600# of copper

The big thing here with having a nice weighty amount of Copper or Brass etc is contracts.

If a scrapmetal buyer has a contract to supply X amount of metal by a certain date, and they don't have enough to fulfull the contract, they will call up anybody, even their competition, to see how much metal they can buy from them, at a premium.

They might pay 10% more, they might pay 30% more, to get the last little amount they might even pay more than that!
But they have to know how much YOU have. And you have to know what THEY will pay. (And at that point you have to have the metal in a secure place..)

So If you have a 2-3 even 4 hundred kgs. Call them, tell them you have it and won't be selling until (whatever date) and if they want to pay a bit more than the book price. They might.
Even if they don't need it, some other scrapbuyer they know of might. That gets them a favour even if it didn't get them money.

Around here, the smaller yards do this a lot, even yards that are 500miles away call up to see whats around just so they can get enough for a contract.

And if they are getting paid for their metal on the 20th of the month, and moneys tight, and you can drop it off on the 18th and wait till the 22nd to get paid.
Well golly, they just made a bunch of profit for no capital expense and you just got paid a extra X% on book price and that was 3 weeks before you intended selling it anyway. Talk about elbow room.

#1 Copper? The guys at our yards start salivating when they hear those words. I don't know what it is about it but its like theres little $$ signs in their eyes and drooling at the same time.

Years ago, I sold a old welder to a scrapmetal buyer, and a bunch of other metal too. I was clearing out a workshop I had and fitting everything into a shipping container. My helper/friend suggested scrapping stuff I didn't need for a bit of ca$h and to save room.

I had just brought a Invertor welder so the 3 phase motor/generator welder was histroy. Metal off cuts, shelving, sinks, radiators etc, 20 gallon drum full of Brass swarf. But, the welding cables......
Big thick ropey soft rubber surrounded #1 Bright Copper. Almost too much to carry.
He went weak at the knees as he told me he was "Giving me domestic Copper prices for coated #1 Copper" and "Where did you get all this stuff??".

But the bit I remember the most was him shoving a bunch of $100 and $50 notes into my hands......
And then coming back with more....



That was my 'Scrap (its no longer scrap boy, its worth $$$) metal moment.'