How to sell copper scrap.

How selling to a buyer works

Whether you sell to a scrap yard or a direct buyer like Ironcrest, the choreography is the same. First, describe the material: type, estimated weight, and location — and photographs, which do more work than paragraphs. Clear photos of each sorted class, something for scale, and close-ups of anything unusual get you a serious response; vague descriptions get vague answers. Second, the quote: based on grade, purity, quantity, and location, against current COMEX/LME benchmark trends. This is also why Ironcrest does not publish fixed per-pound price lists — a number printed last month reflects the day it was printed, and your lot deserves a quote against today's market. Third, logistics: for larger lots, pickup or freight is arranged around the material; smaller lots can be dropped off or mailed in. Fourth, verification: the material is weighed and inspected — grade confirmed, contamination checked, weight recorded. Fifth, payment: prompt, documented, with paperwork to match. Industrial sellers can typically get certificates of recycling or destruction where the situation calls for it. The whole process rewards preparation: sorted material, honest descriptions, and good photos compress every step.

Gross, tare, net — and the weight ticket

If you sell at a yard, know the scale ritual. Your vehicle is weighed gross on a certified truck scale on arrival; you unload and your material is sorted into bins for grading; the vehicle is reweighed empty — the tare; and the difference is your net weight, recorded on an itemized weight ticket showing weight, grade, and rate per class. That ticket is your receipt and your record — keep it. Payment at yards is typically by check, debit card, or ATM voucher rather than cash, since many jurisdictions restrict cash payments for high-value metals as an anti-theft measure. Bring a government-issued photo ID. Most jurisdictions require it: yards record ID — sometimes photos of the seller and the material — to maintain a legal chain of custody against metal theft, and some states add thumbprints or short payment holds. This is normal, legal, and non-negotiable; a buyer who does not ask for ID is a buyer to avoid. For direct-buyer transactions, the same principles apply on a more personal scale: documented weight, agreed grade, and a clear payment record.

What to bring and what to expect

Bring: your photo ID; material sorted by class as far as practical; an honest estimate of weight; and photos you already took at home — they speed up intake and protect you if anything is disputed later. Expect: the buyer to verify grade with their own eyes and often an XRF gun; insulated wire to be evaluated on copper-recovery percentage; mixed or questionable material to be graded conservatively; and payment terms explained before the scale, not after. Expect questions about where the material came from — legitimate sellers answer easily, and the ID laws exist precisely to keep stolen metal out of the stream. One more expectation worth setting: the quote you got on the phone was against that day's market. Benchmarks move daily, and a quote has a shelf life. When you are ready, move promptly — and if the market has moved since your quote, ask for a refresh rather than assuming. With Ironcrest, the process starts the same way every page on this site ends: send photos of what you have, with an estimated weight and your location, and you will get today's price.

Copper questions, answered.