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The coming of summer is a special time for me. Yard sales, yard sales, and a couple hundred more yard sales popping up like there is no tomorrow. Without a doubt my best finds are at these "junk sales". When Saturday rolls around I take out the bike and travel all around the city looking for those yard sales. There's never a disappointing outing. Some days it's free copper tubing, gold necklaces for a $1 and other scrap metal items that are basically given away.
Off the top of my head my best find would be a couple ounces of sterling silver spoons & forks worth aprox $210 that I bought for $5

There are some really interesting items out there! Share your story of your GREAT FIND!

I bought 240 mason jars for $20,
then, later the same day sold 60 of 'em for $30.
1 was planning on buying 4 dozen that weekend @ $10 dozen

What I've noticed about mason jars is that some people either just don't want them, or they do really bad.

A couple of years ago I bought $350 worth of mercury dimes at 3.5 times face value at an estate sale. Dimes were found under the stairs in old coffee cans. Probably my best buy ever.

thunter wrote:A couple of years ago I bought $350 worth of mercury dimes at 3.5 times face value at an estate sale. Dimes were found under the stairs in old coffee cans. Probably my best buy ever.

Did you have the $1225 cash in your pocket, or have to make arrangements?

Yard sale today and say a computer monitor that has free on it. Then a pile of #2 ins wire I asked how much for the wire she said $1.00 Wire weighed 12 lbs Wire worth $13.00+ scrap value!

I went to an estate sale on the last day(closeout prices) and bought a computer monitor, 2 computer towers, a printer, a keyboard, a VCR, and a box of old telephones and assorted wires for $2.25.

I picked up some brass at garage sales and yard sales for $4.25. All of it weighed 10lbs for a scrap value of $19.00.

One man's trash is another’s treasure!

People now-a-days have no clue what metals are worth. If it's ugly or useless, most people would say it's trash, yet all trash has some value. A ripped piece of paper could be pronounced as "trash" or it could be burned to create heat energy which = money. On that note, I was at a yard sale one day and a guy was giving away a large copper pipe for free because it had a dent in it - that could have been money in his pocket. It's amazing how many people try so hard to find the best deals on some Gatorade bottles or cans of soup to save an extra dollar, yet they fail to recognize the "money" that they are throwing/giving away.

hobo finds wrote:Yard sale today and say a computer monitor that has free on it. Then a pile of #2 ins wire I asked how much for the wire she said $1.00 Wire weighed 12 lbs Wire worth $13.00+ scrap value!

What is a computer monitor worth in scrap. I have 2 that are taking up space that I need to get rid of.

slickeast wrote:

hobo finds wrote:Yard sale today and say a computer monitor that has free on it. Then a pile of #2 ins wire I asked how much for the wire she said $1.00 Wire weighed 12 lbs Wire worth $13.00+ scrap value!

What is a computer monitor worth in scrap. I have 2 that are taking up space that I need to get rid of.

not much mostly insulated wire in them...

A couple of times I've seen people selling catalytic converters. Would anyone care to explain how to determine the value of them?

not really a yard story it was dumpster dive. Found as case with several "musettes" inside. (woodwind instruments)

I sold them for $125.00

I went to a yard sale,and found a box that had two small cups in it,they looked like shot glasses,but I later found out they were
cups for measuring out liquor for certain drinks. I bought the set for $1.50,put them on Ebay,and sold them for $65.00

justoneguy wrote:

thunter wrote:A couple of years ago I bought $350 worth of mercury dimes at 3.5 times face value at an estate sale. Dimes were found under the stairs in old coffee cans. Probably my best buy ever.

Did you have the $1225 cash in your pocket, or have to make arrangements?

They put them aside. I went to bank on got the cash.

slickeast wrote:

hobo finds wrote:Yard sale today and say a computer monitor that has free on it. Then a pile of #2 ins wire I asked how much for the wire she said $1.00 Wire weighed 12 lbs Wire worth $13.00+ scrap value!

What is a computer monitor worth in scrap. I have 2 that are taking up space that I need to get rid of.

A monitor has at least 2 pounds of #2 copper, ins. wire, and a few small pieces of aluminum on the circuit board.

Here is something I saw last year. There was this box. I always try and look in boxes to see what might be hiding. On the front of the box was a drawing of a lady's head with curly hair and on the box all it said was something like "the perfect teardrop" So I open the box and there was one item inside. It was about the size of a large grapefruit and light brown in color. I picked it up and it felt heavy and squishy like it had jello inside. It was also kind of oily on the outside. Then I realized what I was holding and also realized it might be leaking and quickly put it back and went over to the used clothes area and to wipe off my hand.

I will let you figure out what it was

HINT: There was only one but real ones come in sets.

Implants? hahaha

cyberdan wrote:HINT: There was only one but real ones come in sets.

I /really/ don't want to know "how".

I've passed up computer cables at yard sales that have been in the "free" box...are these scrapable? Are they Copper #2?

ZigMeister wrote:I've passed up computer cables at yard sales that have been in the "free" box...are these scrapable? Are they Copper #2?

Hey Zig, American Metals at Broadway and Extension will take it. The price might be low but better than throwing it away.
The ratio of copper to insulation is what determines the price.

I have found that they'll take almost anything. Don't rule something out until you call them.

CrazyTom wrote:

ZigMeister wrote:I've passed up computer cables at yard sales that have been in the "free" box...are these scrapable? Are they Copper #2?

Hey Zig, American Metals at Broadway and Extension will take it. The price might be low but better than throwing it away.
The ratio of copper to insulation is what determines the price.

I have found that they'll take almost anything. Don't rule something out until you call them.

Thanks Tom. So there must be at least some copper in the cables?

Picked up a 1/4 hp electric motor for 3 bucks and they threw in an old kitchen exhaust fan for free. Just got done testing them and both run smooth as new.

ZigMeister wrote:I've passed up computer cables at yard sales that have been in the "free" box...are these scrapable? Are they Copper #2?

Cut off the steel ends and by me they count as #2 ins.

Do all electric motors have copper coils or can they have aluminuim instead?