Average Bare Bright Copper Price

Blended rate: local Winchester, Kentucky prices + national trend. As of 3/4/2026.
$4.58/ lb -$0.45 (10.8%)
Use this as a baseline for negotiations. Always call local yards to confirm their rate for your load size.GT = Gross Ton (2240 lbs)
Avg: $4.58
Lowest price $3.50
Highest price$5.07Who pays the most? ⟶
How to read a yard's offer

The min/max range reflects a blended index (local + national data). Your local high may be lower.

  • Low (up to $3.50): Floor price, typically for small loads.
  • Mid ($4.58): A fair deal for standard quantities.
  • High ($5.07+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
52-week price range
Over the past year, prices ranged from $2.82 to $3.78.
Mar '25Jun '25Sep '25Dec '25Today
Market response to COMEX pricing
Spread vs. exchange (180-day avg): ~34.0% (-$1.80/lb). Typical spread for this grade: 34%–38%
✓ Scrap yards are offering fair market rates
Market snapshot
Stable market. Prices have held steady over the past 6 months.
Pricing verified from 1 live board rates today.

Bare Bright Copper price reference for Winchester, Kentucky

Scrap yards in Winchester, Kentucky don’t always update their prices in real time. To give you a reliable current value, we use the U.S. national average ($4.80/lb). The secondary metals market tracks exchange moves consistently across the country. Use this national figure as your benchmark when negotiating with local yards. Bare Bright Copper prices across the U.S. →

Top Paying Scrap Yards in Winchester

These are scrap yards in Winchester, Kentucky that recently updated Bare Bright Copper prices in our database. Call them to lock in a quote. If your city isn't listed, use the National Index above as a bargaining reference with your nearest buyer.

💼 Scrap yard owners: Post your buy prices and get more customers
By price
By date
Updated 17 days ago

Stuff Recycling

Listed as: Bare Bright Copper
6169 Lexington Rd, Winchester, KY 40391 Get Directions
$3.50 / lb

Don’t see your scrap yard in Winchester, Kentucky? List it for free.

Hundreds of sellers in your area search for current scrap prices every day. Post your buy prices and start getting calls.

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Bare Bright vs. Other Copper Grades

The #1 rule at scrap yards: if you mix grades, they’ll weigh everything at the lowest rate. See the price gap below — if you have higher-value metal, always sort and weigh each grade separately to avoid leaving money on the table.

Light Copper / Sheet Copper Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$4.25 / lb
Trend (30d): +0.5%
Price analytics
Copper Turnings Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$3.91 / lb
Trend (6m): +6.9%
Price analytics
MCM & Industrial Cable Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$3.82 / lb
Trend (30d): -4.4%
Price analytics
THHN Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$3.41 / lb
Trend (30d): -4.5%
Price analytics
#1 Copper Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$3.40 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
#2 Copper Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$3.20 / lb
Trend (90d): +7.0%
Price analytics
#1 Insulated Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$2.99 / lb
Trend (30d): +3.5%
Price analytics
Romex® Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$2.60 / lb
Trend (30d): -5.4%
Price analytics
Coax & Heliax Cable Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$2.11 / lb
Trend (30d): +6.5%
Price analytics
#2 Insulated Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$1.80 / lb
Trend (30d): -16.0%
Price analytics
Telecom & Data Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$1.76 / lb
Trend (30d): +15.0%
Price analytics
Wire Harnesses Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$1.69 / lb
Trend (90d): +4.8%
Price analytics
Jelly Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$1.03 / lb
Trend (6m): +4.9%
Price analytics
#3 Insulated Wire (Low Grade) Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$0.84 / lb
Trend (30d): -6.3%
Price analytics
Armored Cable (BX) Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$0.63 / lb
Trend (30d): +29.2%
Price analytics
Computer Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$0.43 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Christmas Lights Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$0.38 / lb
Trend (6m): +14.4%
Price analytics

Bare Bright Copper Price Trends

This chart shows where the market is headed. If the line is climbing, prices are rising — you might get a better deal in a few days. If it’s dropping, don’t wait: sell today before yards lower their buy prices further.

Bare Bright Copper: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (COMEX)

Avg scrap yard price

$4.58
Scrap metal dealers
Spread: -$1.80/lb
vs. exchange

World market price (COMEX)

$5.3003
✓ For 99.9% pure refined metal
💡 Why is the scrap yard price lower than the exchange? The COMEX price is the global benchmark for 99.99% pure refined metal traded in large institutional contracts. The gap between COMEX and what you pocket is the yard’s margin — it covers sorting, cleaning, transport to the mill, and protects them against sudden price drops.

Bare Bright Copper: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History

Analyst take: This month’s average spread between scrap yard prices and the world market for Bare Bright Copper is 34.0%. That’s in line with the typical range for this grade (31%–37%). Local yards are offering fair market rates. Check offers in your area ↑
PeriodWorld price (per lb)Scrap yard price (per lb)Spread vs. exchange
March 2026 (current)$5.764324$3.69-$2.07 (36%)
February 2026$5.880136$3.81-$2.07 (35.3%)
January 2026$5.894887$3.80-$2.09 (35.5%)
December 2025$5.497742$3.43-$2.06 (37.6%)
November 2025$5.064033$3.34-$1.72 (34%)
October 2025$5.050242$3.33-$1.72 (34%)
September 2025$4.662367$3.06-$1.60 (34.3%)
August 2025$4.477984$2.96-$1.52 (34%)
July 2025$5.482645$3.62-$1.86 (34%)
June 2025$4.883233$3.23-$1.66 (34%)
May 2025$4.686194$3.09-$1.59 (34%)
April 2025$4.654267$3.07-$1.58 (34%)
March 2025$5.13$3.39-$1.74 (34%)

Bare Bright Copper Scrap Price History — Daily Data

A day-by-day market snapshot in exact numbers. Every day we aggregate buy prices from local scrap yards, recording the average, low, and high. Use this table to track real price movement over recent days.

DateAvg price (per lb)ChangeRange (Low/High)
3/4/2026$3.63 / lb-$0.12$3.50 - $3.75
2/17/2026$3.75 / lb+$0.25$3.75 - $3.75
1/8/2026$3.50 / lb+$0.20$3.50 - $3.50
1/1/2026$3.30 / lb+$0.07$3.30 - $3.30
12/9/2025$3.23 / lb+$0.03$3.15 - $3.30
9/30/2025$3.20 / lb+$0.10$3.20 - $3.20
9/29/2025$3.10 / lb+$0.10$3.10 - $3.10

The Gold Standard: Cashing in on Bare Bright Copper

Bare Bright Copper is the undisputed king of the scrap yard. We are talking about clean, unalloyed, uncoated, and untinned bare copper wire that is thicker than 16 gauge—roughly the thickness of a standard pencil lead. Yards are currently paying anywhere from $4.50 to $5.07 per pound for this premium grade. If you show up with perfectly stripped THHN or Romex wire, this is the price bracket you are aiming for. When hauling Winchester, remember that the scale master's word is final, so your material needs to look flawless.

Stripping and Sorting Without Losing Your Shirt

A lot of scrappers shoot themselves in the foot right at the sorting bin. If you leave even a speck of insulation, a brass connector, or try to sneak in oxidized wire, the buyer will instantly bump you down to #1 Copper or even #2 Copper.

Yard Pro Tip: When stripping THHN or heavy gauge wire, keep it perfectly straight and do not let it sit out in the rain or humidity. Even a tiny bit of surface oxidation (turning dark or green) gives a picky scale master an excuse to downgrade your Bare Bright to #1 Copper. Store it in sealed gaylord boxes or heavy-duty bags indoors until you are ready to haul.

Mixing your pristine bare bright with inferior grades, or trying to sell it unstripped alongside Christmas Lights? That lazy mistake will cost you roughly $4.42 per pound at the scale. Separation is where the real money is made.

Compare Before You Dump

Knowing the spread between grades keeps your operation profitable. Right now, our national data shows #1 Copper is sitting around $4.40 to $4.85/lb, while #1 Insulated Wire is fetching $2.40 to $3.90/lb. Do the math on your stripping time before you commit the labor—sometimes the insulation weight pays out better if the spread is tight, but Bare Bright usually reigns supreme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my stripped wire get downgraded from Bare Bright?

If your wire is thinner than 16 gauge (like fine extension cord or communication wire), has a tin coating, or shows any signs of burning or oxidation, yards will not grade it as Bare Bright. It must look like a freshly minted penny to get that top $4.80 average payout.

How do market exchanges affect the payout?

Scrap yards base their daily payouts on major commodities markets like the COMEX. Typically, the price you get at the scale for premium copper is about 34% below the spot price to account for the yard's processing, storage, and freight costs.

Should I burn my wire to get the bare copper price?

Absolutely not. Burning wire ruins the metallurgical properties of the copper, turning it black, brittle, and covered in ash. Buyers will severely downgrade burnt wire to #2 Copper or lower, costing you heavy profits. Always mechanically strip it to keep it bright and shiny.