Cleaning out an attic can seem like a big chore, but the process may be more enticing when money is involved. Whether you're moving homes or trying to make extra room, an attic storage area has the potential to make you a lot of money when scrapping various metals. By planning ahead, you can easily separate the metals and take them directly to a scrap metal recycling center. The following five items can be found in a variety of attics and will help you make quick cash through a scrap metal recycling facility like Pure Metal Recycling.

Silverware

The common cutlery used in our kitchens today are made of stainless steel. It is often referred to as silverware because the utensils were originally made with pure silver or a silver plating While stainless steel is not worth too much at a scrap yard, true silverware can garner you big bucks. When searching through your attic, it's a good idea to look through any fine china sets or old silverware you have.

One of the easiest ways to test if your silverware is true silver is with a magnet. Silver is not magnetic, so it will not stick to a magnet like regular silverware. A scrap metal yard also has the ability to test the metals and tell you exactly what the silverware is made from.

Childhood Toys

Don't junk all those old childhood toys just yet. A lot of modern toys are made with plastic, but you can still find a variety of toys with metal components to them. Depending on the exact metal used, you can have a variety of values associated with toy parts. One type of toy to be on the lookout for are tin toys. Tin and aluminum can add up to great values, especially for any tin containers that toys might have been in.

Old construction toys are another great source of metal. Steel, tin, and copper pieces can all be cashed in at a scrap yard for a variety of prices. When going through toys, break off pieces of metal to keep them separate. This will help the sorting process go a lot smoother.

Construction Materials

When making upgrades to the home, there are bound to be some leftover supplies. The attic is a great place to look for old pipes and vents that are no longer needed. Made out of pure metal, these parts are also some of the easiest to cash in. Pure copper is very valuable at a scrap metal yard and leftover copper piping is easy to pack in your car and bring to the scrap yard.

If you have questions about the materials used during the construction, then it's a good idea to call the scrap yard ahead of time. This way, they can answer all your questions about materials before you lug them from your attic all the way to the scrap yard.

Antique Decorations

As you clean out the attic, you may feel like you're stepping back in time. Even though the vintage items may not be suitable for decoration, they can make you a lot of money at the scrap yard. Old lamps, clocks, and metal picture frames are just a few of the decorative items you can scrap for cash. For example, an old clock may be filled with a variety of metal parts like copper, brass, or silver. Even if the clock has a wooden frame, the inside could be filled with valuable metal.

Old Electronics

The retro computer in your attic is just collecting dust instead of providing you with some extra cash. Scrap yards often have set prices for a variety of computer parts. Separate parts like the hard drive, processor, and CD-Rom to get the most value for each part. Old monitors may also have copper wiring that could be valuable. Call ahead to see if the metal yard accepts old monitors.

Along with getting cash for your items, your attic will be cleaned out and all the metal will be recycled for future use. Adding kids to the clean-up can help them earn extra money too.