Do you need some extra pocket money until your tax refund comes in? Have you held a yard sale, but it didn't bring in as much as you'd like? Taking some of your belongings to a scrap metal buyer may be a way to generate anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. While you might be familiar with recycling your old aluminum cans, here are some things you might not have considered before:

Old engines: Do you have an old lawnmower or car engine sitting in your garage, collecting dust and rusting? An engine's size and density makes it a great choice to sell as scrap metal. Before you take it in, find out if your local scrap metal buyer will pay you more for removing the old rubber hosing or dismantling it and cleaning the engine with a de-greaser. Many metal yards will pay more for metal that has been cleaned than for metal with plastic and rubber pieces still attached.

Batteries: Depending on where you are, finding a scrap metal buyer who will recycle old vehicle batteries can be tricky. However, you could probably get paid anywhere from ten to twenty-five dollars for each battery, depending on the exact battery type and the buyer. 

Wrought iron: If you've been planning on remodeling and throwing out your wrought iron fixtures anyway, you should consider taking them to a scrap metal buyer instead. Unpainted wrought iron will likely fetch the highest price, but you can still get money if your wrought iron has been painted over. 

Scissors: A single pair of scissors on their own aren't worth very much, and it wouldn't be worth making a trip to the scrap metal buyer just for them. However, your broken and dull scissors may add a few dollars to your total. For the best prices, try to remove the plastic handles before taking them in for recycling.

Water heaters: A water heater sold for scrap may bring anywhere from twenty to fifty dollars, depending on scrap metal prices in your area and the size of your water heater. If you need the extra money to replace a malfunctioning water heater, selling the old one for scrap can be a great way to offset the cost of a new water heater. Contact your local scrap metal buyer first, to see if you can get an estimate of how much they'll pay for it.

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