Scrap

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 2:26 am

Not wood scraps, machines...
I was at the local Amish consignment auction yesterday. They have these auctions to support their schools and they go over very well in general. Like most auctions there are a lot of bargains (if you actually need something) and usually a batch of items that sell for more than new price. For some reason a lot of woodworking items don't sell very well. In the past I have bought working older scroll saws on excellent tool stands for $2 or $3 each. I have bought older table saws for similar prices. I usually passed them on to someone else or sell them higher but modestly at yard sales.
I didn't want to buy a batch of stuff yesterday (and I didn't) but I was kind of sad to see one scrapper buy at least 2 radial saws and a decent looking (light surface rust) Grizzly floor model table saw with a big table and a big sturdy looking fence and just toss them in his load of scrap. Some of these scrappers are kind of nuts and many will confess if you get to talking to them that they often over-bid some of the stuff and lose money on it. Sometimes they just get caught up in out-bidding other known scrappers. It's pretty competitive. He paid $20 for one small sears RAS on a light tin stand and about $30 on one a little heavier. I don't see how they could be heavy enough to come out on (I've sold a lot of scrap in the past). The Grizzly may be heavy enough to make a little since he paid about the same for it. He will not really know by item since he will just take the whole load in at once and not have numbers for individual items.
We are having some problems with scrappers stealing anything they can find not being watched and that is the only way some of these guys make a profit. Last year I lost two rear tractor rims I had out for sale. One year I lost about 20 car batteries I had stacked behind a building waiting to go to recycle. Some of those guy are really brazen. Several years ago a former (thank goodness) son-in-law parked his car at a commuter lot for an afternoon and someone sawed his catalytic converter out of it in broad daylight. Those scrap at about 100 bucks. A few years ago one decided to steal some power-line down a empty road. Really fried him extra crispy.

"Wild Bad Bob" · Post by **"Wild Bad Bob"** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:03 am

Francis,
it is getting real bad in the cities, I wont call them scrappers, they are just plain thieves!!! Going into construction companies fenced in yards and just plain steeling, catalytic converters are a big one off of trucks, so much room under neath them. Aluminum siding off of houses. Ect

nuhobby · Post by **nuhobby** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 5:26 am

3-4 years ago, ran into a guy in Brown County (Indiana) who owned one of the majestic old homes near Meridian St. in Indianapolis. He said they'd taken copper from his roof & gutters.

kablerj · Post by **kablerj** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 9:19 pm

In nearby Johnstown PA there are a lot of empty rentals due to the economy. Thieves are stripping the copper wire and plumbing. Apparently they spend the day inside tearing out the copper and then sneak it out at night.