Is it worth stripping insulation off copper wire myself before selling, or does the price difference not cover the labour?
Short answer: It depends on volume and wire thickness. Stripped, clean copper always pays more per kilogram than insulated wire, but hand-stripping is slow and only really pays off on thicker gauge wire in meaningful quantity. For large volumes of fine-strand wire, most sellers are better off selling it insulated and letting a buyer with mechanical stripping equipment handle it.
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List Free →Why insulated wire pays less
A buyer paying for insulated wire is really paying for a percentage yield of copper by weight, since the plastic or rubber insulation itself has no metal value and has to be removed before the copper can be processed. That processing step — mechanical stripping or granulating — is a real cost, which is reflected in the lower per-kilogram price for insulated wire.
When stripping it yourself makes sense
Thick single-strand wire (like heavy-gauge household or industrial cable) strips relatively quickly by hand and the copper content justifies the time. In real volume, this can meaningfully lift your return compared to selling it insulated.
When it usually doesn’t
Fine multi-strand wire, like the kind in small appliance cords or electronics, is extremely slow to hand-strip relative to the copper weight recovered — for most sellers, the labour isn’t worth it, and selling it insulated in bulk to a buyer with mechanical stripping capacity is the more practical option.
How ScrapTrade Makes This Easier
ScrapTrade lets you list wire as insulated or stripped, so buyers who specifically want bulk insulated wire for mechanical processing can find your listing directly.
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