More effort, more results, more examples, more to motivate...
This was part of a monster haul of older HAM radio equipment I salvaged a few weeks ago that was owned by a WWII Army Veteran before he passed. The maintenance worker outside told me that he used to go up on the roof and transmit around the world. Sadly, his radio call sign was not found, so I couldn't find out more about him or his service.
There was a lot of quality stuff in that shot, including 3 popular vintage Yaesu transceiver units, and a matching Yaesu heavy duty power supply. I'd estimate the total haul to be in the $2,500 range. On a historical level, there was also an original WWII telegraph.
It was fascinating to learn about this stuff. This was clearly something I'm thrilled I could save for him so his collection could continue transmitting. It felt a little like guided fate because I barely saw this stuff since 98% of it was buried under the large pile to the left of the picture. I happened to see one single telephone cord sticking out as I was cruising by to beat the rain, and then found the goldmine after moving the bags on top. Luck or skill? Doesn't matter. Effort equals results.
P.S. Not-fun fact that you need a license to operate these transceivers.
Sale Time:
This vintage wattmeter sold online only a few hours after posting it for $158. The unit was worth a lot more if I could've verified that it worked, but I didn't have all of the equipment to do so, and sold it for parts/repair. It holds removable elements in up to 3 holes to measure the watts flowing through. I've sold several other pieces from above so far and will share them over time.
Salvaged weight with recycled packaging of 4 pounds.
This small wattmeter element slug was removed from the side of the unit above and sold within a few hours for $94. They cost $190 new, so this was an attractive price. This didn't require testing so I could sell it normally. This is an example of maximizing the value by splitting strategic parts up for sale. Alternatively, leaving it in the wattmeter I sold for parts/repair above would've significantly reduced my net return.
Salvaged weight with recycled packaging of 6.5 ounces.
I sold this audio 8-channel audio amplifier for parts/repair for $360. It appeared to work fine with all channels lighting up blue at startup, but I didn't have the gear to fully test it. If it was fully functionally, I'd have gotten about $600 for it.
I actually found two of them at 6 AM after dragging myself out of bed to go back outside to try to find the second part of an expensive drone I'd found that evening when too many people were walking by near a synagogue. While my second trip out found that those bags were picked up early, these amplifiers were leaning as found just a half block from my apartment. Sweet victory to overshadow the other defeat, and a good reminder that effort pays off in unexpected ways.
The buyer also left positive feedback, so I'm assuming that it did work fine and his gamble paid off. The second unit should sell soon.
Salvaged weight with recycled packaging of 13 pounds 9 ounces.
This Miele vacuum powerhead was found by itself, so I held onto it until I found a compatible vacuum to test it with. It took a few months, but that time came and then it sold with ease for $115. I also was able to test several other Miele electric parts I'd stashed in similar fashion to allow me to list a few hundred dollars worth of other items.
Don't judge a scuffed up vacuum part by its looks. Certain parts like this sell like water to stay in circulation, help a buyer solve their problem, and put money in my pocket.
Salvaged weight with recycled packaging of 7 pounds.
This cooling tower controller was sold online for parts/repair for $165. It was ~$1,500 new and would sell for $500 used if fully working, but it had a temperature control error on the LCD display. This was probably something that could've been solved, but it wasn't my expertise, and the buyer took a chance on it. I believe that this integrates with water and chemical pump units. Trash to most, but not to me.
Salvaged weight with recycled packaging of 7 pounds 5 ounces.
Stats:
- Revenue: $892
- 0% received as cash
- 32+ pounds saved
- Repair Costs: $0
- Other Costs: $0
**Thousands upon thousands of pounds saved over the years. Follow along to continue to see plenty of proof. Please let this motivate you to save a few pounds today.
If you're seeing my recycling post for the first time, the “value” in it isn't in the entertainment from the handful of items I show as saved/sold. It's from the passion and hustle I consistently exhibit offline to produce items for posts, and my goal of motivating others to address our global waste problem.
I'm personally diverting all of this from our waste processing centers and landfills.
Thanks as always for your interest and support. I catch it all.
Please reuse, repurpose and recycle. If you aren't able, then donate them to shelters, churches, or thrift stores.
**Please follow my new account on Instagram. Enough of my friends pushed me to join and I can use the boost.
Latest Posts:
- More salvaged items weighing 76 pounds sold for $1,320
- 5 salvaged items weighing 45 pounds sold for $790
- 5 salvaged items weighing 92.5 pounds sold for $1,974
- 5 salvaged items weighing 177 pounds sold for $1,910 cash
Thank you,
@steemmatt