This past weekend we cut up a 914 that was wrecked and repaired so-so ish. below is all that was left plus misc metal in the truck bed. Total weight was 560# I got, are you ready for this.......................$7 for it Two weeks ago I hauled of another junk 914 shell total weight was 1120# and got $28 for that one. That was .024 cents per pound and now its .0125 cents per pound. While I didn't expect to make $100's of $$, damn it isn't worth hauling them off anymore. I think now on I am just going to put ads up on craigslist and let the scrapers haul away what is left of them when I am done.

Yuppers, I just did a load and it did not cover the gas for the trip...
I have at least two more, possibly three loads...not worth the effort right now...just wait till the price goes back up..

If you look online (google) you can find the daily price for scrap steel.

Rich

I would wait, but while I have a good size shop I really don't have the extra room to keep them just to wait for scrap prices to go up. There was a time early this year where I could buy a parts car for $300-$500 strip them down and take the junk metal and make back $75-$100 before I even sold one part off it. The scrap guys were telling me today that they just don't have the customer volume like they used to. I know the steel mills here are slowing down. Where my B-inlaw works they are talking about a plant shut down for 2-3 weeks in december because that just don't have the steel orders.

For quite a while leading up to the olympics most of the scrap steel was shipped to china...probably due to the need for any steel over there...

Now the demand is pretty low...

Its still the number one most recycled item on earth...well I think Aluminum is number one, but steel is right up there...

I have time and space...and I just wait till its at least worth the gas to get there...

Rich

That really does suck. I made some money on the scrap copper and aluminum this summer. Cast Iron was .13/lb which I would have happy to get. Today .02/lb. I was hoping to clean out my shop but not now.

All you 4x4 and pick-up truck drivers keep a close eye on your catalytic converters. Methheads will case vehicles tall enough to roll under and zip off your CC with a battery powered sawzall and take it to the recyclers for the platinum. A lot of business parks without security in the parking lots have been hit. Even a few wealthier neighborhoods too. With that nice house in the first picture, I would be watchful
Just my .02$
Nate

I am sure your are correct. Maybe platinum is still up but the rest is not.

I wouldn't worry about scrap catalytic converters anymore that much ... what we used to get close to $200 for is now selling for $30 in the scrap market. Imports are a maximum of $60 and those are specific imports. Platnium, Rhodium and Palladium are currently at 1994 levels with surplus in the market. Rhodium has fallen from $11K an ounce to about $1.4K an ounce. Platnium has fallen from $2.2K to $0.8K. Palladium has fallen from $0.6 to $0.2K. A surplus exists in the maket due to low automobile production.

The projection for aluminum is bleak. The turnaround is expected possibly by 2010. Chinas' largest producer has cut back production 16% in the last month. Currently, the cost of production is more than the sell price available.

Current price for crushed car bodies is $45 per ton at the ports. That's down from $500 ton about 2 months ago. Wreckers are losing money right and left.

Some large scrap iron dealers have shut their doors to keep from losing money. What they buy today, drops tomorrow so they stopped buying. Also, their sales have gone to nil. Many have laid off quite a few people.

Each day damn near brings a new low in metal, both base and precious. Everyone is sitting waiting to see when it will finally bottom out. Some are holding their inventories waiting for the price to go back up .... It could well be a long wait.

Yeh, scrap is part of the business I am in ... I'm thinking that flippin' burgers may be the way out

I was going to make a run this week with some metal, but this makes me wonder. The good news is gas is $1.99.9 and still falling. I might be able to pay the cost of the trip.

Wonder if steel tubing prices will go back down. I would love to throw in a 3000$ order for materials. I have done quiet a bit of scrapping this summer and made good money. Usually 100-150$. Guess I won't bother now.

Yep scrap is waaaayyy down (good for me in the steel bus).

I don't see it coming back up real fast as China has slowed thier purchase of scrap to a crawl.

Have scrap metal prices suddenly fallen through the floor? Here in the Chicago North Shore area we still have multiple scrap haulers scouring the alleys every week latching onto every bit of metal they can fit onto their pickup trucks.

Skip

I got $5/100# a few weeks ago. I came home with a big $38.00.

Almost $400 a ton in the spring....now about $40 a ton.