down, good jobs are really really down. Any efforts to create jobs through rebuilding our infrastructure or just create jobs in general is thwarted in congress. Our congress still believes that reducing the taxes on the rich, the "job creators" will allow them to create jobs, make more money and it will trickle down to us. Trickle down from the "job creators" has never worked, never will. You can only believe in this if you don't believe in history.

So, there you have it. I predict that the high priced scrap metal bubble is beginning to leak and will soon burst. What to do? Well, one is to get rid of your scrap sooner than later. Another is to, as much as possible, deal in things that can be reused. The artificially high scrap prices has meant that a lot of good useful stuff has been crushed, shredded and melted rather than reused. As a society we can't afford to dispose of useful things much longer.

Love to hear your thoughts on this.

Mike

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Is How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business right for you?

2012-01-05T21:33:00.001-08:00

Every once in awhile. I get a request for a refund only hours (sometimes minutes) after someone has purchased the ebook. Usually the story goes something like - This is just your story and not... (fill in the blank). Well, this is true. How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business is my story. I wonder, "how could it be anything else?" All I know, all that has gotten me from reading that little surplus and salvage book in the early 1980s and saying "I can do that" to now is my story.

Many purchasers of the ebook have been inspired and are learning the business and are having varying degrees of success - some are doing very very well in a short period of time.

I try to be very clear on the sales page that the ebook is not a blue print, not a step-by-step plan to recycling and salvage riches or anything like that. Rather it is the story of my successes and failures over 30 years in the business. I don't profess to be a gigantic success. In fact, I'm still mostly a one person operation, but I have over the years made a lot of money, learned a lot and have ended up quite well.

My hope in writing the ebook was that you could learn from my failures, avoid them and capitalize on my successes getting up to speed much faster than I did.

I certainly don't make a ton of money off of the ebook. In fact my real payment is in the satisfaction I get when someone emails me and tells me about their successes. I also learn from folks who have really gone for it and succeeded in new areas.

So, to reiterate what is on the sales page:

If you are looking for:

A blueprint that you can follow step by step with little or no creative action on your part.
A business that takes little to no effort - a business made for lazy people.
A business that will make you rich overnight.

Then this is not for you. All I can do is wish you good luck in finding something that fits. But, if you:

Are not afraid of hard work.
Can see my story as just that "my story" not a blueprint, not a step-by-step plan (unfortunately internet and get-rich schemes have convinced many that these something-for-almost-nothing schemes are real - come on!), but an opportunity to be inspired by my successes and learn from my mistakes.
Are not afraid to ask me questions.
And you are ready to get real and put all the get-rich-quick pie-in-the-sky make-a-million-with-no-work-and-an-investment-of=little-money behind you.

Then stick with me and read on... I also want to be very clear. The ebook is just the beginning. If you have questions I am always here to answer them as best I can. If I don't have the answer, I'll do my best to find one for you and I'll also ask your question to the growing number of previous purchasers of the ebook. To repeat... the ebook is not an end to itself, it is a beginning. The blog, website and emails to me will be useful to you as long as you need them to be. I hope to hear from you soon. Good luck in your endeavors, Mike

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Says I Created a Recycling Monster!

2011-12-27T02:17:00.001-08:00

Here's another inspiring email. I have to say too that it's very gratifying to get these emails from folks and know that I have helped them in some way. Mike B purchased How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business ebook in October of 2010. In just over a year, Mike has come a long way. Congrats Mike! Here's his email to me. - Mike Meuser

On Mon, Dec 26, 2011 at 1:33 PM, Mike B wrote:
Hello Mike, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you,

I really enjoy all your articles and e-mails I've been getting all year. Thank you and keep up all the great work,
This past year I started my own business doing clean outs, junk removal, and alot of scrapping.

It all started with the scrapping metals, just goin' round town with my truck, on garbage nite, from street to street searching for metals.

I didn't care at first what type or kind of metal, but within time I've became a kinda of a pro, lol
separating my coppers, aluminums, brass, car batteries, p.c towers, air conditioners, etc....

I've learned to separate different metals, take apart appliances for their motors, gutting out air cond for their condensers and copper, circuit boards and other stuff from p.c towers.

Either it came from the street, craigslist, word of mouth, my work, or from friends and family. Learned alot from you Mike, and from other scrappers, and the guys at the recycling yard.

I make my own hours, quote my own prices for jobs, gain lots of useful knowledge, I also found alot of stuff I have resold or auctioned from my clean out jobs. My girl friend also got into it and we enjoy our time together.

You created a recycling monster Mike, and just wanted to say keep up the great work and thank you.

Michael B

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Electronic and Computer Salvage and Recycling: Building a Knowledgebase

2011-12-23T01:47:00.001-08:00

Normally, it seems, this time of the year slows down business-wise, but not so this year. I have an ongoing ad on Craigslist - "Free pickup of used computers, electronics...." Got a call this monday and I'm still hauling the computers in. Two pickup truck and trailer loads a day. These came from a fellow who has collected them over the years hoping to start various computer literacy classes for kids. The deals never worked out so he's finally ready to let go of it all - a small warehouse full.

He was quite happy to have it hauled away for free. I never advertise that I'll buy such and such because I've found that it's not worth the time dealing with someone who thinks their broken 3 year old computer or laptop is still worth quite a bit of money.

In the case of this weeks "big" score, the fellow does have a few things that he'd like to get some cash for. I'm in the position to get all the rest for free and negotiate on the few items he wants to be paid for. I ended up paying $12 for a bunch of wireless goodies and another $20 for a large container full of very old circuit boards. Even if I don't do well on the purchases (but I will), I've retained the good will of my new client. My business RUNS on GOOD WILL and referrals.

Since it has been awhile since I've had this large of a quantity of desktop computers (around 300 total) plus some laptops, commercial servers and even a couple of very old IBM mini computers, I'm going to be doing more research on the latest and best ways to deal with them. As I do, I'll be posting what I find here. I'm hoping that you all too will add to my story by commenting so that we can together build a knowledgebase.

I'll be updating my list of reputable refiners. I'll also be updating my list of collectible and valuable chips, chipsets, back planes, computers and other components that I won't scrap - some are worth WAY more than scrap.

I'd also like to hear from you so that we can build this as a resource by the group for the group. I'd love to hear your stories and adventures in electronics and computer salvage and recycling. Please email me with your stories and questions. Or, even better, post them here as a comment to this post.

Thanks and Happy Salvaging in 2012

Mike

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Thrift Store Electronic Scrap Jackpot

2011-12-15T01:10:00.001-08:00

Here's another email from a go-getter. Linda M bought the eBook just a few months ago and has had one success after another. She has allowed me to post her message here. We both hope that what she has learned and done will inspire you.
--------------------------

December 14, 2011

HI again, I hit the jackpot today. You just need to look around like you said. Possibilities are endless.

In between jobs I stopped at a local thrift store. This store sells donated items to benefit a local shelter. I asked the cashier what they do with their old/broken electronics. She said, "we were just discussing that this morning" and went to get her manager. The manager said sure I have a ton of stuff for you, can you come back later today? Of course I could!

We loaded the pickup with tons of old electronics. The best part - the manager said I could come every week and she would fill my truck up. Oh my word, I think I'm dreaming. Someone pinch me!!

Wow, it so totally pays to ask. You just never know what you will get. Last week I stopped in a storage facility and gave them my card. The man went to the back room and came out with a working Black and Decker drill. He just lost the cord. Sweet!

I love this!!!!!

Linda M, Michigan

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Salvage and Recycling Success Story

2011-12-15T00:50:00.001-08:00

The following is an email from a young woman who purchased the eBook in October. I include it here hoping that it will inspire those of you who have purchsed the eBook but can't quite get going yet and also to encourage those that have not yet purchased the eBook to do so and get out there and begin making some money. My responses to LM are in italics.

On Fri, Dec 2, 2011 at 10:29 AM, LM wrote:

HI again, I’ve been working on a few things and had a progress report and some more questions, if you don’t mind. ;)

Glad to hear from you! I'm amazed that very few people actually correspond with me at all after buying the ebook. It's good to hear from someone who has actually gotten something out of it.

I got a truck. It’s a Dakota. It was listed for $1200 but had been sitting. I got it for $700 because I noticed it was leaking gas and I knew it need lots of work. I put $700 worth of repairs and it runs like a top. And when I’m looking to upgrade I know I could re-sell and make more because it only has 75,000 miles and I cleaned it up nice.

What a great deal!

I got my first load of electronics free from a computer place. 35 each monitors and cases. I scraped the cases and metal and got $150 right off. I have the motherboards and PCI cards set aside for a place I found that buys them. I’m waiting for a large enough amount to make it worth my while. I found a local place that will take monitors for free after I scrap out the copper. I just have to drop them off. I’m pretty excited. My dad is helping me out with the dismantling because I still work and can only do this on nights and weekends.

Amazing. You are really going for it.

I’ve been reading online forums and such to learn how to get the best out of the scrap I get. I’ve come up with a few questions maybe you could answer?

Sure.

Everyone says they leave their business card. That’s cool and I can make one up without a problem. I’m stuck on the wording. I’m thinking my name and Salvage/Recycling and contact info. Do you think that would be enough? They can always contact me for more correct? Should I put more like ‘free pickup’ or something to get their attention?

I say almost exactly what you have. Just my name on one line and the Free PIckup of Salvage and Recyclables on the next. I'm careful to never do or say "hauling" because people tend to see haulers as something different and I don't want to be put in the category of hauling trash for pay.

Lots of people talk about putting up flyers. Do you find this works? Do you use several different flyers advertising different things?

I use simple flyers at grocery stores and other places in towns nearby. I keep it simple using the same text as on the card.

I recently found a post about asking the local auto repair and parts places if I could put a plastic drum there for them to dump their old wires and parts into for me to pickup rather than them putting the stuff in the dumpster. Have you done anything like that? I’m thinking you’d need to label the drum with your business name or whatever but it wouldn’t hurt to ask right?

That's a very good idea. I do keep in touch with several different businesses for their scrap - auto repair, auto supply, hardware, thrift, etc. Usually not enough around here to warrant dedicating a barrel, but sounds like it will work for you.

BTW I just scored dozens of used steel barrels from an auto repair place. Enough oil left in them to do changes for my cars and trucks for years to come. I'm using them for passive solar on side of my home and inside a greenhouse. This might be a free source of barrels for you to use for your clients. You would have to cut the tops off though.

I liked your post about the free wood. I live in an apt so that wouldn’t work for me but I know people who do burn so I’m going to look into that.

I really appreciate your information. I probably told you I am a website designer by trade. I’d be more than happy to make you a cool banner or header for your Blog for free to say thanks for your useful input. If you ever want to update it that is. J

I'd love that if you have the time.

A favor. This email is a real inspiration to me. It's great to find out I'm actually helping someone. Can I post this email on the blog? I'll just use your initials, not your name. Let me know because I think it would help inspire others to get going.

Well I’m off to meet with a client so I’ll talk with you again later.

Thanks so much!
LM

You're doing great. Hope you do well enough to go at it full time soon. You're on your way.

Mike

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

$600 Worth of Saleable Items PLUS 80+ Quarts of New Motor Oil Free

2011-11-10T00:07:00.001-08:00

Hi - I've been looking around for more 55 gallon steel oil drums. I use them to sort various metals and electronic scrap. I was looking this time for some that had recently had liquid in them and still had the tops and plugs because I had found a source for several hundred gallons of biodiesel and needed a good way to store it.

I checked Craigslist but there was no one near and the folks who had them in a (100 mile away) major metropolitan area wanted $20 each for them.

I called around to the local gas and oil companies and found one company that would give me two and another one who turned me on to a race car driver that would give me four.

Today I went to collect the two and the guy told me that he'd really like to hang onto them but he knew of another place in town, an auto shop, that had dozens of nearly new sealed drums. They bought oil for oil changes in bulk and the supplier would not take the empty drums back. I asked the fellow if he'd call ahead for me so that I was expected.

I drove a cross town (tiny town of 1500 folks) and found the shop. The owner showed me a large side yard with dozens of like new drums stacked on their sides so they wouldn't rust or get water inside.

I was able to load 8 in my Nissan pickup and another 8 on my little 4x8 trailer. Tomorrow I'll go back for more. Should be about 40 drums in all.

Unexpected bonus was that each one has 2 to 3 quarts of brand new oil in the bottom. Either 15w-50 or 5w-30 - Napa Premium brand. The pumps they use in the barrels don't quite reach the bottom. Fortunately, once they've pumped all they can they put the plug back in and store them on their side. That way none leaks out and no water gets in - Brand new motor oil for free!

Around here motor oil goes for anywhere from $4 to $6 per quart. I'm going to keep the oil. I figure at the low end, I've saved myself purchasing 80 quarts of oil for $320! Also, I'll sell off most of the drums for $10 to $20 - approximate total of $300 to $600. Not bad for 6 hours of work total and about $15 in gas.

BTW - I'll be sure to tell them to call me when they have more and I'll also check around town for more. The more I look at them, the more uses I can think of for them. When I pickup the last load tomorrow, I'll bring a couple of pizzas as a way of thanking the shop folks. I'll also go by the gas and oil place and bring them something as well or at least, ask them what I should keep my eye out for as I go about my salvage and recycling business.

There's always something new around every corner. Just gotta keep being out there and keep talking to folks and you'll find them. Some of the things may not be as glamorous as electronic recycling for gold, etc, but they pay as well.

Good Luck

Mike

www.RecyclingSecrets.com for Free Home Based Salvage and Recycling Information Including: Metals, Deconstruction and Used Building Materials, Gold and Precious Metals and E-Waste.

Check out: How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business

Free Firewood For Your Own Use and Sale or Trade to Others

2011-10-20T04:02:00.001-07:00

Last winter I switched to wood heat after seeing how expensive one month of heating oil cost. This year the heating oil is $1 MORE than it was last year so I've been keeping an eye out for firewood all year long.

In my last post I discussed how to get free or cheap wood stoves so you can check it if you want to add this to the sort of things you salvage and recycle.

I'm lucky in that I live in a rural Western county and I am able to collect dead or fallen trees from nearby National Forest lands. Over the Spring and Summer my wife and I did haul in around 5 cords of cedar, pine and fir plus a small amount of oak. The cost for the permits here is $10 per cord. A cord, for those who don't know, is a stack of split firewood 4 feet by 8 feet by 4 feet or 128 cubic feet. At my elevation in the Sierra Cascades most folks burn around 5 cords per year.

As I did my salvage work I always had my eye out for firewood. Almost everywhere folks have trees fall down and evey time I see one, I stop and ask for it. Most of the time the folks say yes take it away or, if they burn wood themselves, I offer to split it with them if I do all the cutting into rounds (they split). I've gotten quite a bit of wood this way.

Another way I've gotten firewood is as a byproduct of my recent building salvage for used lumber. I've ended up with quite a pile of broken, warped and short pieces of lumber that makes great firewood and kindling.

Also, recently, I did a gigantic cleanup of all sorts of miscellaneous material from an estate sale. There were several acres of forest and as I made my rounds picking up various things I noted many downed trees. Near the end when it was clear to the folks that I would be doing what I said and take everything, I asked if I could take the downed trees if there was time. They agreed so I made sure I had time to do so. My last 3 truck and trailer loads was all nice dry firewood logs. I cut to a length that I could handle myself to save time and then cut into rounds and split at home.

So now I've got about 10 cords of dry firewood. 4 or 5 for myself and the rest for the following year or to trade for something else I can sell or use myself.

Good Luck

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Free and Cheap Wood Stove Recycling and Reuse

2011-10-20T03:43:00.001-07:00

Hi - I should have told you about this a few months ago, but I've been so busy with my own salvage work I've been a bit slow on the posts. I'll try to post more frequently.

At any rate, it looks like it's going to be a long cold winter in many parts of the U.S. Heating fuel prices are very high. Around here heating oil is $1 a gallon more than it was last year - same with propane. Natural gas is higher as well.

At the same time, scrap iron prices are high. I've seen many loads waiting in lines at the scrap yards with wood stoves in them. Sure a 300 pound woodstove is worth $30 or $40 in scrap but it is worth so much more as a working wood stove.

Over the last months I've picked up 6 wood stoves. Two were free, one I paid $60 for and the other two I bought for scrap prices off of trucks on their way to the scrap yard. The free ones I picked up with a wanted listing in Craigslist. Seems that once someone remodels and changes heating modes or upgrades their wood stove the old one often ends up in the back yard or garage. They're too heavy for most folks to handle, but they can be handled quite easily by one person.

I can handle them and I'm 66 years old. Any stove that I've run into I can tip on its side onto a 4 wheel dolly. Then it's quite easy to roll it onto my Harbor Freight tilt bed trailer.

With heating costs so high, woodstoves are coming back in vogue and there's a ready market for them. The last free one I got is a really nice LOPI. It retails for $1800. This one was in a back yard and the door and air control were all frozen up and it was very rusty. Some soaking with WD-40 and some high heat paint was all it took to get it working properly. As I type this I'm looking across my living room at the flames through the glass door of this little LOPI gem.

The other 5 plus the one I replaced with the LOPI are sold or will be sold soon. Depending on the year and model I can get anywhere from $250 to $1000 for a wood stove and I haven't run into one that I couldn't refurbish for $25 or less. Just be sure to stick to the welded steel plate ones. Some of the older cast iron types leak and/or have cracks.

So, try running a wanted ad in your local Craigslist, tell people you deal with, keep an eye out for old stoves in yards. If you start looking for them, you'll find them.

I'm still hunting for more and will continue to do so all year as I believe good used wood stoves is a growing market.

Good Luck

Mike

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Estate Sale Cleanups Equal Big Profits

2011-10-18T02:10:00.001-07:00

There never seems to be an end to new opportunities in this business. Recently a friend came over and said "you gotta get over there." He had gone to an estate sale the previous weekend and went back the Monday after to pickup a few things he had purchased. The people had 3 days left to dispose of all the stuff that didn't sell. So my friend told them about me. I drove over right away and was amazed - lumber of all sorts, plumbing and electrical supplies, firewood, large timbers, an old railroad trestle in parts, irrigation pipe and tubing, drip systems, fencing, roofing, gas cans full of gas, railroad rails... on and on. As usual, I said "I can do it."

I did "do it." Working 20 hours a day, I made 14 trips with my pickup and 12 foot trailer (I borrowed the trailer from a friend). Retail value of what I collected has to be in the $20,000 range. I'll end up using about 1/2 of it and expect to sell the rest for around $5,000 cash or similar value in trade for things I need or can sell.

The above is not that unusual for me although I'd never cleaned up an estate sale before. I've been in this community for just a bit over a year and already folks are seeing me as the "salvage guy." it's all word of mouth and reputation. Do a great job for someone and they'll find more deals for you.

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Have You Had Problems Printing Ebook?

2011-09-04T21:37:00.001-07:00

Hi - I've sold hundreds of copies of the ebook How to Make Money in the Home Based
Salvage and Recycling Business. Today, for the first time, a new purchaser said that he was unable to print it out. This is the first I have heard of this. I checked the security settings and though editing is not allowed, printing is allowed. I'm wondering if any of you have had trouble printing the ebook and, if you have, how you worked around it. Thanks in advance.

Mike

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How I Afford to Bid on Scrap Metal, Electronic Scrap and Salvage Material

2011-08-14T16:46:00.001-07:00

Word-Of-Mouth and Bootstrapping are Keys to Success

Recently a fellow emailed me asking how I could afford to bid on electronic and telecommunication scrap. The short answer is that I did some creative bootstrapping. Here are more details.

This fellow was referring to a discussion in my eBook, How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business. In the eBook I describe my adventures in electronic salvage, scrap metal and deconstruction.

First off, there's bidding and then there's auctions. Starting off I had no cash at all so auctions were out of the question. Even now I stay away from auctions because things usually get bid up way too high and the lots are often too large. In my experience the ones who bid and win have seemingly unlimited cash and they "flip" things almost immediately. Even if they only gain 10% in a couple of days, 10% of say, $10,000, is $1000 profit - not bad pay. Problem is most of us, including me, don't have that sort of cash laying around.

So, I bid on things. Through word-of-mouth I hear about things that are available. Often they are free. If not, I'm usually asked how much I pay, I "bid" and if acceptable, I get the material. Unless my bid is a small amount I explain to the seller that I need X number of days to pay after I pickup the goods. If this is unacceptable, I go on my merry way looking for the right deal that fits my circumstances and finances.

I've found over the years that word-of-mouth referrals is gold. I don't spin my wheels attending auctions, watching craigslist and freecycle listings and the like. Just too time consuming for the meager return. One of my best deals ever came directly from sitting in a rural coffee shop each morning and getting to know the folks who come in. One thing led to another and I ended up with a year's worth of very profitable electronic salvage work.

Recent examples include a word of mouth referral to a person wanting a 100 year old house torn down. I got the call and ended up with 1000s of board feet of beautiful old growth lumber for free. I'm using some and selling the rest.

Another example is a call I got about an old farm. I could have whatever I wanted for free. Note that I said, "have whatever I wanted." In this case, if I had to take all of it, I would have passed or offered a small amount for the stuff I wanted - just too much junk I didn't want so this worked out well. In a couple of hours I collected about 300 pounds of used aluminum roofing, some corrugated steel roofing in very good shape, about 200 pounds of copper wire, a working wood lathe, riding lawnmower, all sorts of miscellaneous tools, hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, fencing material... Enough to load my Nissan pickup and 8 foot trailer to the brim.

My contact is going to get in touch with the absentee owner of the farm to see if I can have other items as well that he was unsure of at the time. Things I have my eye on are a canoe, a small Kubota diesel tractor (needs work), several 100 feet of irrigation pipe, doors in casings, and the old barn itself. He's pretty sure these are unwanted items as well. I'll keep my fingers crossed :)

A word about Craigslist - I said above that I don't spin my wheels searching craigslist all the time. I've found it to be mostly too unprofitable, but once in awhile it pays off. I check maybe once every couple of weeks. This morning I saw a listing for a very nice woodstove fireplace insert with variable speed blower. I called and found it was just a couple of years old. The folks bought the house with it in it and decided to heat with propane. Woodstoves are too heavy for most people to move around and they just want them out of there - thus free! If you run into these, ask too if they have any firewood. Most people seem to forget this. This morning if I hadn't asked, I would have missed out on a cord of nicely seasoned oak firewood.

A tip - Woodstoves typically way between 250 and 350 pounds. I can load and unload these woodstoves myself (and I'm 65 years old) using the following method. I have a small 8 foot utility trailer I bought as a kit from Harbor Freight. It's the heavy duty 5 lug model with a tilting bed. I can easily tilt the stove up on end and flip it back down on a 4 wheel dolly. Then I roll it to the edge of tilted down bed of the trailer and roll it on. You'll need a small piece of heavy plywood to fill the gap between the edge of the trailer and the ground - a steel plate works even better. Once on the trailer it's relatively easy to roll it in place and take it off the dolly.

In my pessimistic view of the economy, I think woodstoves and firewood are going to be gold (among other things). I may keep this one and use it. Whichever extra one I end up with, I'll probably trade it for a wood splitter or something else useful.

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H.R. 2396 Funding Grants for Electronic Recycling Research and Development

2011-08-10T00:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I told you about H.R. 2284, The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act and how it would prevent the export of non-functional or shredded electronic scrap to developing countries. I said that this should be passed because it would result in more U.S. based jobs and it would also mean less material containing toxics being sent to places that have lower environmental and labor protection standards than the U.S. One thing that I did not mention is that it also means more opportunities for U.S. based electronics recycling entrepreneurs.

There's another bill in the works, H.R. 2396, Electronic Device Recycling Research and Development Act, that will mean even more opportunities for us in the U.S. Its purpose is:

To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants for electronic device recycling research, development, and demonstration projects, and for other purposes.

Take a look at both H.R. 2284 and H.R. 2396. if you feel like I do, urge your representative to vote for it.

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HR 2284 The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act - The Right Thing To Do

2011-08-09T05:25:00.001-07:00

H.R. 2284, The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act, would prevent the export of non-functional or shredded electronic scrap to developing countries. This is an important bill and one that I think should be passed. For starters, it would result in more U.S. based jobs and it would also mean less material containing toxics being sent to places that have lower environmental and labor protection standards than the U.S.

Back when I was doing a large scale electronic salvage project, I sold large amounts of scrap to a Taiwan based company. I was unaware at the time, the effect that material was having overseas. It wasn't until several years later that I read Bill Moyers' Global Dumping Ground: The International Traffic in Hazardous Waste that I realized what I had done. In fact, the fellow I sold my scrap to is mentioned in the book. I'm not sure if the environmental and human abuse overseas is as bad now as it was then, but I'm quite sure that conditions are below U.S. standards.

You might take a look at H.R. 2284 and if you feel like I do, urge your representative to vote for it.

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Deconstruction and Used Lumber: Succeeding in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business: Techniques and Ideas - Part 2

2011-06-14T12:07:00.001-07:00

In Part 1 I discussed how I was able to get this old house to tear down. This is the continuing story. I only work at it 2-3 hours per day. For those few hours I always come home with at least $150 to $250 worth of lumber at retail value. Some will end up being worth less and some more. Much of the lumber is around 100 years old. Most is old growth and much is 1/4 sawn as well.

It was a real struggle to get the roofing planks off. They were not only covered with many layers of composition roofing, but shiplapped as well. With shiplap, you have to start at the top and work your way down.

I gambled and decided to pull down the ends of the roof hoping I wouldn't break too much lumber. My gamble paid off.

I'll be adding more photos and video as the project proceeds. I expect to end up with many thousands worth of lumber, lumber that you can't even find in yards today.

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Succeeding in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business: Techniques and Ideas - Old School and New School, Part 1

2011-06-07T01:29:00.002-07:00

Recently a fellow contacted me and said that my eBook on salvage and recycling was a great autobiography but was not relevant. His example for me to follow was to check Craigslist and type in "junk" and "scrap" and I would see that everyone is in the salvage and recycling business. I responded telling him that the techniques I used for obtaining, working with, reusing and selling salvage are very relevant and that I use them most everyday. I also told him that I would appreciate any tips he could offer in the way of relevant ideas. Once I hear, I'll pass them on to you all.

Here's an example. Recently I blogged about a house that I am in the midst of deconstructing. I didn't get it by watching the craigslist listings and hoping that I was the first one to respond and then hoping that if I was, it would still be there when I got there. I have tried this method a few times and in my experience using craigslist and other online tools works at times, but also can be a real time waster.

In this case, I had done what I always do - hand out business cards, put flyers on bulletin boards and small ads in local papers. Several months ago I purchased some oak flooring from a fellow - he had seen my flyer at the local market. Later he told a friend about me, we connected and I am now tearing down this great old cabin. He said that he had been trying for months to find someone to give it to. Did he list on craigslist? No - he doesn't use a computer. I find that there are a whole lot of people out there that are still "old school" and depend on what they read and who they talk to for the information they need - they don't even think much about the internet. Also, some just don't want the hassle of strangers calling them, coming to their place...

I do think that craigslist can be a good way to sell material and I've done some of that successfully, but more often, word of mouth has worked for me and folks tell other folks about me and before long the material is sold - sometimes before I even have it torn down and available for sale.

I've included some photos of this project that I began on May 4, 2011. I only work it 10 or 12 hours per week. Early on I removed the aluminum roofing, wiring, brass... and found other recyclables around the property. I shopped this around at scrap metal yards and was able to sell the scrap for $409. More than enough to pay for a couple of runs to the dumps, gas, lunches etc.

Over time I'll go into the scrap metal part of it in more detail telling how I deal with dealers, find honest ones, sort my metals for the best price.

Also, in time, I'll discuss the tools and techniques I use in deconstruction, how I store my wood, how to price it and more.

This building is 20x25 feet. The inside walls, outside walls, roof and ceiling are all old growth ship lap lumber - much is premium 1/4 sawn. I figure, even at today's low prices for lumber, I'll net out at about $4,000 in what the same amount of wood would cost me at retail. If I were to sell, some of this would bring more than retail, some less. More about this later.

For now, enjoy the photos and remember to check out my eBook, How to Make Money in the Home Based Salvage and Recycling Business. It's full of tips and ideas that I use all the time to succeed in this business. Just one good idea is worth more than the price of the eBook.

Continued in Part 2.

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