In today’s economy, metals are valuable commodities. But some metals have become more in demand, and people are willing to spend a lot of money to acquire them.
Brass has many uses and is widely considered a valuable metal. It’s used for everything from ammunition shells and musical instruments to home decor and fine art sculptures.
Would you like to know how much brass is worth per pound?
In this guide, we’ll give you an overview of the different types of brass, how to identify them, and what they’re worth at scrap metal prices.
In a hurry?
Figure out how much brass is worth. You need to know the types of brass.
The value of brass on the scrap metal market varies depending on the type, but the average price is around $1.25 to $2 per pound or $0.08 to $0.12 per ounce.
Types of Brass
Brass comes in many varieties, but the most common scrap varieties are yellow brass, red brass, and leaded yellow brass.
Yellow Brass
- The most common type of scrap brass is yellow brass. It comes from plumbing fixtures, pipe fittings, and decorative pieces.
- Yellow brass contains up to 40 percent zinc, which gives it a lighter color than other types of brass.
Red Brass
- Red brass solids contain between 15 and 25 percent zinc. It has a pinkish tint because it also has a high concentration of copper oxide on its surface.
- Red brass mainly comes from plumbing fixtures, valves, and old water meters.
Leaded Yellow Brass
- Leaded yellow brass contains 2 percent lead, making it easier to shape than other types of scrap brass on its own.
- It usually comes from electrical components such as electric motors that contain bearings or bushings made out of metal alloys with low melting points such as tin can, aluminum cans, and aluminum wheels
- Leaded yellow brass (70 percent copper, 20 percent zinc, and 5 to 10 percent lead)
Scrap brass has value, which motivates people to collect it for sale to recycling operations. In general, brass that has not been corroded or damaged by things such as soldering or welding is worth more than those types of scrap that have been soiled or otherwise damaged.
Factors that determine the brass price per pound of brass scraps.
Grade/Type
- Different types of material can be worth different amounts of money.
- Different grades like higher grades or better quality materials will be worth more per pound than lower grades.
Scrap Yard Location
- Where you sell your scrap will also affect price, although there are many variables here.
- Different scrap yards’ location plays a factor, but prices can differ drastically depending on the location of customers and their willingness to pay additional fees for service.
Common Metals
- Common metals that are similar to brass such as scrap copper, bronze, and scrap iron have different prices. Sometimes scrap metal recycling yards will mix scrap metal types together in one bin, which decreases the overall value per pound weight because the raw material is mixed with several different grades of brass.
Interest
- Brass recycling yards are also more likely to pay more for an item if multiple yards are competing for it.
- If there’s no competition, they will probably pay you less since sellers compete against each other resulting in lower prices with better deals resale wise
The scrap prices of the metal vary based on several factors, but you can typically expect copper alloys like brass to be worth a little less than pure copper.
Other types of brass scrap also have a higher scrap value than their retail value — copper scrap, aluminum, stainless steel, and zinc are all highly sought-after metals on the scrap metal market, with copper usually being the highest.
FAQ
Is Brass valuable?
Yes. Depending on the form, age, and condition, brass is typically worth more than aluminum or short steel, but less than pure copper. Solid Brass is worth significantly more than the brass plate.
What is the value of brass?
The value of brass on the scrap metal market varies depending on the type, but the average price is around $1.25 to $2 per pound or $0.08 to $0.12 per ounce.
Solid brass is worth significantly more than the brass plate, which is typically only worth the cost of the scrap metal from which it can be made.
Where can I sell my brass?
Generally, scrap brass is sold to salvage yards or other scrap metal container services. They will pay you per pound for your brass. However, if your brass is valuable, you can get the best price by selling it to a pawn shop.
Time may cause prices to go up or down depending on the market condition – check with your local scrap metal recycling centers for current scrap metal prices.
Brass is a valuable metal with many uses, by understanding the different types of scrap metals and their scrap values, and other factors play a significant role in estimating how much your brass is worth.
Hopefully, this article has helped you figure out how much the value of your brass is worth.
Have any other questions? Let us know in the comments!
