Scrap copper is one of the most valuable metals in today's used materials market. It is found almost everywhere, easily collected and can be processed for market with fairly simple tools. How much you make collecting and selling scrap and used copper is up to you.
Used copper in its purest form is worth more than most of its alloy cousins, such as brass and bronze. From the outset,making money by collecting and selling scrap copper is a process. Knowing where to look, what to look for and how to clean and separate used and scrap copper are key to your success.
Where to Look:
Copper is used in thousands of everyday products and it comes in many different shapes and sizes. A few of the most common uses of copper are:
electrical wire
tubing and plumbing fixtures
electric motors
computers
power cords
lamp fixtures
appliances
automobiles
industrial equipment
construction
turnings
art
pots, pans, other containers
roofing
generators
radiators
As you can see copper is all around you and just waiting for you to pick it up, sort it, clean it and sell it for fun and profit. You can easily turn copper into extra income for you and your family or even make it your full-time business. The amount of money you make from collecting copper depends partly on your awareness that used and scrap copper has value and your willingness to learn a little about how to sort and process it.
Sorting:
Selecting and sorting scrap copper pieces into variable grades will increase your profits. In general, the dealer will pay you more for heavier, denser and brighter copper.
Sorting is a rather simple process. Align six to ten containers along the back wall of your garage or any other free space. Almost any sturdy container will do. Card board boxes, barrels, wooden crates, plastic buckets or even clothes baskets can be used. By using uniform containers, it will be easier for you to load and haul your treasures to market when it comes time to place them into your car, pickup or truck.
Label your containers and ensure to place only one kind of copper in each one. Your local dealer will use names such as 'bright and shiny', number 1, number 2 and insulated wire. You can learn these terms later.
For now, place light weight insulated wire, such as computer wire, in one container, heavy weight insulated wire in another container. Any stripped copper wire, wire without insulation, should go into a container all by itself. Copper tubing and fittings need to go into yet another container. Copper sheeting, such as roofing, flashing and gutter materials, go in their own container. In each case, it is to your benefit to fold, bend and compress each item so as to fit more material in each container as the dealer is going to pay you by the pound.
Set aside any items containing copper that you may want to further prepare, such as electric motors and insulated wire, before taking it to the dealer. This technique will also increase the amount of money you are paid for your scrap copper.
Cleaning:
It is not absolutely necessary to clean your scrap copper to sell it to the local salvage dealer. If you decide not to open electric motors and unwind the copper or strip the insulation from copper wiring, most salvage dealers and recyclers will purchase these items as they are. However, you should expect to be paid approximately one quarter to one third the daily price for your scrap copper, if it is not 'clean'.
On the other hand, you can give yourself a pay raise with very little effort by 'cleaning' your scrap copper.
Begin by using a sturdy pair of wire cutters or tin snips to clip iron, tin,lead, plastic and any other non-copper ends and attachments from your collection of scrap or used copper. Carefully review your product to remove iron rivets, couplings and nails to improve the quality of your scrap copper. Copper that is free from other metals and materials can often bring twice the price of 'unclean' or 'contaminated' copper.
Double check insulated wiring and radiators to ensure they are copper and not aluminum. If some of your collection turns out to be aluminum, simply clean it and place it in the right container. Although aluminum is worth less than copper, it is well worth collecting and selling to your local dealer.
Some automobile and truck radiators are built with iron tops and bottoms. Change your circular saw blade and cut off these portions of the radiators to increase their scrap value.
Insulated copper wiring should be cut into two or three foot lengths for easier handling and processing. Once the wire is in shorter lengths, you may decide to strip the outside plastic coating from it. This again increases the price you will be paid when you sell it to the dealer. For those who are serious about getting the most money for their scrap collection, but don't want to spend hours hand stripping copper wire, there are special tools and machines to help automate this process. In today's market, these tools and machines can cost anywhere from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars and can be found on the Internet by searching for cable strippers or wire strippers.
Taking Copper to Market:
Scrap dealers and recyclers like volume, loyalty and consistency.
You are apt to get a better price for your collection of used copper if you consistently sell well-prepared scrap metal to the same dealer. Established dealers often have contracts with foundries and other buyers who have agreed to buy specific amounts of materials from them each month.
When you become an established supplier for a dealer you are building a business relationship. If the dealer knows he can count on you to provide loads of clean, well-prepared metal, he or she can quickly and easily combine your products with their scheduled shipments and pay you a slight premium for your efforts.
Volume is as important to your dealer as it is to you. Scrap collectors maximize their profits by setting goals for themselves and provide a steady stream of prepared copper each week to their dealer. Larger collections of properly sorted scrap copper pay more than smaller ones.
Most dealers have hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, tied up in specialized scrap metal processing, weighing and moving equipment. When you consistently arrive at their yard with a 250, 500 or 1,000 pounds of clean, prepared nonferrous metal you become an important customer and partner in their business chain. Consequently, your dealer will be able to pay you slightly more for your product because he or she has to spend less time sorting, cleaning and preparing the material.
It takes much more time to buy 10 pounds of used copper from 10 customers than it does to purchase 100 or 1,000 pounds from one reliable collector. Scrap collectors who understand these business principles will receive priority service and premium prices for their products.
Price:
Scrap and used nonferrous metals, such as copper, aluminum, brass, stainless steel and others, are commodities sold in an open market around the world. This means prices change often, sometimes daily or even hourly. Your goal as a scrap collector is to ensure you receive top dollar for your product by providing a steady stream of prepared metals to your dealer or recycler. Be flexible with your dealer by knowing that they are competing in a world market where their ability to place your product is based on supply and demand.
Reputable dealers will not quote scrap metal prices over the telephone, simply because the price may change by the time you arrive at their place of business. However, the best dealers do guarantee a percentage price above every other dealer in their area. Other dealers provide a secret Internet price list for their most loyal customers because it can be updated instantly. Your goal should be to become one of the your dealers best customers and gain access to their instant price list.
Some preferred scrap metal collectors have online access to daily metal prices at Stubblefield Salvage and Recycling, LLC. Access to our online price list is at our sole discretion and access rights to price lists are subject to change at any time and without notice. Access and prices may vary based on customer loyalty, volume and frequency of scrap metal sold to our processing center.
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