Scrap Metal Selling

Scrap Metal Selling can take time to master.  Many hundreds of thousands of tons of scrap metal are sitting untouched and unused in basements and garages all over the country. However, taking the haul to the scrap yard can be a very intimidating process, especially for a person who has not done this before.

Choosing to salvage materials can either be a very lucrative proposition or end up being a futile exercise. Many factors determine the profitability of the load brought in by a customer including the effort required to dismantle the material, as well as the prevailing rates for scrap at the yard.

The following tips apply when it comes to selling scrap metal.

1. Choosing the Transport Vehicle

Any vehicle can be used to haul scrap to the metal yard, including a bicycle. For heavy loads that will make a good amount of cash, it is recommended that you make use of a sturdy vehicle, such as a pickup, that will allow for easy unloading using a crane. If you use a closed vehicle to haul the load, you have to deal with the unloading process alone.

2. Choose Your Scrap Wisely

Once you have a vehicle, you need to have an idea of the kind of material that you will be hauling. Steel shelves, for instance, make for great scrap materials. Steel is one of the most common materials that can be scrapped, though it is also the lease lucrative.

Brass and alloys are very profitable. They can fetch upwards of two dollars for each pound. You will find that brass is used in applications that require low friction such as ammunition, locks, gears and valves.

Copper is one of the most wanted metals all over. Any yard that deals with scrap metals and recycling will accept to buy a load of copper from you. Depending on the condition of the copper, it fetches between four and five dollars for each pound.

3. Find Local Scrap Yards

Once you have the scrap material, proceed to search for local scrap yards. It is always best to make sure that you research extensively, as different yards will buy different kinds of materials, and will also have a different going rate.

4. Weigh the Vehicle in the Scale

Scrap metal yards use large, pressure-sensitive plates to weigh the car. They record its weight when loaded as well as when unloaded. The difference noted is the total weight of the scrap metal.

Many scrap metal yards use automated teller machine to pay out cash for the amount specified on the payment slip received from the seller. You will, therefore, leave the yard with your cash in hand.