Wire buying
Copper Wire Buyers in South Carolina
Copper is the most valuable wire in almost any surplus inventory, and the least understood by the people holding it. We buy copper building wire, feeder cable and industrial power cable by the reel, by the pallet, or as a mixed lot cleared out of a warehouse.
Wire and cable only. Statewide South Carolina pickup, no obligation to sell.
What copper wire we purchase
Our buying focus is insulated copper conductor that still has a resale path: building wire on factory reels, feeder cable pulled but never energized, distributor overstock, and industrial power cable removed during a plant upgrade. We buy single conductors and multi-conductor assemblies, from a single 500-foot reel of 12 AWG up to parallel 1000 kcmil feeders on 5,000-foot reels.
Copper content is only part of the valuation. Construction, insulation type, temperature rating, reel condition and whether the footage is continuous all change what a reel is worth. Two reels that weigh the same can differ by several hundred dollars if one is THHN and the other is XHHW-2 with damaged jacket ends.
Selling copper wire versus scrapping it
Scrap pricing treats copper wire as recovered metal. A buyer of surplus cable treats it as product, because a 4/0 THHN reel with clean ends and legible print can go back into a contractor's stock rather than a shredder. That difference is why an intact, identified reel typically returns more than its bare-bright weight, while a tangled, unmarked coil usually does not.
If the wire is burned, heavily corroded, or cut into short random lengths with no labeling, tell us that up front. We will still evaluate it, but the honest answer may be that a scrap yard is the better outlet, and we would rather say so than waste your time.
Reels, pallets and mixed lots
Most South Carolina sellers are not holding one product. They are holding the tail end of twenty projects: three partial reels of 3/0, a pallet of 10 AWG THHN, some 500 MCM feeder, a few rolls of portable cord. We quote mixed lots regularly and will separate the offer by item so you can see exactly where the value sits.
Photographs do most of the work. A clear shot of the reel end with the manufacturer tag, the print on the jacket, and the conductor ends is usually enough to price a reel without an on-site visit. For large inventories we can review photographs first and then arrange inspection and pickup.
What we buy in this category
- Copper THHN and THWN-2 building wire on full or partial reels
- XHHW and XHHW-2 copper in sizes from #14 AWG to 1000 kcmil
- Copper feeder cable, parallel sets and switchgear whips
- 4/0, 250 MCM, 350 MCM, 500 MCM, 750 MCM and 1000 MCM copper
- MC cable, AC cable and armored assemblies with copper conductors
- Copper tray cable, control cable and instrumentation cable
- Welding cable, portable cord and flexible copper cable
- Bare copper grounding conductor and ground wire reels
- Copper USE-2, URD and direct-burial distribution cable
- Shielded copper power cable through 35 kV
- Distributor overstock, discontinued cut lengths and job returns
- Mixed pallets and warehouse clearance lots
Specifications and buying notes
The table below reflects the constructions we see most often in South Carolina surplus. Variations exist between manufacturers, and the print on the jacket always governs.
| Conductor | Soft-drawn or stranded copper, Class B, C or compact stranded |
| Common constructions | THHN/THWN-2, XHHW-2, RHW-2, USE-2, MC and tray cable assemblies |
| Size range | #14 AWG through 1000 kcmil; parallel sets common above 500 kcmil |
| Voltage classes | 600 V building wire through 35 kV shielded power cable |
| Typical reels | 500 ft, 1,000 ft, 2,500 ft and 5,000 ft factory reels |
| Insulation compounds | PVC/nylon, XLPE, EPR, silicone and rubber portable cord |
| What we avoid | Burned, water-soaked or heavily sun-damaged cable; bare scrap with no identification |
| Condition we want | New surplus, unused partial reels, and decommissioned cable with legible markings |
What photographs help us price this fastest
A shot of the reel tag, a close-up of the jacket print, a clear view of the cut end, and one overview photograph of the whole inventory. Four images usually settle every question we have without a site visit.
Questions about selling copper wire
How is copper wire priced compared with scrap?
Surplus buyers price identifiable, resellable cable as product rather than metal. A clean, marked reel of common building wire generally returns more than its recovered copper value, while burned, corroded or unmarked wire is usually valued at or near scrap.
Do you buy partial reels of copper wire?
Yes. Partial reels are common and we buy them as long as the remaining footage can be estimated from the reel tag, counter, or a physical measurement and the wire is clean and dry.
What sizes of copper wire do you purchase?
From #14 AWG control and building wire through 1000 kcmil feeder and 35 kV shielded power cable. Parallel conductor sets and large single-conductor reels are both welcome.
Can you pick up copper wire anywhere in South Carolina?
We arrange pickup statewide, from the Upstate and Midlands to the Pee Dee, Lowcountry and Grand Strand. Small lots can often be shipped; larger inventories are scheduled for freight pickup.
Request a quote
Tell us what is on the reel
Send the basics and a few photographs. Reel tags, jacket markings and cut ends are usually enough for us to price the material without a site visit.
- Manufacturer or brand, if legible
- Wire type, gauge or size, and voltage rating
- Approximate footage and number of spools
- Photos of reel tags, jacket print and cable ends
Prefer to talk? (614) 715-3047
saleselectricalbuyers@gmail.com
Surplus wire quote request
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