How to Sell Scrap Metal

Preppers use just about
everything they can and never let anything go to waste. But there’s only so
much you can do, and sometimes it best use is to trade it for cash.

You may have collected
aluminum cans to turn in for money as a youth, or maybe you’ve gathered all of
your coinage for processing at a bank or coin-sorting machine in exchange for spending
money. If your home construction projects produce leftover metal, you can use
the same approach to recoup some of your costs. Building material is valuable,
and people will pay for it!

People often let their
scrap metal go to waste, which is both a storage issue and an eyesore. Instead,
learn how to put it back on the market, and you’ll no longer have to worry
about stashing it. Plus, you’ll be that much richer!

Know
Your Metal

Unlike your can-collecting
experience, not all scrap metal is of the same value. To determine whether it’s
worth your effort, consult a guide
to the value of scrap metal to see if your
project has generated enough loose material to warrant loading it up and taking
it to a scrapyard. Prices might vary a small amount between yards.

Plan to Move
Your Scrap

Transporting a massive load of scrap will
require the right vehicle. A pickup truck is usually the best choice because it
can be unloaded via a crane or forklift once you arrive at the yard. For the
biggest loads, it might be a good idea to use a trailer. If you don’t own one,
a cost-effective rental can make a fantastic investment.

You can also use a smaller vehicle.
However, you’re less likely to receive help when you get to the yard. Also,
smaller cars can be overwhelmed if you load them with too much heavy material.

Find Your Local
Scrapyard

Get online and locate the nearest yard that takes
the metal you’ve got to sell. Depending on how
close you are to an urban setting, you may need to travel a small way to drop
off your metal. Once you arrive, check into the yard’s database and weigh your
vehicle coming in. The process is similar to visiting the dump — and you’ll
actually get paid for it!

Once your vehicle and information are in
the system, move on to the unloading. If you’re selling a ferrous
(iron-derived) material and have the recommended pickup truck or trailer, you
might get to watch the yard put a giant mag crane — a crane with a huge
electromagnet at one end — into action. Just be careful — they can lift your
entire vehicle if the magnet gets too close.

Get Paid!

After making the drop, you’ll roll your
vehicle back through the scale and receive payment, either as cash or a voucher
from the scrap yard. In many places, it’s not legal for the yard to pay you
directly, but you may find a conveniently located ATM that accepts the vouchers
the yard gives out.

You’re all set. Now you can re-invest the
hard-earned dollars that went into your project — rather than stare at a pile
of rusty metal for the next several years. Definitely a good call.