I did an experiment

[cyberdan]

I have been thinking about adding stuff to my yardsale buy list.

When I recycle computers I always throw away the wires and powersupply. I didn't think it would be worth saving to sell.

Well this last saturday I decided to see how much wire I could get in my yardsale hunt. I always remember seeing boxes of jumbled wires at yardsales.

I ended up buying a lot of wires and what ever else people had in those junk boxes. I sorted thru what I bought and pulled out the computer cards, hard drives and RAM that came in the boxes. I spent a total of $4.50

I sorted the real thin wires (inside computer ribbon wires and phone cables) into one box and the heavier wires into another.

Today I went to my recycler and sold him 5 lb of breakage (20¢ lb thin wire) and 14 lb of #3 insulated (86¢ lb heavier wire) and got $13.04 not bad for something I always pass up or throw away.

I also asked him about silver plated copper plates (he buys as copper) and old silverware. I told him it was probably nickle and he said he pays yellow brass price on that. I see so much of this and pass it over as junk. My next experiment will be these things to see if they really do pay that way. I talked to the center manager, don't know if the people doing the weighing see it the same as he does.

[Dr. Cadmium]

The miscellaneous box of wires and electronic parts is almost always a buy at tag sales. They're often priced below scrap value and can also yield valuable AC adapters and other parts.

As for silverplate items, the base metal is usually copper, brass or pewter. Sometimes you'll also see silverplated steel or cupronickel. Most yards will buy silverplated items as whatever the base metal is.

I've never seen silverplated nickel. Aside from ingots for manufacturing or bar stock for lathes, nickel is rarely seen in its pure form.

Silverplate items have been on my tag sale list for years. Owners are almost always looking to get rid of them cheap.

[Thogey]

What is a tag sale?

[Dr. Cadmium]

What is a tag sale?

Synonym for garage sale or yard sale. The term is used throughout New England.

[Rodebaugh]

What is a tag sale?

well it's official....I have no need to ever visit Arizona now

[cyberdan]

I've never seen silverplated nickel. Aside from ingots for manufacturing or bar stock for lathes, nickel is rarely seen in its pure form.

I see a lot of utensils marked EPNS (electro plated nickel silver) I just assumed the base metal was nickel. But I am happy with brass prices.

Is there anything I should look out for and avoid when buying junk silverware?

[Robarons]

When looking for silver plated items and junk silver ware anything magnetic is junk. If its not magnetic by default it has some kind of value. This tip is true with all metals.

Be sure to look for the sterling silver stuff when looking for junk silver ware. It does come up time to time in junk piles!

[cyberdan]

Be sure to look for the sterling silver stuff when looking for junk silver ware. It does come up time to time in junk piles!

That is actually what got me started yard saling. This is from my book STOP for GOLD. I find some silver every week, sometimes a lot. Oh, and that other metal too GOLD It is actually helping put my daughter through university.

Early one Saturday morning in 2008, I was driving on a few errands. I saw a sign
pointing straight-ahead and then another. Both signs had some words scribbled on the
bottom. Then about a block further I saw one that pointed to the right. I decided to
follow this one and see where it would take me. Sure enough about half way down the
block was a larger sign that read ESTATE SALE.

I had never been to an estate sale before so I decided to stop and see what they had. I
had never seen so much junk except maybe when I clean out my storage shed every
couple of years. I did see a few things that interested me so I went back out to my car
and got my wallet and the pocket magnifying glass I always try and keep in my car.
I went back inside to where I was at before and a lady tried to help me. I was in front
of a small pile of forks and spoons. I picked up one and opened my magnifying glass
and the lady said that they were not silver, just old utensils. Thinking fast, I told her
that is what I collected and proceeded to look at each one under my glass. Bingo! I
saw one I liked and it was marked two dollars, I asked if she would take one dollar
and she agreed. In real tiny letters was the word STERLING.

[Snake42]

Be sure to look for the sterling silver stuff when looking for junk silver ware. It does come up time to time in junk piles!

That is actually what got me started yard saling. This is from my book STOP for GOLD. I find some silver every week, sometimes a lot. Oh, and that other metal too GOLD It is actually helping put my daughter through university.

Substantially helping?

[cyberdan]

Substantially helping?

Yes! My girl is getting a couple of grants and one medium student loan and the gov expects me to pick up the rest which is about 40%. No problem with my side business. She is even living in a dorm at one of the best Universities here in CA for pre-vet medicine.