Selling scrap wire for cash can be lucrative if you know what you're doing. Part of making it a good way to bring in money is knowing what to keep and what to get rid of, as well as when to ease up and not try to sell anything. (If it's going to cost more or just the petrol to get to the yard than you'd receive from selling the wires, for example, you know it's not a good idea to sell just yet.) When you start out, it's best to speak to the staff at a few yards to find ones who will take different types of wires and who will pay you as much as possible given current prices. In fact, you should call the yard first before you start stripping a bunch of wires. You might not have to do all that work.

Always Check the Price First

When you know what types of wires you have, start calling around to find current prices and payment terms. A yard might pay only a certain percentage of the current price to ensure they make a little profit off the metal themselves. And, each yard may be very different; one might pay a lot for copper wires of a certain gauge while others will want steel cables. Make a note of which yard wants what because you never know what wires you'll have in the future.

Ask if the Yard Will Take Insulated Cable

Stripping insulated wires and cables can be a major mess and annoyance when you have a lot. Some yards require that you strip the wires as the yards don't want to deal with the non-metal mess. Others, however, will take insulated wires and cables. They might not pay as much, or the pay might depend on the condition. But if you can find yards that will pay you for insulated cables and wires, you've just saved yourself a lot of time and effort.

Ensure You Have the Right Tools

That little handheld wire stripper that you use to clear insulation off the ends of cables is not adequate for stripping insulation of metres of cable. And you certainly should not use scissors, knives, or other sharp implements; those can slip and hurt you more seriously than you think. If you're going to sell wires for cash, and you need to strip the wires, get a hold of an electric stripping machine with a motor. You'll avoid the hand and arm pain that manually trying to strip a lot of wire would most likely result in.

When you contact the yards, you can always tell them you have wire and are not sure what they need you to do before you bring it over to them to sell. That will get you basic information that you can use for your first sale. As you gain experience, you'll get better at judging what's worth selling and what you should leave alone.

If you are looking to get cash for wires, visit a recycling centre near you.