Think gas prices fluctuate? look at copper prices

[MikeMike]

since my father sells piping, and other plumbing/fire protection supplies, he has recently been complaining about the prices of copper.

as an example, a few weeks ago, copper was at $5.35 a foot. then, within 2 days, it had become $14.XX a foot, nearly tripling the cost.

i dont know how the hell thats possible, but that is worse than gas.

 

[Queasy]

Haliburton! Bush! Big Copper!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Hmm, maybe I'll go cut some power transmission cables and try to sell them...

 

[TXHokie]

I will sell you 2 pennies for a nickel. Any takers?

 

[slightlyhuman]

no doubt, people are going around new houses and stealing copper like crazy. i had to put a camera system up at my parents new house they're building. someone stole 15 watermelons from them once, wtf?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: DP
no doubt, people are going around new houses and stealing copper like crazy. i had to put a camera system up at my parents new house they're building. someone stole 15 watermelons from them once, wtf?

There's copper in watermelons?

 

[slightlyhuman]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DP
no doubt, people are going around new houses and stealing copper like crazy. i had to put a camera system up at my parents new house they're building. someone stole 15 watermelons from them once, wtf?

There's copper in watermelons?

sorry, kind of messed that entire post up. they had me put a small camera system up to watch the house/area around it. the day after i put it up the only thing that was stolen were 15 watermelons from their garden which the camera can't see.

it had to be one of the workers due to the fact that they have a gate that only has 2 codes, one for the workers and one for the family.

 

[acemcmac]

Originally posted by: DP

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DP
no doubt, people are going around new houses and stealing copper like crazy. i had to put a camera system up at my parents new house they're building. someone stole 15 watermelons from them once, wtf?

There's copper in watermelons?

sorry, kind of messed that entire post up. they had me put a small camera system up to watch the house/area around it. the day after i put it up the only thing that was stolen were 15 watermelons from their garden which the camera can't see.

it had to be one of the workers due to the fact that they have a gate that only has 2 codes, one for the workers and one for the family.

WTF DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE PRICE OF COPPER???

:Q

 

[slsmnaz]

To people like the OP's dad who deal in this it's been going on for a long time. I have sold this stuff for almost 7 years and have been watching copper and steel prices skyrocket in the past couple. Find some historical data on the Comex and just see how it's moved. It makes it very hard to quote future work when the prices are this unstable.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
To people like the OP's dad who deal in this it's been going on for a long time. I have sold this stuff for almost 7 years and have been watching copper and steel prices skyrocket in the past couple. Find some historical data on the Comex and just see how it's moved. It makes it very hard to quote future work when the prices are this unstable.

Prices on aluminum have skyrocketed in the past few years also.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: DP

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DP
no doubt, people are going around new houses and stealing copper like crazy. i had to put a camera system up at my parents new house they're building. someone stole 15 watermelons from them once, wtf?

There's copper in watermelons?

sorry, kind of messed that entire post up. they had me put a small camera system up to watch the house/area around it. the day after i put it up the only thing that was stolen were 15 watermelons from their garden which the camera can't see.

it had to be one of the workers due to the fact that they have a gate that only has 2 codes, one for the workers and one for the family.

WTF DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE PRICE OF COPPER???

:Q

Watermelon juice is an essential ingredient for copper. The juice makes it all shiney. The seeds are PITA though.

 

[Syringer]

How come the price of a penny never changes?

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: Syringer
How come the price of a penny never changes?

The price to make it probably does.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick

Originally posted by: Syringer
How come the price of a penny never changes?

The price to make it probably does.

It has changed. I though I read that it cost 1.4 cents to make now (raw mat'l costs are in there too). Kinda makes it a loser all around.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: slsmnaz
To people like the OP's dad who deal in this it's been going on for a long time. I have sold this stuff for almost 7 years and have been watching copper and steel prices skyrocket in the past couple. Find some historical data on the Comex and just see how it's moved. It makes it very hard to quote future work when the prices are this unstable.

Prices on aluminum have skyrocketed in the past few years also.

it was a great way to make money when we were tearing down a house.

we saved as much siding, piping, and other pieces as possible, threw it in the back of the pickup, went off to the recycling place, and got nearly $300 cash for it, and it probably cost the owner of the company $80 to do the entire process of collecting the scrap.

(yes, we had a TON of aluminum, copper, and other stuff, not to mention that you can bargain with the dudes at the place)

 

[randay]

I just heard on the radio this morning about someone stealing copper from a road side construction thingy, they even stole a buncha traffic lights. But yes I also noticed copper getting more expensive, a box of cat5 used to be like 50 bucks now its closer to 150.

 

[DeadByDawn]

I have a relative that runs a semi trailer repair place. People are climbing his fences at night and stealing anything that isn't bolted down for the aluminum.

 

[z42]

I would imagine this has a lot to do with rebuilding the gulf coast.

 

[redgtxdi]

Anybody got a good source for showing the price of copper per pound???


I sell machine tooling and a lot of my customers were first complaining about the price.........lately it's been whether they can even GET the stuff anymore. Jobs sit on hold these days 'til material arrives!!

Copper
Brass
Aluminum
Inconel
Titanium

You name it............it's either really expensive or simply unavailable!!!!!!! :shocked:

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: z42
I would imagine this has a lot to do with rebuilding the gulf coast.

Not really. The spike began about 3 years ago and has been rising ever since. It has more to do with China than any other factor. Katrina affected more of the petroleum products like plastics (ABS/PVC/CPVC piping and fittings) than anything else.

 

[Rubycon]

Sheesh that keeps up and people that have old pennies are going to getting 50 cents EACH for them! :laugh:

 

[SViper]

Originally posted by: TXHokie
I will sell you 2 pennies for a nickel. Any takers?

haha! ROFL!!!

 

[Jawo]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Sheesh that keeps up and people that have old pennies are going to getting 50 cents EACH for them! :laugh:

ha ha ha...remember pennies made after 1983 are only copper clad with a nickel core!

It sounds like someone is trying to corner the market with prices trippling that quickly!!

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Haliburton! Bush! Big Copper!

Haha, glad I wasn't drinking anything. :laugh:

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: redgtxdi
Anybody got a good source for showing the price of copper per pound???


I sell machine tooling and a lot of my customers were first complaining about the price.........lately it's been whether they can even GET the stuff anymore. Jobs sit on hold these days 'til material arrives!!

Copper
Brass
Aluminum
Inconel
Titanium

You name it............it's either really expensive or simply unavailable!!!!!!! :shocked:

Not price per lb, but: http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/fds/...ss/market_data/commodities/default.stm
Spiked in March-May. Mostly due to China.