Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

[Uranium-235]

Has anyone ever gone down this road? I have a number of copper (and copper plated :/ ) and aluminum heatsinks. As well as full computers. Ever heard of any companies that will buy them off me (for not that much probably). I've been sending them to e-recycling

I kept a beige taaaaall antec case, going to try TC's yellowing remover and try to create an old system. Probably multiboot with DOS and 98 and 2k to cover all my bases

Maybe even use a certain Voodoo5 card in it

[stj]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

metal recyclers publish their prices for different metals - you work out if it's worth your trouble

[diif]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

They sell on ebay for more than scrap.

[dmill89]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

metal recyclers publish their prices for different metals - you work out if it's worth your trouble

^This, steel isn't worth much (generally not enough to justify the cost of driving to the scrap yard unless you have a whole truckload of it), copper and aluminum are worth substantially more, but you'll still generally need 100 lb.+ to make it worth your while (unless the scrap yard is really close). Plastics and circuit boards have no value to the scrap yard, and "mixed metals" are generally priced at the value of the lowest-cost material (so something like a transformer with copper wire around an iron/steel core would need to be disassembled to get full value for the copper components).

They sell on ebay for more than scrap.

^Also this, but of course for relatively "low-value" items you have to determine if the profit margin is worth your time (i.e. is it worth spending an hour listing something, packing it, and shipping it to make $5 or $10).

[petehall347]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

i was breaking computers years ago and got good money for it ..processors were the best . a little bag of them was the best . then the motherboards after i had removed the steel parts . they stopped taking them in . i think they soon realised with the later processors the gold content was substantially less than it was . and the gold fingers on the boards .

[Xenon-Codex]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

I got $20 for a couple of copper pipes. Clean copper was 9$/kg a few months ago, not that much anymore. Motherboards etc. $0,40/kg.

[Topcat]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

None of the scrap yards even take plastics anymore unless its soda/water bottles, soap/detergents/shampoo bottles, and other normal household stuff..... I can toss all the plastic I want in my commercial dumpster....but it still pisses me off that they won't take it; even for free....I don't want money for it, I just need to get rid of it....but cringe at the thought of it going to the landfill...but I have no other choice.

They do pay for electronic scrap (raw boards), more for older stuff than newer....I do separate it for this reason. I fill a few gaylords up with various boards; usually making a e-waste trip once a year. For intact but worthless electronics (printers, keyboards, cables, mice, etc) I don't break those down, I just take them over to the recycler and give them away....

I never bothered with copper & aluminum in the form of heatsinks.....it takes a shitload of them to amount to anything....

Steel OTOH, while not too terribly valuable,I fill a junk car up with all the scrap steel and broken glass I can cram in it....and when it won't hold anymore, off to the steel recycler it goes. Old metal TV backs are great for using self-tapping screws on to batten down a load!!

[desert-rat]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

There is not enough metal in a pc to be worth much . There is a method of getting the gold out of electronic items . I dont know if there is enough to be worth the effort . I have sold scrap copper and a/c parts from when I was a kid (mid 70s) . You can make a few bucks when the market is good .

[kasfamily]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

The old Soviet equipment contains many different precious metals, for example, capacitors-

[brethin]

Re: Money for scrap computers and copper heatsinks

At one point in time many years ago scrap was worth the effort, in today's thow it away culture it's not sadly.