junkmen
Secondhand goods haulers
Junkmen is the plural of junkman—a person who collects, buys, or sells junk, scrap metal, and discarded items.
The term evokes an earlier era when such dealers traveled neighborhoods with carts or trucks, calling out for old rags, bottles, and metal: The junkmen came through every Thursday morning.
Now largely replaced by terms like scrap dealer or recycler.
Collector of discarded cloth
- totterMove unsteadily, nearly falling
- chiffonnierTall narrow chest
- cart pusherWorker collecting shopping trolleys
- scavengerSeeker of refuse
Seller of salvaged materials
- rag-and-bone manItinerant scrap dealer
- waste collectorPerson collecting refuse
- salvagerOne who retrieves discards
- peddlerRoving small-goods merchant
hawker · itinerant · cart · truck · route · neighborhood · curbside · pickup
Discarding as worthless
- dismantlingTaking apart systematically
- strippingRemoving outer layers
- reclamationRecovery of something lost
- repurposingAdapting for different use
retrieval · recovery · refurbishing · reconditioning · rebuilding · harvesting · wreckage · spare parts
Discarded reusable iron and steel
- ferrousRelating to iron
- nonferrousContaining no iron
- aluminumElement thirteen
- brassCopper-zinc metal mixture
steel · iron · lead · paper · cardboard · rags · bottles · recycling
One who gathers
- treasure hunterOne seeking buried valuables
- curioOdd collectible item
- relicPreserved ancient object
- vintageQuality from past eras
collectible · heirloom · restoration · patina · provenance · estate sale · auction · finds
ragpicker
Collector of discarded cloth
- totterMove unsteadily, nearly falling
- chiffonnierTall narrow chest
- cart pusherWorker collecting shopping trolleys
scrap dealer
Seller of salvaged materials
- rag-and-bone manItinerant scrap dealer
- waste collectorPerson collecting refuse
- salvagerOne who retrieves discards
peddler · hawker · itinerant · cart · truck · route · neighborhood · curbside · pickup · haul
scrapping
Discarding as worthless
- dismantlingTaking apart systematically
- strippingRemoving outer layers
- reclamationRecovery of something lost
repurposing · retrieval · recovery · refurbishing · reconditioning · rebuilding · harvesting · wreckage · spare parts · components
scrap metal
Discarded reusable iron and steel
- ferrousRelating to iron
- nonferrousContaining no iron
- aluminumElement thirteen
brass · steel · iron · lead · paper · cardboard · rags · bottles · recycling · reuse
picker
One who gathers
- treasure hunterOne seeking buried valuables
- curioOdd collectible item
- relicPreserved ancient object
vintage · collectible · heirloom · restoration · patina · provenance · estate sale · auction · finds · rarities
junkmenmanufacturers
Entities producing goods massively
producers · craftsmen · artisans · makers · wholesalers
junkmenretailers
Businesses selling to public
vendors · suppliers · distributors · shopkeepers · purveyors