Candace

I see lots of folks doing this or hear stories of vintage machines being sold for scrap and was wondering just how much scrappers get for a machine? I understand the price of scrap varies upon your area and the general price for that week/day but are we talking $1 or $15?? or more based on the weight ?

I know I offered $30 to a scrapper for a 15 in a trapezoid case and he jumped on it, so I imagine it's much less than that but I've always wondered.

jlhmnj

Never scrapped any SM's but I scrapped an old truck and miscellaneous junk. I got 13 cents a pound for the truck 3-4 years ago and 10 cents for some odds and ends around the yard about 6 months ago. So a 30lb head would be around $3. Aluminum and copper would be quite a bit more.

Jon

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at todays scrap price, $3 a machine head would be about right. two years ago that same machine might have been 9 to 10 $$

I know of two case that machine went to scrap, both where done just to clean up that property.

I see items laying in scrap yards, that I know had the PO put add in C/L they could have gotten 100's of $$ for.

jlhmnj

You can also call the local scrap yard for a quote on #1 steel if the scrapper insists the price is much higher. I'd think $10 for a head going to the yard would be more than enough. Hmmm, maybe I should hang out at Cumberland Recycling and buy up some SM's and antique junk on the way in.

Jon

Candace

I really do think a in with the recycle yard is a smart idea. "I'll pay double the scrap value etc." may earn a few phone calls. It's sad that $3 a head is probably near the going rate. That makes me so sad.

Cogito

now that's a great idea! Lol. Besides we could tell ourselves we are saving these grand old machines!

Mrs. SewNSew

Candace it's not much. Since I scrape the bottom of the barrel, I do end up with s..crap sometimes. I have scrapped machines. 3.00 would be for a heavy all metal beast...a Kenmore or maybe a Singer 15? Most won't even bring that. The ones I scrapped were half plastic types so didn't have the weight. They were stripped for parts and then scrapped. I can't imagine anyone scrapping machines to get rich lol!

I kinda thing the Hospice thrift in town might be scrapping them. I'm sure they are donated often, but I don't see them hitting the floor. I suspect they are tossing anything they feel isn't good enough.

Macybaby

$3 a machine is about what we got - they do pay a bit more than some of the other junk metal, but not much. These were stripped and what was left wasn't worth keeping around.

BTW - since I have to pay by the pound to take them to the dump (no pickup here) I'd rather get paid to haul them to the scrap yard.

Sewnoma

Do they have Sutter hospice thrift shops in your area? The ones around here have little bursts of machines - they'll have none for ages, then suddenly five or six will show up. I asked about it, and what they said is that they set all their donated sewing machines to the side and they have a specific volunteer that comes around once every 2-3 months and tests and evaluates the machines before they're put out. (I don't think they really thoroughly test the machines though, I think it's probably more like just plug it in and see if things move and make sure nothing bursts into flame.)

brandeesmom

I got very lucky a few years ago, my then son in-law works at a recycling plant and brought me a wonderful Singer 99 in perfect working condition that someone had brought in to the plant. It's an awesome little machine!