# loose screws

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-screws/199849>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-screws/199849 "2003-09-06T01:01:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-screws/199849/1 "2003-09-06T01:01:21Z")

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Over the years, I have collected a number of screws, bolts, nuts, etc. that at one time belonged to things, but no longer do. they are perfectly usable, and I have saved them, assuming that I would find uses for them eventually, but mostly they just accumulate. Is there an organization of some kind that takes donations of such things?

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-screws/199849/2 "2003-09-06T02:17:27Z")

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How 'bout my grandpa (stubborn bastard doesn’t throw ANYTHING away.)

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/loose-screws/199849/3 "2003-09-06T02:27:51Z")

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The cost of each screw is less than the cost of paying somebody to sort a bunch of random screws, so any organization that needs screws will just buy them rather than pay someone minimum-wage to sort them.

At best, you might be able to sell them by the pound to a local scrap-metal dealer.