Cost of steel and scrap iron is high

[street]

Went to check out some prices on tin roofing and prices are at a premium, and highest they said, they have ever paid.
Scrap iron is 200$ a ton and all other metals are a premium also. I think I will wait to buy any tin for a while.

Not sure if lumber is still so high also.

 

[rodi]

Kind of a mini-hijack... DH's cousin was a VP at a steel mill that worked with scrap - they took various scrap, melted it down in the right 'mixes' to get different types of steel. We got a tour of the plant... What an interesting process.

 

[jollystomper]

Maybe its about time I get moving and starting bringing my scrap metal items to the local recycling place for cash...

 

[Sunset]

Good to know I can go around collecting cans if the stock market crashes

 

[NW-Bound]

The last time copper price was as high as it is now (about 10 years ago), there were stories of brazen thieves cutting off bronze statues at the feet to haul away, from some town squares in the middle of the night.

Even some street light poles also got cut down and stolen. All this in the great USA.

 

[OldShooter]

... Not sure if lumber is still so high also.

Futures have dropped about 50% in the past couple of months. I've been watching because we have a new house being built this fall. https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/lumber-price

 

[aja8888]

The last time copper price was as high as it is now (about 10 years ago), there were stories of brazen thieves cutting off bronze statues at the feet to haul away, from some town squares in the middle of the night.

Even some street light poles also got cut down and stolen. All this in the great USA.

When I was doing oilfield work at that same period of time, thieves were cutting power cables at some sites while still electrified. With some very deep wells having submersible electrified pumps, one can really get in trouble cutting through one inch diameter stranded copper cables.

Actually, a local well tender (pumper) found a "fried" thief one morning when he cut overhead incoming cables (probably at night) and fell off his makeshift ladder. Crazy people out there.

 

[street]

Theft will most likely start going. Most all overhead line and underground wire primary wire is aluminum. Your secondary wire to and from meters and disconnects have a good chance of being copper. Where there is a lot of copper in substations and thieves know that. All ground grid grounding and grounding in subs is done with large size cu.
We had transformers stolen often which are built with copper windings. Copper also is used on pole grounds attached to a ground rod and they also cut that and take it.

I did do some looking and steel is up over 300% and also lumber is charted at over 300% also but coming down slowly according to the recent article I read.

A great time to sell scrap for sure.