You can find anything on the junkyard if you’re willing to search, which I am.  It’s a hobby of mine, and something of a side business.

Sure, I’ve got my day/night job.  I’m a bartender at a relatively upscale restaurant, which is good enough money for a single guy like myself.  When I was in school, I had that to keep me busy, but once I decided to take a year off, so I could work more and save some money, I had tons of time on my hands.  All my friends were still in graduate school, which took up enough time, and on top of that, they all had serious significant others, which took up just about all the rest of their time.  We’d hang out on weekends, but that left me more or less on my own the rest of the week.

I needed something to do, and I’ve always been a pack rat, so I took up junkyard diving.  Usually, I’d find junk, but I enjoyed myself.  I’d take a six- or twelve-pack of beer and just poke around, explore.

One day, though, I found this big machine that looked pretty much intact.  It had some words on the side, so I scribbled them down and looked it up on the Internet at home.  I scrolled through the links Google spat out and found one that was a product index for “used multi spindle automatic lathes.”  Next to the name I’d scribbled down was the price.  I can’t remember exactly how much, but it was several thousand dollars, so I went back to the junkyard with a buddy and a pallet jack he stole from work and put that thing on my truck.

I wanted to turn it as quick as I could, so I could have the bed of my truck back.  So I plugged “multi spindle machine” Craigslist right when I got home, and lo’ and behold, somebody was seeking “used multi spindle machines, used screw machines, and related turned parts.”

I contacted the guy and took it to his warehouse to get checked a few days later.  He had his techs look it over, and bought it from me right on the spot.  I pocketed two grand.  I can’t say if I got full value, but considering it was all profit, I think I made out all right.

Ever since, I’m always on the lookout for that kind of stuff, auto parts in decent shape, and anything that just seems out of place in a junkyard.

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