Furniture from Junk Yard

[MomOfMany]

Has anyone figured out what to do with the furniture from the junk yard? Like is there a way to refurbish it or something. I don't see the point in it being there if the only way to fix it is to basically pay for a new one so I assume there is more to it.

[Carl]

So it costs full value to replace? I need to look into that.. if so, detonate! Takes quite a lot to reach that skill challenge anyway, need more things to blow up with a reason

[AriaGirl77]

Seems like some stuff you can blow up, while other things you can't.  A couple times I've picked up a trash compactor and a telephone and I wasn't able to detonate either of those items even though my invention skill is at level 10.  Maybe I just haven't detonated enough things yet?

[MomOfMany]

Haven't tried to detonate as I am not there in inventing yet. But I just feel that there must be more to it otherwise it is completely pointless.

[Jazinga]

Salvage them at the Scrap Yard and they end up in your Family Inventory.  If you have a big enough lot (see semi-expalantion/cautionary tale next), take them out and pack them really tightly together.  Leave just enough room for your Sims to get to them.  Have your Sims detonate the innermost, and largest, item.  Usually, if that item is large enough (maybe it's bulky, as I have had mixed results) then all the surrounding stuff will become collectible Scrap as well.

I stumbled on this method as I was detonating the really large pile at the Scrap Yard.  Two cars were parked on the lot and literally everything blew up!  IIRC, my yield was almost 3,000 scrap.  My Best Friend eats well, now, and I haven't gone done much besides fiddle around with Detonating since.

[MomOfMany]

I was hoping that there was actually a way to refurbish!

[Pam]

I was hoping that there was actually a way to refurbish!

I was hoping the same thing. Refurbish and then sell it or use it in the house. Nobody seems to have unlocked a refurbish action, though.

[Merrilin]

Hello fellow salvagers,

It is a very good idea to salvage everything possible. Spread it on your lot, and call the repairman. After he leaves, the furniture will be as good as new, and alot of the time it can be sold for great cash. (I usually put 1 item inside my actual house, not just randomly on the lot. Just to make sure there is something broken inside the household.)

I read this on another forum, and I hope its working as intended.

Enjoy.

[MomOfMany]

I wonder then if a sim with some skill in handiness could fix them up. I just figured it was with one of the new skills but handiness sounds like it might work. Have to make one of my sims handy now to see!

[Merrilin]

My Sim has max Handiness, and he can't repair any salvaged items. I think at some point he had a wish to do so, but it did not work.

I think it's weird, but 'Repair man' is your man for now.

[Saltypaws]

The repairman can only repair the electronics though, but anything is good compared to full price.

[Arkaine]

The repairman can only repair the electronics though, but anything is good compared to full price.

I had him repair a cookie machine and a bookcase so I think he can repair a wider variety of items than just electronics.

[Pam]

Very glad to know that the repairman works for salvaged items! Thanks!

[Saltypaws]

I got a ton of stuff from the salvage yard, electronics and some other stuff, took them home, called the repairman and he just stood there and did nothing.  He left without fixing anything and still charged me.  I tried this numerous times, so on my end it does not work.

[mtglady]

My Sim has picked up a number of broken down, burnt looking items from the junk yard.  She does not have the handiness skill up to where she can make any repairs, so I tried putting the furniture, TVs, trash compactor etc on her lot one evening and she called the repair man (woman actually - lol). 
The repair person was on the lot for a couple of hours but when she left, after charging $50, all the items were in tip-top shape.  What a wonderful way for a poor starving artist to get a new, big screen TV! 

[Saltypaws]

I am glad it works for some people, but I cannot get the repairman to fix anything from junk yard.  That would be nice though.

[Merrilin]

For me it works when I put one item inside the main house, and the rest where-ever. He repairs everything for me. For a time, my lot looked like a yard sale.

[Twinmum]

I just did a quick trial and sent Jewel to the junkyard. She came back with one of the portable radios and one of the Audio Explosion stereo' Both only had the replace option on them so she put them in the house and called the repair technician who came and just stood outside then left after collecting $50. I thought that they were not fixed, but when she came home from the junkyard the next day with a working microwave oven plus a non working exercise machine and another stereo, I clicked on the radio and it does now work. So did you actually click on your items Saltypaws.. maybe they were fixed (just the repairman/woman didn't need to touch them)

Norma

[Saltypaws]

Yep, clicked on them and nothing.  Stereo was still smoking so I knew that one was not fixed.  Well, I will try again.  Maybe I am not patient enough, lol.  Mine only had replace option also, so had to use phone for services.  I tried this a few times in different houses.  No big deal though.

[Saltypaws]

I stand corrected, just went to junkyard and got a variety of furniture and electronics.  Took them home and called the repairman.  She stood outside for most of the day and when she left I checked the stuff and everything had been repaired, even furniture, so I apologize, I was wrong, "sniff sniff", lol.  I told you I was not a patient person, but, it worked.  What an amazing function and way to furnish a house or make money.  Now that is worth it.

[ik]

I just went to junkyard and got a variety of furniture and electronics.  Took them home and called the repairman.  She stood outside for most of the day and when she left I checked the stuff and everything had been repaired, even furniture

I had the same thing happen several times. To be honest, the whole feature has a kind of "unfinished" feel to it, like they wanted to implement the possibility to refurbish stuff from the junkyard but never got around to programming it properly. I sincerely hope they will release a patch/update one day that gives the repair person proper animations when fixing the salvaged stuff and allows the player-controlled sims (with proper handyness skill) to repair/refurbish the stuff themselves, too.

[lianne]

To be honest, the whole feature has a kind of "unfinished" feel to it, like they wanted to implement the possibility to refurbish stuff from the junkyard but never got around to programming it properly.

I agree, it seems like the sort of thing sims should be doing for themselves rather than relying on the repairman. It's pretty lucrative though, if you wait until you have quite a few items you can make several thousand simoleans from one repairman payment.

[LlamaMama]

Is it better to dig through junk piles than blow them up then?

[Leto85]

The only thing where you can use it for is to blow those up. But than you mostly get only one scrap from it, so it looks not so interesting for me. Unless there is more to do with it, of course.

[Pam]

Is it better to dig through junk piles than blow them up then?

I don't know if you get more scrap by blowing up the junk piles, but it's faster than digging through them.