Welcome to the Wild-About-Trapping.com Forums

The car is in the shop this morning getting some work done so I'm chilling at home instead of working for the man. Just wondering if anyone has tried making some cash my scrapping/refining gold and silver on their own?? Youtube is loaded with vids and I've been e xploring some for a little while but haven't done anything yet. Not quite as safe as skinning & fleshing a critter because there are potentially dangerous chemicals involved and then high heat but people choose how much risk they want to chance. Anyway, these vids are about gold. Might try to talk a little about silver in another one later on.

Sources of scrap gold: old computer parts, busted/overlooked jewelry, mined gold flakes

Lots of vids on scrapping old computers for gold and other metals. This company says there's only about $9 of gold in a single computer but they're buying parts from people so perhaps they're low balling folks to get a higher return.

http://therefiningcompany.com/How-Much- ... -A-PC.aspx

I found this guy this morning. Appears to have a lot of different "how to make $$" from "junk" vids. One of the better A/P gold dilution videos I've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLBTWH4SafM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QekU-_cV ... VIauuw4X-I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCwgBkSt ... VIauuw4X-I

This guy appears a bit on the wild side. He didn't seperate his gold from the base metals first so his purity levels were low.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGNDI-Ug3dU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv2nNnpq538

I don’t think I would do this in the house!!

Don’t know if this guy’s powder still has base metals in it or not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfbISAEzAQQ

This guy appears to be a prospector. Uses commercial flux to purify his gold dust. Could this be used for junk gold from scrap jewelry or computer parts??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gTqTJEJV_8

This last guy may have ended up with the highest purity of gold. Don't know without him acid testing his gold for the viewer.

These guys refine gold by using silver

Refining pure gold from lower strengths by using silver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTBBYogskS8

These are some interesting vids scapping old hard drives. Other things besides potential gold that could be sold out of those.


srapping an old hard drive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL74EyCXuGg

srapping an old hard drive (more detailed). Aussie guy, check out how he says what should be aLUMinum!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVrmscPoPbY

Anyway, just wondering if anyone had any experiences with these various things that they would like to share. Probably should go get my car now so I can get to work

_________________
"And God said, Let us make man in our image …and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, …the fowl of the air…and all the creatures that move along the ground.
Genesis 1:26

Kinda/sorta seems like it would be a break even prospect at best. Better to go buy junk silver from folks who want to get rid of it. Lot of PM people doing that so it must work .

My dad had a friend, years ago, that got into that big time before anyone knew.
He got the stuff for free. Then he bought a cement truck to mix the parts with some chemicals. He took a trip to Europe his 1st year. Made out real good till everybody found out!!
I am thinking about starting to pan my creeks.

pipe- your dad's friend was getting computer gold??

trappintime- who are the PM people?

Yes, I agree. There is some work (I really don't know how much because I haven't done it yet) recovering the gold from electronics but finding junk gold (like broken necklaces) is probably tough as well, although my MiL threw away a 14 karat broken gold necklace (don't know how much it weighed but even if it was 1 gram it was worth about $20 "spot" value.

I haven't poured through the jewelry sections of local rummage sales for cheap junk gold and silver but I think I will start. If I'm going to waste my time walking through someone's garage might as well waste a bit more...

P.S. Here's a neat calculator where a guy can put in the weight of a precious metal, its purity, and then use the spot price to figure out its worth. Although I haven't tried anything yet, what I've heard is that dealers usually give a person a high fraction (say 80%) of the current spot price (they're banking on that the spot will go higher in both the short and long term future).

http://dendritics.com/metal-calc/

_________________
"And God said, Let us make man in our image …and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, …the fowl of the air…and all the creatures that move along the ground.
Genesis 1:26

I have found 14k,10k & sterling silver gold jewelry at yard sales for almost nothing but this isn't the norm.

_________________
Actions Speak Louder Than Words

NonPCfed, it was before computers. Electronics I think.

I had five or six old tower computers in the basement left over from a previous business. I separated all of the steel cases and the circuit boards and got some decent money for them. On the hard drives I bend or break all of the connector pins and then smash them with a sledge to make sure no latent information gets into someone else's hands.

Hint: You get more money if things are separated into their own categories-- i.e. circuit boards, aluminum, steel (no plastic attached), etc.

_________________
Molon Labe.

I'm probably the worst person on earth to ask about making money. Never was very good at investing. I was very good at buying high and selling low. Never good at making deals or haggling. Always bought too soon and sold too late.

Given the state of the economy, however, and the fact that the dollar is basically worthless, why would you want to sell your precious metals now ?

_________________
Those who trade liberty for security shall have neither.

"Take ye heed,watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is".

Rev. 6:8 and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death , and Hell followed with him.

If you want to invest in precious metals, invest in companies bringing in new precious metals. All the stuff used in jewelry, computers, etc, has all been accounted for. The real money is bringing in the new stuff that isn't accounted for. You see all these commercials about buying gold and silver as a hedge against things, or selling your gold to them, and it's a bunch of crap investment wise. Is it wrong for someone to do it, no, if you can make some extra cash fine. I don't mean to downplay or step on people's toes, but you are being taken advantage of if you are buying gold from companies. That gold or silver has all ready been accounted for, it just keeps exchanging hands. It isn't a hedge against anything. All that is happening is these companies are making money on the same old precious metals and the government is making more money off of people buying into it. They buy your gold now, then hold on to it till prices seem high enough, then try to sell it for profit (hence Lear capital and other companies that sell gold and silver and such). In time they know that gold they just sold you will make it back around to them where they can then sell it again when they can make a profit on it. It's the same cycle over and over with the same old precious metals. I guess sell them your gold if you want, but just don't buy any from them is what I am saying. It does nothing good for the economy. New metals coming in, that is good for the economy.

Sorry for the rant, but those stupid precious metal commercials are driving me nuts lately

_________________




"The bitterness of low quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten" ----Benjamin Franklin on duke traps

cat, most of the company's buying and selling gold make their money on the price they sell over spot. They buy everyday and sell everyday so if they can make $1-$5 per ounce on the turn over that makes them profitable. The ones buying junk silver are the thieves as they pay from 10-80% under spot price cause people don't do their homework.

I already learned my lesson about investing in companies.

i want the metal in my possession, not on paper, which is worthless, or in some vault somewhere.

_________________
Those who trade liberty for security shall have neither.

"Take ye heed,watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is".

Rev. 6:8 and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death , and Hell followed with him.

I like investing in precious metals: guns, ammo, knives, tools, etc.

_________________
Actions Speak Louder Than Words

You guys are missing my point. I'm not talking about investing in gold or silver as a source of income for retirement, or a hedge against inflation, or as part of a diversified portfolio.

I think Swamp and trappintime get it.

I'm talking about when , not if, the dollar collapses. Not IF, but WHEN.

Soros and the Bilderberg group/Illuminati have pretty much ensured it will happen.

WHEN it happens, and our dollar is replaced with the new world currency, for pennies on the dollar, I want to be holding gold in my hand, not paper that says I own gold, but the actual gold itself.


Gold, ammo, knives, silver, etc. will be your only hope to be independent and not have to stand in line to drink their kool-aid.

_________________
Those who trade liberty for security shall have neither.

"Take ye heed,watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is".

Rev. 6:8 and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death , and Hell followed with him.

As an employee of the agency I work for, I'm FORBODDEN to have investments in precious metals (such as a metal mutual fund; I think the rule is something like if 50% of the portfolio is in precious metals I can't own it) because I might someday run into a person from the agency that actually knows where precious metal bearing rocks are located and I might be able to capitalize on it. Meanwhile, the transitory policy people (elected officials and their political apointees) enrich themselves by becoming lobbyists and crap like that and actively profit from the positions. Its a racket pure and simple...

I see doc's point but if the true world order reissues all of the currencies to a single source, do you think they're going to let you own gold?? Remember, it was "illegal" for citizens to own gold from FDR and depression up through Nixon who pushed to open it back up again. Of course you could always trade on the black market like the moonshiners but it may be a short ride before the bad guys find out about you. Of course it could a short ride for a lot of us for a lot of reasons if things get that bad (how many of us have the ability to fight a fully equipped night vision, shealth body armored assault group??). I don't mind going down swinging and some folks might be able to Red Dawn it out for a while, but for a consistent amount of time???

Sure, I'd like to own a little gold but I'm not going out and buying it at retail in any sizeable amounts. Now, I might try to turn some junk gold & silver that I buy at rummage sales or save some old silver coin hoping that under "normal" times the spot 20 years from now will be generally higher than it is now. I have to find some first...

trappintime- I'm one of your thieves if someone is selling a broken gold necklace for $2 and I know its worth $20 and buy it from them?? When I bought a nice bleached 4x4 white-tail skull for $5 at a garage sale and sold it for $65 on ebay, was I thief then?? (I knew it was worth more than $5 but was tickled when I got as much as I did). Where's does a guy draw the line when flipping something?? Aren't I taking the risk of trying to make a profit???

_________________
"And God said, Let us make man in our image …and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, …the fowl of the air…and all the creatures that move along the ground.
Genesis 1:26

Okee Dokee fella's, time for a little history.
In the 50's a litre[for you US types on here it takes 3.78 Litres to make a little US gallon ] of gas was about a dime. Fast forward to today and gas is $1.30/L. Now if that first dime in the fifties was silver[and it was][the US dime was 90%ag and ours was 80%(funny how are government even screwed us then ) it would have a silver content worth about $1.40 today or the equivalent of a Litre of gas. Now if that dime had been made of paper it would be worth about a dime or 7% of a litre of gas. The US quit the gold standard in the 70's and went to a FIAT currency which many think has to collapse. I tend to agree and can only hope for most sheeples that I am wrong. The FIAT system works on faith and I got even less faith in a government than I do in a superior being .
There are many arguments for both sides in this camp but like Doc I am a skeptic. Interesting read herehttp://www.silverdoctors.com/srsrocco-the-collapse-of-fiat-money-by-a-falling-energy-supply/

Did you know[or care] that the current gold/silver ratio is about 54 to 1, the historical is about 15 to 1, huge potential upside for silver.

Sorry PC but this wasn't as bad a jack as I sometimes pull.

Of course you are a thief . I do the same and am one too. I just don't like the ones who come from out of province to our little towns and offer old folks and fools 10% of their worth. It's OK fo me on the other hand to stand outside the door and tell same said people twice what the thief is offering inside . Only a gooof pass's up a good deal but I have on occasion been said gooof. There has been times when I had to tell certain people what there stuff is actually worth.

That statement made me shudder.

In a pooh hit's the fan scenario all the money in the world will be useless. Being able to feed, water and house yourself will be important. Thus guns, ammo, food, ability to procure more food, housing and being able to hold these will be mmost important. I like the thought of having some PM just as a hedge against the FIAT system. I also like some of the art on some of the silver .

Remember the movie "Tombstone " , when Wyatt Earp told Sheriff Behan , " I don't think I'll let you arrest us today " . ?

I don't think I will let "them " tell me I can't own gold.

You all do what you want. Invest in gold companies, or whatever companies you want. When the economy collapses again, which it will, and the dollar is replaced with a new currency, for pennies on what we now have, and the IMF "confiscates " all the gold in the Federal reserve, don't hold your breath waiting for your bankrupt companies to send you gold bars or gold coins to replace your worthless stocks.

better have physical gold, or silver, or ammo, or something tangible, to provide for your family.

NonPC, I apologize for jacking your post. Sorry man.

_________________
Those who trade liberty for security shall have neither.

"Take ye heed,watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is".

Rev. 6:8 and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death , and Hell followed with him.

Nah, you guys didn't jack the thread. Its just part of the discussion...

_________________
"And God said, Let us make man in our image …and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, …the fowl of the air…and all the creatures that move along the ground.
Genesis 1:26

Interesting[I think]

Silver is an the second widely most used industrial commodity after oil.

Industrial manufacturers CANNOT accept paper or fiat for a commodity that is critical for the production of their products. The supply of physical silver is so small too, that if a few multi-billion, or even multi-million dollar market participants came in and started demanding large sums for PHYSICAL delivery, the market would go ballistic.

It has also been my assertion all along that Apple, Samsung, or Google might someday demand delivery of 6 months to a years worth of physical silver, will have a VERY hard time getting it, and if they do, could trigger a chain reaction among other manufacturers to do the same. The way some of those consumer electronic goods attack one another, it would be the perfect strategy - buy up all of the critical commodity, with which they cannot produce their products, to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Now the really fascinating part of this phenomenon is, if the global economy tanks - it will likely be due to some kind of monetary instability - increasing the MONETARY demand for silver, increasing the price.

If the economy IMPROVES, technological advancements will substantially increase the the INDUSTRIAL demand for silver, increasing the price. In my line of work, mobile computing is THE advancement of the next decade - and you CANNOT build a cell phone or tablet without a few grams of silver.

There are 5 billion cell phones on the planet. If each one has 1-5 grams of silver in them, that's 160 million to 800 million troy ounces of silver. The average cell phone is used for 5 years than thrown away, and it's too economically un-viable (at these prices) to recover the silver inside it.

With silver, it's really a long term win:win scenario either way you look at it.

Here's an interesting site to look at, the annual silver supply/demand chart: www.silverinstitute.org/site/supply-demand/

Industrial demand and photography make up almost have of the total demand - and very little of that consumption will EVER be recovered.

Yep, silver's pretty important to a lot of industries. I don't know if I'll go out and actively buy any junk silver but if any gets in my path, I'll pick some up. I think I'll do the bank route with getting a roll (or whatever they have) for half dollars and if they have any Ike dollars (may be easier to pick up the 40% coins than the 90% ones...).

Here's some links to people who occasionally or actively seek junk silver:

5 ways to find old silver
http://cointrackers.com/blog/5-ways-to- ... nk-silver/

Some comments off of a forum I stumbled into:

Re: How likely am I to find junk silver coins in circulation?
Here's the secret, go into a bank perferably one in a snaller town and buy $100 worth of halves and dollars (coins,not the new ones!) and search, the bank will love you as they hate storing them. The great thing it costs you nothing (Spend the reg. coins on gas or something you would anyway) The rewards can be awesome, my boys and I do this and we have found some great coins over the years

Those ripoff "coinstar"/coin counting machines at grocery stores reject silver and foreign coins as do toll boths(save up enough Canadian coins and then trade them in as they are worth more than our $ now). look in the reject slot of these machines. I get maybe 5-10 junk silver coins a year this way usually quarters and dimes. I did find a barely readable 1810 or so US dime coin book valued a few years ago at $14 or so, but those values are high anyway.

I work in a bank and we get rolled coin by the box. I find, on average, 3 - 5 silver quarters or dimes per box. Some boxes contain more some none at all. Luckily the rolls within these boxes are clear plasic and you can see the silver coins among the clads. I just replace the silver coin I find with a clad coin from my pocket change. I've accumulated quite a nice silver stash over the past couple of years.

Recently I found silver half from local banks. One bank has $40 and I exchanged it. When I get home I found 12 silver half. 1 was 1964 Kennedy and 1 was 1962 half. The rest were from 1965 - 1969. After this I went few other banks and in 1 week I fount total of 45 silver halfs. (Kennedy halves from 1965-1970 and Eisenhower dollars 1971-1976 are 40% silver)


Some advice about buying silver content coins on ebay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1m8lDrK-4Q

I enjoyed watching this guy’s adventures for about two weeks but now it seems he does larger wheeling and dealing and not as much making deals at rummage sales…

_________________
"And God said, Let us make man in our image …and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, …the fowl of the air…and all the creatures that move along the ground.
Genesis 1:26

Speaking of historical irony, here's something from WWII. The USS Nevada (from the "silver state" keep that in mind) was a tough old bird. The only BB to get underway during Pear Harbor, she was run around to avoid sinking in the main channel and blocking part of the harbor. She was repaired and back on duty about a year later. But during her repairs:

Nevada's twenty seventh 'first': When it was discovered the ships copper electrical bus bars required replacement after being immersed in sea water for three months there was insufficient replacement copper available at the repair yard. The problem was solved by obtaining ingots of (Nevada mined) silver from the Treasury Department and melting them down into busbars. They ware installed, painted, (and carefully monitored for pilferage by the Captain) thus making Nevada the first and only battleship to be so equipped. As a footnote: There appears to be no record of whether the silver busbars were removed from Nevada prior to her sinking, or if she took them to the bottom of the Pacific with her.

After the war, she was used in 2 atomic bomb testing but still stayed afloat. Later, the ship took a lot more punishment before she went below the waves...

Nevada's thirty eight 'first' was to be the first (and only) US battleship to painted bright orange. This was to indentify her as the target aiming point for the 21 kiloton airburst Shot Able on the 6th of July 1946 (Below Right) during the 'Operation Crossroads' atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. The bomb was detonated 10,000 feet above and 710 yards northwest of the ship. Nevada survived the test and was surveyed and determined to still be in an operable, if radioactive, condition. The second test Shot Baker was an underwater detonation of a 21 kiloton device which also failed to sink Nevada. However, one airborne observer reported the explosion actually lifted the ship clear of the water on an even keel. And although the ship was now highly and dangerously radioactive she was still considered to be only minimally damaged and still operational. It should be noted that the more modern Japanese battleship Nagato, completed in 1923, and taken over by the US Navy at the end of World War II although almost 3 times the distance from 'ground zero' was in worst condition than Nevada after Shot Able and sank the day after Shot Baker (Right). However, Nevada was just beginning to show her incredible Nevadan toughness as will be seen.

Nevada's thirty ninth 'first' was to be the only battleship to ever be lifted clear of the water (!) and survive.

Nevada's fortieth and final, 'first' was to be the toughest target ship the US Navy ever experienced. Being very radioactive Nevada was stored at Kwajalein (Left) until 1948 when she was towed to a point off Hawaii to be sunk as a target. On the 26th of July 1948 a powerful new type of explosive device was tested aboard. Which was detonated without significant damage to the ship. Then on 31 July 1948 Nevada was scheduled to be sunk by naval gunfire from the modern new battleship Iowa BB61 (completed in 1943) and the Light Cruisers Pasadena CL65, Springfield CL66 and Astoria CL90. First from fifteen miles, then just five, Nevada was repeated struck by 16" 6" and 5" gunfire, but refused to sink. Destroyers were sent in to fire hundreds of 5" projectiles into Nevada, yet after the smoke cleared, there was Nevada riding proud and defiant. (Keep in mind all this modern firepower to which Nevada was being subjected to was against a ship never intended to withstand it and was an unmanned, stationary, and already damaged target, which had already survived two atomic bombs and was considered totally obsolete having been designed over forty years earlier). Finally, in sheer frustration the decision was made to torpedo the ship and a TBM Avenger torpedo bomber put a single torpedo into starboard side of Nevada amidships. Slowly at first, Nevada starting listing to starboard, then she abruptly capsized and went down stern first in 2,600 fathoms of water 65 miles southwest of Pearl Harbor with her colors still flying. The toughness of the Nevada was a vindication of, and a tribute to, the men who designed, built and served on this fine ship. And was a testament to the soundness of US battleship designs. Battleship Nevada had produced 40 'firsts' during her illustrious career as the 36th battleship named for the 36th state. One former crewman was heard to remark as the ship disappeared into the Pacific "Certainly every man who ever served aboard her will be forever proud to say: "I served on the greatest of the great battleships -----the USS Nevada, and a part of her mystique will always remain with me". A fitting epitaph for the 'Silver State Battleship' USS Nevada BB36, which repeatedly proved to be as rough and tough as the Sagebrush State she was named for.

Epilog: In 2012 sixty four years after a defiant Battleship Nevada slipped beneath the waves, what little remains of the ship is now located in Museums in Las Vegas and Carson City, Nevada. The ships bell is stored at the Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas NV. While the original Nevada state flag with 36 stars flown aboard Nevada and the original wardroom 'Silver Service', made of Nevada state silver, now reside inside the Nevada State Museum at Carson City NV. And there is a plaque and small memorial to battleship Nevada and her crew located on the grounds of the State Capital. And of course there are, and always will be, the lingering and everlasting memories of this Great Ship.

Battleship Nevada was awarded 7 battlestars for her World War II service
I wonder how many people living in Vegas have any clue of the home town state ship???

Here's the link to the whole story:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? ... 6644770479

_________________
"And God said, Let us make man in our image …and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, …the fowl of the air…and all the creatures that move along the ground.
Genesis 1:26

NonPC, these kind of promo topics remind me of metal detector ads where each time they walk across a yard they are picking up silver or gold. I would guess a person would have to go thru many, many rolls to find any amount of silver coins. But if one doesn't have anything else to do and likes re-rolling coins, go for it.

_________________
Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Swamp surely you ain't forgetting the little bad boys who steal a roll from grandpa in order to buy a package of whatever. I'm sure that is the only way to find a full roll of silver coins now without buying them at 15 times face value.