1. Where the material comes from
Nobody starts with a pile of graded, sorted scrap sitting in a warehouse. It comes from demolition sites, manufacturer offcuts, estate cleanouts, end-of-life vehicles, and businesses that would otherwise pay to have old fixtures hauled away. The reliable sellers are the ones who've built standing relationships with two or three of these sources, not the ones chasing one-off finds.
Full sourcing guide2. Sorting and grading
A mixed load sells at the price of its lowest-value component. Splitting ferrous from non-ferrous takes a magnet and ten seconds. Stripping insulated wire down to bare copper takes longer but usually pays for the extra time several times over. Grade matters as much as material type — HMS 1 and HMS 2 steel scrap aren't interchangeable, and buyers will discount a listing that doesn't specify grade accurately.
Scrap grade reference3. Figuring out what it's worth
Scrap prices move with global commodity benchmarks, but the number you'll actually get depends on grade, contamination, quantity, and local demand at the moment you sell. Check a live price reference before you accept the first number offered to you — it's the single easiest way to avoid underselling a well-sorted lot.
4. Choosing how to sell it
A local scrapyard gives you one number, on the spot, in cash. Selling online opens the same material to a much wider pool of buyers who compete for it — through a fixed price, an accepted offer, or a live auction. A broker still has a place for irregular volumes or same-day cash needs, but for a well-sorted lot you can wait a few days on, direct almost always beats a single quote.
5. When the buyer is in another country
Cross-border scrap deals add a layer domestic sales don't have: who pays for freight and insurance, who handles customs, and how a buyer trusts material they can't inspect in person. Incoterms (EXW, FOB, CIF) exist specifically to answer the first question before a deal closes. GPS-tagged video verification answers the second.
6. Actually getting paid
The riskiest moment in any scrap deal is the gap between shipping the material and receiving payment — and it's exactly the moment a lot of scams target. Escrow closes that gap: the buyer's payment is held by a neutral third party and only released once the material is confirmed received as described, so neither side is exposed the whole time the shipment is in transit.
Official trading guidelines