Stacking copper

[Giuseppe1]

I'd like to get a discussion going about copper wire as a bullion investment. I currently have about half a ton of heavy gauge cable- which is super easy to strip. I've heard people say on here that they would hold their best copper wire and stack it just like any other bullion. 

That's currently what I'm doing. Now I will have to sell some of my copper to pay for expenses, but I will be holding back a significant quantity to store away as copper bullion.

Copper cable with the insulation left on is very bulky and will take up a lot of room. I would suggest stripping it and and that obviously would reduce its weight and bulk making it much easier to store away.

I see no need to melt any copper unless you intend on selling it as bars. Just be aware though that a lot of scrap yards will not take your copper bars simply because they wouldn't be sure if it had a non-copper core. (Some people would try to cheat their scrap yard) Of course though you can sell copper bars on ebay. Some people have has some success with that. 

Once stripped I store my copper in air-tight containers and I throw a few silica gel packets in there to keep the copper from tarnishing, bearing in mind that it's bare bright that scrap yards pay the most for.

And as countries like China, Russia, Brazil etc, continue to grow, they're gonna need loads and loads of copper for thier new buildings etc. Also as electric vehicles become more popular- and they are probably what we'll all be driving within the next few years- again, lots of copper is going to be needed for that.

Lastly, another reason why copper is going to continue to rise in value is simply due to the fact that there's less and less copper coming out of the ground and the quality is becoming poorer and poorer. So recycled copper will be in very high demand. 

So for me copper is definitely a good investment. With gold and silver, we generally don't go into it expecting to make profits. That's not why we stack pm's. Stacking pm's is wealth preservation, and perhaps-like me- a savings account. Copper though CAN be seen as an investment imo. I do see copper prices rising way above where they're at now. As developing countries continue to grow- and some are growing at an incredible pace- demand will continue to increase and therefore prices will too. So that's why I think copper is an excellent investment. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by trp
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[Deputydog]

Hi, what method do you use to strip the cable?

I have tried various methods over the years and found the process to be more difficult than it looks.

Thanks

Deputydog

[Deputydog]

I just went to the scrapyard and they are paying £1100 a ton for unstripped cable.

Deputydog

[RedDragon77]

Thanks for creating this thread, interesting method.

Lately I've been curious about this very subject as getting copper at low premiums is difficult and storage is a real challenge. How does pure copper that gets turned into products ship to copper-working industries? Spools of copper sheeting, ingots, some other form?

[louisfinlay]

I've just ordered myself a Devil Forge on ebay and to pour myself a few ingots of copper and brass for fun. I would be interested in buying some scrap copper if anyone can sourse some cheap? I wouldn't be interested in insulated wire though, impossible to strip without the proper machine. 

[Deputydog]

I went to the scrappy again this morning:

Copper (pipe etc) 0.004 of a ton - £14.80
Aluminium - weight - 0.003 of a ton - £1.35
Total - £16.15
Shows you the price difference in materials compared to weight.

[RedDragon77]

1 hour ago, Deputydog said:

I went to the scrappy again this morning:

Copper (pipe etc) 0.004 of a ton - £14.80
Aluminium - weight - 0.003 of a ton - £1.35
Total - £16.15
Shows you the price difference in materials compared to weight.

A king's ransom!

Electrical or other construction scrap?

[Deputydog]

Hi, no copper wire, just pieces of pipes, pieces off fridge / freezer backs etc. 

The aluminium was from computers / laptops, crutches and heatsinks.

[Kev]

Hi im kev new to the forum, im picking up some copper coins by the end of the week, i will be selling some when sorted, i think they will look good nxt to my silver.

I allso think copper is a good long term investment and im interrested in melting into bars, does anyone know the best way to strip wire.???

Is this the best place to post for selling???

[louisfinlay]

There are a few good videos on ebay about stripping wire. I melted copper and brass ingots that weigh about 500g each. You need to sand and finish them and finish them or they just won't sell. Even at spot price. 

[Kman]

If you want to invest in copper better just to do it virtually with stocks or a cfd, etf etc

[Stacktastic]

Wisomtree added a copper ETF to trading 212 yesterday. 

I shall keep an eye on that. I would like a KG bullion though, pretend its gold.

Where is the best place to buy them?? 

[RedDragon77]

Yes, want a big bar too!!!

[MetalMandible]

Good to see that this topic has aged well, as copper has performed strong as of late.  I too have a little hoard of the red metal..

[Stacktastic]

On 13/11/2020 at 02:20, RedDragon77 said:

Yes, want a big bar too!!!

Considering buying a few. 

If anyone is interested I will be getting them from Geiger directly at a much cheaper price.
I cant see them ever being super expensive, but you just don't know & I can pretend they are gold I suppose.
However even If it gets to silver price thats one hell of a mark up. 

If anyone is interested let me know. 

[dwreck]

I save all my pre 1982 pennies over here. I believe 95% copper content and 3.1g each. Not sure if you guys have that kind of option over the pond.

[Stacktastic]

This little beauty turned up today.
Leaving the wrapping on and its getting thrown in the safe and forgotten about.

[danmc82]

Im sure @MickD loves his Copper as well, I'll bet he'll love that bar.

I'll be making my own Copper and Aluminium bars soon. Not to sell, but to stack.

I have a small amount of copper coins and a couple of bars already.

[MickB]

5 Kilo Geiger Edemetalle Copper Bullion Bar (essentialbullion.com

What the hell are these prices about? 

[Stacktastic]

14 hours ago, MickB said:

5 Kilo Geiger Edemetalle Copper Bullion Bar (essentialbullion.com

What the hell are these prices about? 

Thats twice the going rate almost. I wonder if people buy from them air that cost?

[MickB]

4 minutes ago, Stacktastic said:

Thats twice the going rate almost. I wonder if people buy from them air that cost?

https://www.geiger-edelmetalle.de/en/online-shop/all-products/copper/copper-bar-schloss-gueldengossa-5-kg.9999-casted-1561.html?c=181

I bought mine from here which is where they buy theirs but what a mark up they've put on it!

[Stacktastic]

I was going to buy from Geiger but with the shipping cost of 25 euros, VAT and import tax it was cheaper on Ebay.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Stacktastic

[danmc82]

How many different bars are in the Geiger Copper set?

[MickB]

2 hours ago, danmc82 said:

How many different bars are in the Geiger Copper set?

1oz, 2oz, 5oz, 10oz, 500 gram, 1 kilo, 100oz & 5 kilo. There was also an industrial 1 kilo copper bar that went along with a 250 gram aluminium bar & a 1 kilo brass bar.

[danmc82]

I really like the bars but the prices are rediculous.