Copper Scrap

L

lyle11

501 Club
I have maybe 50 lbs of copper scrap at my place in Wisconsin that I have been accumulating for several years. Just in looking at historical charts, the sell price looks pretty good now. I live in Ohio and go to my Wisconsin place during the warmer months, so if I don’t sell it by October I have to wait 6 months. I’m not gonna get rich off it but of course I’d prefer to sell it at a good price, not expecting to hit the peak. Prices seem to have a big range based on geographic location but the latest price for my location was $3.45 a pound. That might be for shiny, clean metal where mine is pipe with solder residue, etc. but it's gives me some idea.

Just curious if anyone follows price trends and thinks this is a good time to sell?

Thanks
 
I have a buddy that works for an hvac company but is also a scrapper. He has been selling a lot of copper in the last week or two because prices are good right now. I know he spends a lot of time cutting soldered fittings out of his scrap because any piece that doesn’t have a soldered joint in it brings a premium over a piece with a fitting still attached. He says it’s worth separating because a piece without solder on it gets bumped up a grade and the price increase is usually worth it. He always breaks down any ac unit he gets and says a unit separated into copper, aluminum,steel,motor and compressor will bring 4-5 times as much as a complete unit. It might pay to call your scrap yard and ask about grades
 
Thanks Eugene. I pretty much have my stuff separated. It’s says they pay more for “bright and shiny”. I think I’ll buy some sandpaper and sand every piece until it looks brand new.

Last time I took in copper scrap was about 9-10 years ago. They had an article up about people who steal from construction sites then bring it in to sell for scrap and that they’ll call the cops if you bring in obviously new material. Nothing surprises me what people will do for a few dollars.
 
When we were getting ready to sell our old house after the renter moved out we went over every day to do some work. One evening while I was cutting down one of the trees Rosanne mentioned that the front window curtain was open a bit. We went around backand found the back door kicked in. Every piece of copper was cut out. They even took the two 4" copper nubs that were sticking out the top of an old water softener. Evidently they went in the back and had a lookout at the front window
 
About 10 years ago, thieves stole the copper gutters and downspouts from the police station, a couple of towns away. It was an old 2 story brick school house, originally.

Ed
 
I metal detect and find copper, brass, and lead. Small pieces of copper and brass are polished in the rock tumbler when I clean cents (pennies).

Contracted last week on a fixer upper house. Close in early July. The house has been unoccupied for some time, perhaps 4 or 5 years.

In the basement, copper tubing had been bent/worked until it broke, then removed. Reachable electrical wire has been pulled out. Thieves were not very efficient or good at the task. None of the stolen wire or copper pipes were cut. They even broke off the fitting for a propane tank. 10 foot basement ceilings containing 3/4" copper hot water heating pipes and 1/2" water pipes, and the electrical wiring is still intact.

A bag containing some of the copper and brass is still in one corner of the basement.

Nothing damaged on the main floor.
 
Don’t bother with sandpaper to clean it up. Squirt some ketchup on it and wipe it around then rinse it off. You will be amazed at how well and how easily it cleans copper.
 
Mht":1ksv5ogn said:
Don’t bother with sandpaper to clean it up. Squirt some ketchup on it and wipe it around then rinse it off. You will be amazed at how well and how easily it cleans copper.
Click to expand...

I was joking about shining it up. I have used ketchup on an old copper teapot and a weathervane and it works good with just using one of those green kitchen scrubs on tough spots.
 
I sold my scrap. It really paid off to divide by material and type. I have no idea what “aluminum bronze” is. It looked like brass to me and was some old castings that have been laying around my farm for decades. Got $16 for a Cub radiator. Got $411 for what easily fit in the back of the car. I think “irony yellow brass” is chrome plated faucets and fixtures.

B6272A9C-1893-4F4E-AB4E-177A70ED4B73.jpeg
 
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