[rescue] RI/Mass. scappers?

[Innfomail at aol.com]

ELI is a secondary market computer reseller not a scrapper. They are 
resellers and have a different idea of value than a scrapper. We used to sell 
to ELI. Sometimes you can get reasonable deals from a reseller if he likes 
you and has a glut of that equipment on hand. It takes developing friendships 
with secondary market resellers. Worth doing.

Scrappers are another group entirely. Generally they make their profit in 
pennies per pound and have no knowledge of their equipment. Some have 
discovered ePay which makes them a little harder to deal with. Skins and 
cords disappear first because it makes the equipment easier to move. It takes 
some training to so they can keep interesting things whole while you get 
there to look at it.

Generally you can make friends with a scrapper by offering him twice what he 
could get out of the computer as scrap. They usually need to be checked at 
least weekly because they scrap equipment fast. They will sometimes let you 
rummage. The best way is to make a pile and haggle over the price. Sometimes 
they will force you to take bigger piles to get what you want (the rack full 
instead of a circuit card).  Do it if you can.

How to find one????

Most scrappers don't advertise, they are bottom feeders. The big ones will be 
in the phone book. Look under Scrap in a large city phone book. Someone 
should mention circuit cards or computer scrap in their display ads. These 
will be the big boys and probably won't let you rummage. They are worried 
about both theft (gold after all) and Insurance Liability (they pay big 
time).

Go the Surplus Property division of a University, large hospital or local 
large government agency (city, etc.) Ask them who buys their older computer 
equipment. Sooner or later you should get some leads to the smaller 
independent scrappers. 

Go to their surplus property auctions or sales. Pay attention to whom buys 
large lots of older computer equipment and talk to them. Let them know what 
you are interested in.

Hang around after an auction and see if any parking lot trades are taking 
place. These often include scrappers cherry picking.

Good luck. The search is often fun.

Paxton,
Astoria, OR