Short answer: Bright wire is clean, shiny, uncoated bare copper wire free of insulation, solder, corrosion and plating, usually of a minimum thickness set by the buyer, and it gets the best price because it can be melted with the least processing and almost no loss, so keeping your stripped wire clean and separate from tarnished or coated copper is what earns the top rate.
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List Free →Clean and uncoated
Bright wire is free of paint, tinning, burn marks and insulation, so it is pure copper and easy to process.
Thickness limits
Buyers often set a minimum thickness for the top grade, and thinner wire is graded lower.
Keep it apart
Mixing bright wire with tarnished or coated copper downgrades the whole lot.
How ScrapTrade Fits In
ScrapTrade buyers state their grades, so you can see what counts as bright wire.
The right choice with wire is often the simplest one. ScrapTrade connects you with verified buyers, transparent weighing and escrow-protected payments.
List or Find Scrap on ScrapTrade →Practical answers on stripping copper wire, when it is worth the effort and how to sell stripped or insulated wire safely.