5 Places to Find Scrap Metal (It’s Easier Than You Think)

Have you ever thought about making a quick buck on the side of your regular job?

Scrap metal collecting can be very profitable. There’s no overhead and it can be good exercise — killing two birds with one stone.

First, though, you need to know where to look. Get your gloves on, start the van, and let’s go hunting for some scrap.

1. Household Plumbing

Copper prices per pound are soaring right now. Which means that collecting and selling copper pipes can result in a nice pay packet.

Perhaps they’re leftover from your own house renovations or someone down the street is looking to get rid of pipes they’ve had in their driveway for months. Offer to take the scrap metal away for a nominal fee — or even for free. Most people won’t see the value in the piping and will probably agree. Do ask first, don’t just take them.

Most people won’t see the value in copper piping and will probably agree and thank you. But be sure to ask first, don’t just take them.

You might also find copper in old electronics and abandoned household appliances, so keep an eye out.

2. Junk Cars

If you have an old car sitting on the lawn or in your driveway, scrap it! It’s doing no good to you gathering dust, and even if you can’t repair it, you might be surprised at how much you’ll be offered for it.

Old cars might even have parts that are more valuable than you think, so you can turn a tidy sum on top of the parts you sell for scrap.

3. Old Technology

We move through new technology so quickly that “out of date” electronic devices are getting thrown out at a very fast pace.

Items like old computer towers, laptop cases, and older TVs will have steel parts. Look inside for goodies like RAM, hard drives, power supplies, and motherboards.

You can also start collecting old cell phones and defunct gaming consoles. Once you’ve got a whole load, take it to a scrapyard and sell it.

4. Pools And Cans

Both pools and cans contain liquids and are probably made from aluminum. Aluminum has a decent resale value, and there’s normally a few hundred pounds of scrap metal in an outdoor pool.

Throw in any soda or beer cans you have before taking it to the scrapyard. Or ask your neighbors for theirs.

5. Garage Sales

Buying and reselling scrap can be quite efficient if you strike lucky. Many people will happily part with heaps of junk for very little to no cost. These include old parts, out-dated computers or broken appliances that you can then resell to a scrapyard at a profit.

As an alternative forum for buying, sites like Craigslist work well. Lots of people can’t be bothered to dump their own junk, so you can do it for them and pocket the cash.

Start Your Search

Always ask before you take something, but in general, people are happy to let go of what they perceive as trash.

What’s one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. You can make a nice profit by collecting scrap metal on the side of your main job.

We hope you’re lucky in your first few finds – and beyond – good luck!