How to Sell Scrap Metal for Cash

Want to make money from the scrap metal that’s probably lying around your house? Then, learn how to sell scrap metal for the best prices today and find the scrapyards near you.

If you’re looking to make some extra money with minimal effort, I suggest taking a look around your home and finding some scrap metal.

Scrap metals are some of the best things to recycle. You can take your scrap metal to scrapyards and go home with some extra money in your pocket.

But how do you find a local scrapyard near you that pays good money for your scrap? What is the process of selling scrap metal? And what are the current scrap metal prices?

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What is Scrap Metal?

Before you start separating scrap metals, let us first establish what constitutes scrap metal.

Scrap metal is any product that contains metal or metallic elements that can be reused or recycled for future use.

It’s good to familiarize yourself with the different types of scrap metal, so you know where to sell them and approximately how much money they’d fetch.

Where Can You Find Scrap Metal?

You probably don’t realize it, but you’re surrounded by a lot of scrap metal. Take, for example, those discarded appliances and worn-out bicycles that have been gathering dust in your garage.

Here are the best places where you can find scrap metal right in your home:

• Outdated kitchen appliances contain some valuable metals, particularly copper.
• Stainless steel sinks and silverware are also considered scrap metal.
• Plumbing pipes and bathroom fixtures like stainless steel knobs and faucets are also acceptable in your local scrap yard.
• Light fixtures also contain copper wiring.
• Brass candleholders and musical instruments are also considered scrap metal.
• You could also sell aluminum cans, roofing, siding, and fencing at the nearest scrapyards.
• Scrap metal dealers also accept stainless steel appliances and cookware, as well as cast iron skillets, pots, and pans.
• Old televisions, computers, and other electronics also contain a good deal of scrap metal.
• You’ll find a lot of scrap steel in old bicycles and cars.
• You can also remove the copper coils from old air conditioners and take them to the closest scrapyard.
• Even power cords and Christmas lights contain copper wiring you can exchange for money.

Reasons Why You Should Sell Your Scrap Metal

Why would you bother recycling metal when you could just throw it away?

Well, there are a couple of good reasons why you want to make the time and effort to recycle scrap metals.

1. You make money without spending any. The amount you make depends on the type of metal, weight, and condition, as well as the supply and demand in the market.
2. Recycling metal scrap helps reduce waste in landfills.
3. Selling scrap metal allows you to declutter your home or property.
4. You help bring down metal prices as recycling metal costs less than producing new ones.

Selling scrap metal means putting money back in your pocket, helping the environment and the overall metal industry.

Types of Scrap Metal: Ferrous Metals vs. Non-Ferrous Metals vs. E-Scrap Metal

Before selling to a scrapyard near you, you must first identify your scrap metals according to type. Scrap metal recycling centers accept ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, and e-scrap metals.

Ferrous Metals

Ferrous metals contain iron and zinc. The best way to identify a ferrous metal is to see if a magnet sticks to it.

Ferrous metals are a lot more common and cheaper, but you make good money if you have a lot of them. Some of the best examples of ferrous metals include cast iron skillets, scrap steel, stainless steel appliances and parts, and wrought iron fences.

Non-Ferrous Metals

Non-ferrous metals, on the other hand, do not contain iron so a magnet won’t stick to them. They are desired for their ability to resist rust and corrosion. Because they are not magnetic, these metals are excellent for electronic wiring.

Non-ferrous scrap metal includes scrap aluminum, copper wiring, copper alloys, tin, lead, brass, and bronze.

E-Scrap Metal

E-scrap metal or precious metals from electronic devices could also be sold to some wreck yards. To find e-scrap metal, you can look into electronic devices such as cellphones, computers, old television sets, and cameras. They contain small amounts of gold, silver, titanium, palladium, and platinum.

Remember that not all junkyards buy e-scrap metal, so it’s best to inquire first and find local scrapyards that would pay more money for these metals.

Most scrapyards typically pay more money for non-ferrous metals.

How to Find the Nearest Scrapyard

Now that you know the types of scrap metal and where to find them in your home or property, it’s time to learn how to find scrapyards near you.

Fortunately, scrap metal is a huge industry worth over $50 billion in 2022. That means there are plenty of people going into the business of buying and selling scrap. Different scrapyards offer different scrap metal prices, so it’s good to look around where you can get the most money from your scrap metals

Here are the top ways to find the best local scrapyards nearby:

Locate Local Scrapyards on Google Map

One of the best and easiest ways to find nearby scrapyards is simply to Google them.

Simply launch the Google Maps app on your phone and key in “scrapyard.” You could also use the app’s voice assistant feature if you want to go hands-free, say while you’re driving around looking for a scrapyard near you. The app should then give you locations to the nearest scrapyards, as well as their phone numbers and customer reviews.

Find a Scrapyard Near You Using the iScrap App

If you sell scrap regularly and you want to be updated with the current scrap metal prices before visiting a scrapyard, then using iScrap is the way to go.

iScrapp is an app dedicated to scrapping and is a great app for people who have frequent access to scrap metal (think of construction workers, electricians, and plumbers).

You use the app to find a scrapyard near you by putting your location into the search tab. But I think its best feature is to check scrap prices straight from the app to know if you’re getting a great deal from your preferred scrap metal recycling center.

Use the Yellow Pages to Find a Scrap Metal Yard Near You

Alternatively, you could also use the online Yellow Pages to find scrap metal yards nearby. It’s just as easy as using Google Maps, too. Simply key in your search query, like “scrapyards” and location, and the site gives you a list of scrap metal recycling centers you can visit.

Using any of the abovementioned methods, you can easily identify a scrapyard near you. You can opt to visit smaller scrapyards too.

But just to help you save more time and effort, it’s great to call the scrapyard or metal recycling center first and inquire if they accept the type of scrap metals you have on hand and how much they’d pay for those. Once you’ve done that, you’d know the highest-paying scrapyard near you and make your way there.

What Are the Most Valuable Scrap Metals?

There is always an opportunity to make more money in scrap metal recycling. But scrapyards pay according to the metal type you intend to sell. So, before you expect too much, it’s best to get to know whatthe most valuable metals are.

Here are the best scrap metals that pay the most money:

1. Copper

Copper is a valuable non-ferrous metal that commands a good price, and all scrapyards will take in copper. You can find copper in many places, including copper pipe, copper cables, and even electrical wirings in light fixtures and Christmas lights. Additionally, most appliances contain copper wires, such as air conditioners, blenders, toasters, and coffee makers.

2. Aluminum

This particular metal type is always in demand because it can be recycled so many times. Aluminum cans are a great source of this metal type, but you can also find this metal on aluminum rims, as well as window frames and some electronics.

3. Stainless Steel

Stainless steel may not be as expensive as other metals, but it’s easy to find and collect. Any good scrapyard will also accept stainless steel because it’s easily one of the best metals to recycle. Stainless steel is found almost everywhere, including in junk cars, kitchen appliances, stainless steel sinks, and more.

4. Brass

Brass is less popular or widely used than stainless steel or aluminum, so it tends to command a higher price. It is often recycled with other metals. You can find brass in bed frames, fixtures like door handles, candlesticks, and trophies.

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Scrap Metal Prices: How Much Are They Worth?

Scrap metal items are being bought and sold at fluctuating prices. Different factors come into play that dictate current metal prices, including the following:

Supply and Demand

Any scrapyard near you would likely check the current supply and demand of the scrap metal you bring to them. Common scrap metals like aluminum cans wouldn’t sell as much as metals that have a higher demand, such as copper pipe and copper tubing.

The supply and demand of scrap metals are also affected by the time of year. Metal recycling tends to pick up more during the warmer seasons, so there’s likely to be more demand for recycled metal in these months.

Quality of the Scrap Metal

Quality is another important factor that affects metal prices. bringing corroded, rusty scrap metals to a scrapyard would guarantee a low payout. The same can be said if you haven’t pulled out the non-metal parts. If you want to make more money when you get to the scrapyard, you have to clean the metal scraps first and organize them according to type (ferrous or non-ferrous metals, for example).

Quantity

Finally, always remember that scrap yards process scrap metal in bulk. So, if you only have a pound or two, then you’d want to wait and collect some more until you have a lot to sell in one go. You’ll have a better chance of haggling the price to your favor if you bring large quantities of scrap to the recycling center.

How Do Scrap Yards Work?

You’re probably wondering how scrapyards operate and what they do with the scrap you bring them.

Essentially, a scrapyard is a metal recycling facility where people like you and me, as well as businesses who have constant access to scrap, trade scrap for money.

Say you’ve just renovated your home and you’ve collected a couple of aluminum sidings and window frames. You bring the scrap to them, they weigh it, and you get paid. That’s about it for the seller.

But the scrap yard has a lot more to do after that.

Once they’ve collected the scrap, they have to sort it according to category (ferrous or non-ferrous), and type (copper, brass, stainless steel, cast iron, etc.).

Then, the scrapyard shreds those scraps into smaller pieces and takes them to facilities where they recycle metal. The shredded pieces of metal are melted and then fashioned into new but recycled metal products.

This recycling process results in less need to create new “virgin” products which would require more resources and cost more money. Also, it helps ordinary people make some money from their scraps, as well as keeps the scrapping businesses going.

It’s also worth noting that scrapping and recycling are fantastic ways to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce waste in our landfills.

How to Sell Scrap Metal to a Scrapyard Near You

Say you’ve collected a massive amount of aluminum cans, perhaps some copper tubing and cast iron metals as well, and you’re ready to exchange them for cash. But if it’s your first time selling scrap, you need to know what to expect during the entire process.

• Collect and sort your scrap metal. You need to separate the metals according to type so it’s easier for you and the people at the scrapyard to process them. This also helps you possibly bargain for a better price for your scrap.
• Call a couple of scrapyards first and inquire about their prices. If you want to make top money from your scrap metals, then you should only sell them to the highest-paying scrapyard.
• Load your scrap into your vehicle and drive to your chosen scrapyard. Once you get to the scrapyard, drive onto the scale and wait for your load to be weighed.
• Once the weight is confirmed, the people at the scrapyard will separate the ferrous and nonferrous metals with a massive magnet.
• Finally, complete the paperwork and receive your money.

How to Make the Most Money from Metal Scrap

The entire process of selling scrap is quite straightforward. But there are a couple of hacks that you can do to make more money at the scrap yard.

1. Learn about the supply and demand of scrap metal

As you know, supply and demand is a huge factor that affects the price of metal scraps. It’s always good to identify the most valuable scrap metal items so you can hold onto them until prices go up. For instance, you can ask for old and discarded Christmas lights from family and friends because the copper wires inside them are worth good money.

2. Identify and categorize scrap metal

You don’t want to drive to the scrapyard and sell them a whole bunch of mixed-up scrap metal. Most scrapyards won’t pay you good money even if you have some copper or platinum mixed in with the other scraps.

Use a magnet so you can easily identify ferrous from nonferrous metals. From there, identify your scrap metals and separate them accordingly. One group for copper, another for aluminum cans, and a separate group for stainless steel scrap. The scrapyard operator is likely to give you a good price because you minimize the work for them.

3. Take out the non-metal parts

You should also remove the non-metal parts from the scrap so that they can be weighed properly, and you’ll be given a fair rate. Always remove the plastic, glass, rubber, insulation, and any other material attached to the metal.

4. Research the rates

The rates for scrap could vary from one scrapyard to another. You should call a couple of scrapyards near you and ask which scrap metals they accept and how much they are worth.

You should also look up the national averages on iScrap to make sure you are getting a fair deal, if not the best deal, from your chosen scrapyard.

Always look into the reviews of the scrapyard and ask for recommendations from people you know.

5. Learn to negotiate

Scrapyard operators do not necessarily have to follow the average prices down to a T. You could haggle especially if you brought them a lot of scraps, or if you’ve cleaned out the metal first, or if you’re selling a particular scrap that’s high in demand. Also, establish a good relationship with the scrapyard owner so it’s easier for you to negotiate the next time around. But remember–not all scrapyard operators are willing to negotiate even if you clean and sort your scraps first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most valuable item to scrap?

The most valuable thing to scrap is copper. Copper is an important metal because it is lightweight yet durable, so it can be used in various applications, from copper tubing in appliances to plumbing pipes. Copper costs around $2 – $4 per pound, depending on which scrapyard you take it to.

What can I scrap around my house?

You’d be surprised that there are manyf things that you can scrap around your house. You can sell stainless steel kitchen appliances, take out the copper tubing from HVAC systems, aluminum rims from old vehicles, collect soda cans and tin cans, and even cast iron cookware you no longer use. If you familiarize yourself with the different metal types you can scrap, you’ll see that there’s a lot you can scrap for money.

What pays the most for scrap?

We already know that copper claims the best prices of all scrap metals. But other metal types, such as brass and aluminum,  bring good money too.

Conclusion

Scrapping can be a great way to make some extra cash on the side. You can find things to scrap around your home or neighborhood, or at your place of business, especially if you are into electronics, construction, or plumbing.

Selling scrap is easy, but you have to be willing to do some work to increase your earning potential. This includes sorting out metals, removing non-metal parts, searching for a well-paying scrapyard nearby, and doing the actual selling process. But rest assured, you can turn those metal scraps into cash.