Selling scrap metal (Chicago, Cicero, Ashland: appliances, how much, house)

[branch28]

In Chicago you always see scavenger trucks roaming alleys, etc.

Does anyone know how the economics of this works? For instance, I have an old Weber gas grill. Where can I take this to sell, and how much is it even worth? Where do the scavengers take their scrap metal to be weighed?

[rparz]

There's places like Acme Refining on 35th and Ashland and cozzi a little further down on Ashland. Places in Cicero and all around the city.

For regular steel, (you can look up scrap price) I used to figure on it being worth 1c a lb, and let the scrappers take it and consider their removal service worth it.

Copper scrap, I took myself. Close to $3 a lb, and it adds up. Brass as well, mercury, old copper house wiring --anything.
Old appliances have copper in the motors, maybe some aluminum or stainless which is valuable as well.

Sometimes, it can be worth it to hang onto and grab stuff. You make more money per lb- the cleaner and more separated the metal is. (cut off soldered copper fittings on pipe, wire has been stripped, devices with multiple metals separated, etc)

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by branch28

In Chicago you always see scavenger trucks roaming alleys, etc.

Does anyone know how the economics of this works? For instance, I have an old Weber gas grill. Where can I take this to sell, and how much is it even worth? Where do the scavengers take their scrap metal to be weighed?

The other poster is correct. Remember that the scrap dealers will generally NOT accept the gas tanks as they see them as an explosion hazard.

[snoylekim]

Yes ..anything metal you don't want ..leave in the alley.. it'll disappear .. quickly