scrap matal price and the real thing.

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No welding question but I'm sure some one here can give me a good answer, Yesterday i took some scrap brass and aluminum into the local recycler man....I see on the computer that alum is getting about .78/lb and brass is over $2/lb..... so why does the man tell be "I'll give ya .20/lb for the alum and .60/lb for the brass.??? This was 80lb of solid brass wire.quite a difference there.. I said, I'll think about it, and left with all my junk. Now i know he has to make a living to, but why the big difference? He offers me 1/3 what it's worth. Do they all do that? is that normal??? I don't expect to get the top going rate, but still, 60% of the going rate would be more fair, Right??
Reply:Just because you saw AL at a certain price doesnt mean thats what your aluminum is worth.  If its got pieces of trash in it (bits of steel rivets, plastic, ect) its worth considerably less.  They also might give less if its lots of light gauge material compared to heavy sections of plate.I know steel works this way, pretty sure AL does to.  I think stainless is priced only by grade so it doesnt matter what form its in as long as its all the same grade.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Yea, I understand that, but it don't matter if i bring in one solid block of alum. casting that weighs 200 lb. or 200Lbs. of scrap alum with all kinds of junk in it. This guy is .20 cents a lb. PERIOD....I-da-no, but I will never go back there.
Reply:Are you trying to compare scrap price and new price?My name's not Jim....
Reply:No, scrap is no where near New, 3" MC channel , 5' long....(as of yesterday) .they want $75 at the supplier,... scrape I would get may be .50 cents....I'm just fuming that there ripping me and others off...
Reply:So then dont take your stuff there, im sure if their price is really 1/3 of what people should be getting then no one would go there anymore.  .78 a lb sounds high anyways, last time I took some over I got .40 and was happy with that, and that was when scrap prices were through the roof.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:I always call around.  sometimes a yard  will be $40.00 a ton more than other yardsDaye
Reply:Originally Posted by 1awert1. . .This was 80lb of solid brass wire. . .
Reply:"Fell"  off a truck....My name's not Jim....