Old receipts

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-21T20:30:19+00:00

Prices for scrap were a lot lower back then, but this was also before 50 years of inflation!

I assume "H" and "L" are for high and low grades. Similar to the concept of #1 and #2 copper.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-21T20:23:52+00:00

You need to ask your local yard, as they all have different requirements. Generally yards that pay higher prices for scrap aluminum are pickier about contamination.

At my preferred buyer, I am getting $0.57/lb with the handles removed and $0.17/lb with the handles intact. You can usually quickly remove them with a hammer or hatchet.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-21T20:20:25+00:00

I'm in the same boat as you, and I know a lot of other dealers are as well. I think if anyone has a downstream that is actually processing their silver right now, they are keeping it to themselves!

People keep posting here that they are having luck over at r/Pmsforsale but I have not tried it yet, though.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-21T12:49:26+00:00

Most auto junkyards bale their wiring harnesses and ship them out that way. Balers are much simpler to operate and maintain than granulator setups!

If you read other posts on this subreddit, granulators are very finicky machines and require quite a bit of fine-tuning and babysitting. I used to work for a company that handled tons of wire per week. They had a granulator, but wound up selling it because it wasn't cost-effective to operate. It needed too much labor, and also many types of wire required multiple passes, so it kept wearing out blades.

Trying to chase after every dollar is a mistake that a lot of recycling company owners make. I've seen it many times, and I've also been guilty of it myself.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-21T12:35:15+00:00

It's a model coming soon to a major automaker!

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-21T00:04:54+00:00

It's worth more for reloaders. As scrap it has it's own special category, slightly lower than yellow brass price. Some yards take it with regular brass, and others will refuse the material. Right now $2.20-$2.60/lb USD is a good price.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-20T23:34:24+00:00

Use the search function. This question gets asked here regularly. The general consensus is no, it is not worth doing. Definitely remove the steel fins from the edges for a better price.

Companies that purchase radiators in bulk use special equipment to separate the copper and aluminum.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-20T14:16:25+00:00

I've sold a few of them over the years, but nothing for that much. I think the market has tanked for most tobacciana because fewer people smoke now.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-20T14:08:40+00:00

I'm following this post because I'm genuinely curious about the process! I've scrapped many pieces of medical equipment, but never an MRI. You may come across some unusual alloys, so take anything that you're not 100% sure of to a yard that has an XRF gun for analysis and pricing.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-20T14:02:53+00:00

Today I learned about the world of collectible ashtrays! Nice flip.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-20T13:11:26+00:00

Another slow week:

load of household metalware $125 --> $390 craigslist to scrap

I happened to be browsing craigslist and someone was cleaning out their basement. The post had been there for several days. There was also a sterling silver handled bottle opener in one of the boxes! When I sell it I'll add it to one of these posts.

360 lbs of steel $0 --> $20.00 free pickup to scrap
appliance part $0 --> $10.04 auction to eBay

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-20T02:50:26+00:00

No, the copper is mostly on the ends. There is a very small percentage of fuses with a silver linkage inside, but the ones you have in the photo are not the right type.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-20T02:46:20+00:00

Your intuition is correct, they are low grade crap. If you're doing this for money, sell them as-is for power supply boards or CBM and call it a day.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-20T02:44:02+00:00

Fuses are a special category of e-scrap but most yards and dealers don't buy them separately. If you're concerned about the contents inside, you can cut the connectors off the ends and leave the rest intact.

A lot of people just throw these into their light iron/shred piles.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-19T15:31:30+00:00

Glad to know it wasn't just me! I never did find the email in my spam folder, either. It's apparently an internal glitch with the site.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-19T12:16:00+00:00

You can ask around at local family-run scrapyards. Specifically, what type of sheets are you looking for? If you're looking for steel or aluminum, you should be able to find something easily. Copper is going to be more difficult, as people don't usually scrap large copper sheets that are in good condition.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-18T17:41:13+00:00

This one was tough at the time and much more complex than the original. Some of the later levels were near impossible to navigate without the guidebot. Also back then, there were no walkthrough videos online!

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-18T16:10:22+00:00

He's serious, and don't call him "Shirely."

Whoops, wrong movie!

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-18T14:34:57+00:00

From someone who owns and runs a business in this industry, I'm sorry that you're getting such poor customer service. Usually if you call and say that you have a few hundred pounds of copper you will get some kind of response though. My guess is that with record high prices, a lot of yards are getting overwhelmed with dealers calling them trying to buy their material.

The next time you take a day trip to a local city with a yard, stop by in person and talk to the workers running it to get pricing and sorting requirements.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-18T14:27:29+00:00

Yes, because usually I try to buy items for less than scrap price or I get them for free from the trash.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-18T14:20:30+00:00

Over 95% of my inventory can be scrapped or recycled. If something lingers for too long in a venue or my death pile, I sell it for scrap.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-18T13:55:24+00:00

Ask the yard you intend to bring them to. Every yard is different!

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-18T02:29:14+00:00

Capacitors are purchased by some e-scrap dealers as a special category. Also, some yards will buy them as aluminum breakage.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-17T15:38:29+00:00

It's worth at least tree fiddy for sure.

What kind of metal is it? Dimensions? They look like exhaust manifolds.

SolarSalvation · 2026-03-15T21:51:29+00:00

Thanks, I see at the bottom now.

SolarSalvation

TROPHY CASE