Different　attitudes　and　practices　toward　WEEE　recovery　and　recycling　are　found　in　developed　and　developing　countries.　As　the　largest　developing　country　in　the　world,　China＇s　WEEE　is　widely　regarded　as　a　valuable　product,　and　the　resources　contained　in　it　offer　potential　profit　for　informal　collectors.　Unlike　the　formal　collectors,　who　are　supported　by　the　government,　informal　collectors　can　only　rely　on　themselves.　However,　formal　and　informal　collectors　often　comfortably　coexist　in　developing　countries　and　there　are　even　cases　of　informal　collectors　dominating　the　market.　Obsolete　television　(OW)　in　Beijing　is　employed　as　a　case　study.　Questionnaire　survey　and　multi-agent　cost-benefit　analysis　are　used　to　analyze　the　stability　and　profitability　of　the　informal　collector.　The　results　show　the　following:　(1)　The　factors　of　price,　convenience　and　canonicity　can　affect　consumers＇　motivations　when　selecting　a　collector,　with　price　and　convenience　having　the　strongest　impact.　And　informal　collectors　can　better　meet　consumers＇　demands.　(2)　Stable　cooperation　within　tier　two　collectors　is　formed　by　profit-driven　individuals.　The　secondhand　market　can　expand　the　profits　of　the　first-tier　collectors,　while　the　remaining　OW,　which　cannot　be　reused,　is　delivered　to　the　middleman,　ensuring　that　the　first-tier　collectors　are　not　menaced　from　the　＂rear＂.　(3)　The　informal　backyard　recycler　expands　the　profit　of　the　middleman.　Meanwhile,　the　WEEE　processing　fund　is　mostly　shared　by　collectors　and　intensifies　the　confusion　of　the　recovery　market.　We　then　create　a　new　fund　system　to　improve　the　regulation　of　OTV　recovery.　To　make　formal　collections　work,　we　suggest　that　the　government　charges　an　extra　40　Yuan　fund　when　consumers　buy　new　TVs　and　distribute　it　to　formal　collectors　in　order　to　exclude　the　informal　collectors.　(C)　2015　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.