Short answer: Stripping pays when you have thick, easily stripped cable in a good quantity and a buyer pays a clear premium for bare copper, but for thin wire, small amounts or when your time has value, selling it insulated is often almost as profitable and far easier, so compare the insulated price with the bare price for your cable type and work out what an hour of stripping would earn.
Wire sorted? Compare offers from verified buyers.
List Free →Compare the two prices
A buyer pays one price for bare copper and a lower price for insulated cable, and the difference is what stripping earns you.
Count your time
Strip a small amount by hand and see how many kilograms you get in an hour, then decide whether it is worth it.
Thick cable pays
Heavy cable with a lot of copper and easy-to-strip insulation is far more worthwhile than thin cord.
How ScrapTrade Fits In
ScrapTrade buyers quote on both insulated and bare wire, so you can compare before you strip.
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.