Couple make thousands of pounds selling 'rubbish' they 'can't believe people throw away'
30.05.2023 - 12:35
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A couple make thousands of pounds in extra income rifling through the rubbish that people throw away and selling it on.
Melissa Drabble, 40, alongside her husband Mark, 41, have found an interesting way to get through the cost of living crisis. The couple say they go "treasure hunting every day" looking for items people thought were worthless to sell on for a profit.
The enterprising duo - who run a scrap metal yard Tin Man Scrap in Buxton, Derbyshire - are constantly on the lookout for unique items. Melissa shares some of their most impressive finds on TikTok - to the amazement of her over 100,000 followers on the platform.
Some of the items they find dumped have a rich history, such as a Royal military sword dating back to the late 1800s.
Melissa said: "Mark and I love history, we’re hoarders. We see the stuff people throw away and most of it is still useable - we are shocked by what we find.
"Everything is so old and well made, it's superior to anything we can buy nowadays. It's like treasure hunting every day."
Melissa also revealed some of the 'junk' people chuck out unwittingly can also have an impressive price tag - such as a vintage BMX bike, which was valued at £650.
They also found a series of broken silver trophies - which turned out to be solid silver and hallmarked - that went on to sell for £1,000.
Childhood sweethearts Melissa and Mark met in 1999, when they were both teenagers. Within three years they had two children, Chloe, now 21, and Nathan, now 20.
Join our Greater Manchester history, memories and people Facebook group here.
They decided to start a small business together after entrepreneurial Mark had begun "meddling in bits of scrap." The couple turned their garden shed into a tiny waste