[bjk76]

I put a lamp on the nature strip for hard rubbish and someone came along and removed the cord, presumably to get the copper (and anything else?) out and sell it. I have a few other electrical cords (attached to electrical items) which were going to go to my council's next e-waste collection, plus other loose cords which the council said they wouldn't take. So, I was wondering if I could remove the copper myself and sell it, but I'm not sure who to? I've had a bit of a look online and can't seem to find anywhere which buys it off you. Any ideas?

[countrymel]

Scrap metal/metal recyclers

They will be in the phone book..

Don't get your hopes up for making a killing though, copper price is less than $4 a pound.

[bjk76]

Thanks, Countrymel, I'll look into it. I'd heard that copper prices were high at the moment and that people had been stealing copper cable from train lines as a result. You're right though, that at $4 a pound (kilo?) it wouldn't be worth my time. I may just end up donating it to a recycling place. Some people must be pretty desperate though, if they're going to the trouble of 'harvesting' from hard rubbish.

[erindiv]

Thanks, Countrymel, I'll look into it. I'd heard that copper prices were high at the moment and that people had been stealing copper cable from train lines as a result. You're right though, that at $4 a pound (kilo?) it wouldn't be worth my time. I may just end up donating it to a recycling place. Some people must be pretty desperate though, if they're going to the trouble of 'harvesting' from hard rubbish.

That was a few years back when the Bird's Nest was being built for the Olympics.

[countrymel]

Some people must be pretty desperate though, if they're going to the trouble of 'harvesting' from hard rubbish.

Some people gather recyclables as a 'hobby' - if you are picking up a bit here and a bit there every day it will eventually add up.

My Dad used to have to clean up a picnic area many years ago that was owned by his employer, on the weekends it was a notorious 'party spot' and he would have dozens of aluminium cans to dispose of.
He took them to the local recycling place (it was on the way to the tip) and over the course of a year just threw the money in an old leather bag.. the bag fell of the wall one December and he counted up the change - there was enough to buy my mother a beautiful chain for Christmas!

It was great as it was a total surprise (unlike normally as they shared all their finances).

Maybe your cord pincher is slowly building up a little stash to buy their wife a surprise too!

[Bluenomi]

I suspect it is more likely they took the cord for a bit of home electrical work. Taking it from someone is cheaper than buying a new cord for something that's busted.

[bjk76]

Countrymel, that's a lovely thing for your dad to do - saving up the recycling money to buy her a necklace!

I found the recent article (Dec 2012) which said that the price of copper is high and people are stealing it from train lines:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-11/rail...7s-gold/4421356


I found a metal recycling company not far from where I am in Melbourne, so I might go and check it out. I've got some other random bits of metal which it sounds like they might be interested in!

[~*Twilight~Zone*...]

My dad used to sell scrap metal. He had to strip everything, separate it etc.

A large ute tray full of metal would only fetch him about $500 then he had to get rid of all the bits he stripped to get the metal.

Lots of work for very little money.