Lead prices

I've been contemplating doing some lead smelting to resell to bullet casters or other casters (fishing weights, jigs, etc)

what are the typical lead prices you've been getting at your yards?

Can this be shipped via flatrate without issue?

I'm tempted to put up a buyer thread for them, primarily looking for spent bullets, misc lead, battery clamps, etc. I haven't noticed any in the buyer threads.

I would consider buying pewter too. looks like you can get a fair amount of weight into a flat rate box.

Trying to see if it would be profitable to purchase and melt down, separate other materials, cast into ingots, and resell.

The yard in my town pays 40 cents per lb.

The only issue I can think of for lead would be the flat rate weight limit of 70 lbs at the post office. I've only used the small flat rate box for heavy stainless and I fit 13 lbs into it with no problems.

I know people have used plywood boards in the medium and large flat rate boxes on the top and bottom to keep the lead from breaking out. I know that in solid lead ingots, they have shipped 68# in a medium flat rate box with plywood backers on top and bottom.

I would expect to be able to ship 50-60# in a large flat rate box in varying forms (battery clamps, Wheel weights, etc.)

I had considered doing such a thing myself lousy. My local yard buys lead for .50/lb and sells it for .85/lb. I've seen it selling on ebay for 1.00/lb, at those rates there isn't much/ if any money to be made, at least at the prices my yard has. I've also seen that 20lbs can fit into a small flat rate box if casted into the small Lyman style ingot molds. A friend and I recently casted my scrap wheel weights and lead into ingots, did it over a wood fire that burned down to the coals. Since i had firewood and time the only true cost was the beverages. Just what we did to keep the overhead down, instead of the common turkey fryer using propane method.

I've cast a few different ingots and shipped via usps flat rate. It's plum EASY to get 50-70# in a med flat rate box. The carriers tend to '*****' some, but .."if it fits"... :p. I've had the packages arrive on the east coast within a couple days, in great condition, and had them arrive 3 weeks late and near totally destroyed on the west coast. CA seems to be the WORST...

how much would I have to pay you guys to consider shipping to me?

I would break it out into grades:

"dirty" - lead with steel pieces in it (like marine post battery terminals)
soft- clean terminals and the like
wheel weights- lead only, no zinc or steel
copper/lead- if anyone digs up bullets

Lousy, around here they're paying .22/lb for wheel weights and .50/lb for regular lead. As of right now, i'm stocking whatever i get in. But if i would get an abundance, i'd be interested in shipping some out to you, either in wheel weight/clean form, or even casted into ingots for more weight per box. Let me know what kind of prices you come up with, or if its not too much, a price with small, medium and large flat rate shipping factored in?

shooting from the hip I would probably pay .50/# for WW, and .60/# for regular lead. probably be close to .50/# for "dirty", and would probably pay up to .80/# for spent copper-lead bullets. a lot of weight can fit into a box, so I would hope that would more than offset it. I could not account for antything lost in shipping though.

I would probably buy pewter too, but I don't think I could beat parrothead's pricing... maybe match it.

if I find it worthwhile, I might do some casting myself, either bullets, fishing weights, downriggers, or otherwise.

That's actually what I'm doing with mine, casting some plinking bullets with a friend to keep our costs down. At those prices I'd definitely be interested in shipping some out if I get some extra in.