How Much Will This Broken Down Appliance Fetch in Grand Junction?

This nightmare of an electric stove has seen its last day. Rather than throwing it in the landfill, there's the option of recycling. How much will a piece of junk like this fetch you in Grand Junction?

This stove was ancient when I first saw it 15 years ago. It hasn't improved any since then. The time has come to replace it. With the new stove in place, what does one do with this disaster?

There is, of course, the option of the Mesa County Landfill. That would involve driving most of the way to Whitewater, and then paying the dumping fee, which at last report, was at least $7.

There's Option #2: Recycle. I like that option. The older I get, the more I like it. So, with that in mind, we set a course for the Western Metals Recycling in Grand Junction. After weighing in, dumping it in the "appliance" section of the yard, and then weighing in again for our empty weight, it was time to get paid.

How much would you suspect this thing is worth? One dollar? Two dollars at best? Then again, maybe you have to pay to have them take it off your hands. This was an entry-level appliance in every sense of the word and would have cost far more to fix than it was worth. The unit had spent its entire life in a rental property I take care of, and had seen more than its fair share of abuse. No used appliance store would want it, and it was light years beyond being yard sale material.

When it was all said and done, the amount paid by the recycle center totaled $4.75. Okay, so I won't retire. On the other hand, receiving $4.75 is certainly better than paying $7. I'm also much happier with the idea of the materials getting repurposed rather than taking up space in the landfill.

I'm a big fan of the recycle center in Grand Junction. Back in the 1970s, when the aluminum recycling craze was in full swing (long before plastic pop bottles) my grandpa would take me to the recycling center every Saturday morning. We would turn in a truckload, and I mean a Chevy Custom Deluxe full-sized truckload, of aluminum cans. We would collect them throughout the week. I can't say for certain, but as I recall, we would usually get a good $40 to $50 dollars. Again, this was back in the 1970s when $40 was a chunk of money.

When cleaning up the house and yard, don't forget about recycling. Looking back over the years, there have been several occasions when I've hauled items to the landfill which could have easily been recycled. It's a shorter drive, and getting paid is much more desirable than forking over the money.