1001 Ways to Make Money If You Dare (15 page)

82 SELL SCRAP METAL.
All you have to do is collect simple items like the wires on electronic equipment, car batteries, bedsprings, storm doors, and the like. Sure, your friends may be wondering why their TV won't turn on and their beds are lumpy, but at least you'll be able to pay your bills. Find a scrap dealer in your area at
www.recycleinme.com
.

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83 GO SCAVENGING.
One person's trash is another's treasure. This should be your motto while searching the city dump for anything that you can sell. Used car parts, old couches, clothing … everything is up for grabs. You may need to wash — or fumigate — what you find, but you can sell it to a car mechanic or a consignment shop for profit. Talk about found money!

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84 HUNT FOR COPPER PIPING.
The price for scrap copper has risen over 400 percent in the past three years, which means that you can make a pretty penny collecting it. Copper is found in air-conditioning units, refrigerators, and plumbing. We don't advise taking it out of items that are still working — unless you want your roommate to kill you. You can also find scrap copper dealers by logging onto
www.recycleinme.com
.

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85 HEAD OUT WITH A METAL DETECTOR.
We're all familiar with the image of a beach bum searching a beautiful beach with his trusty metal detector. Looks fun, doesn't it? You probably won't be able to retire on what you find, but you never know. Modern metal detectors even have alert sensors that let you know what's down there before you spend an hour scooping sand.

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86 SEARCH FOR BURIED TREASURE.
Leave the metal detector behind and try to locate where X marks the spot. Whether it's swashbuckling pirates, or greedy pioneers, there are tons of local legends about lost riches. In case you're not lucky enough to stumble upon a treasure map
Goonies
-style, hit the area library and research what forgotten fortunes you might be able to find.

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87 GO ANTIQUING.
We've all seen an episode of
Antiques Roadshow
where a woman brings in an old, wobbly wooden chair that turns out to be worth eight trillion dollars. Make this premise work for you by frequenting local yard sales, antique stores, and auctions. Have everything you find appraised, and, for God's sake, don't repaint, stain, or sand anything. You never know how much value that original coat of ugly green paint may add.

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