Dear Jim,
I am a daily reader of your blog. With all the discussion about gold and silver value I thought it might be prudent to bring up the value of other metals. I am a Master Plumber and I make a small fortune by recycling old copper pipe, brass fittings, valves, and faucets. Number 1 copper is up to $2.75 a pound. Four years ago it was $1.50. Yellow brass is $1.60 a pound. It was only 60 cents four years ago. An old water heater can get you $5.00. I know people that save aluminum cans and take them to the recycling yard once a year and can easily make $500.
I have two points for your readers. The first is don’t throw away money. Save cans, you can clean up after parties and have a truck full of cans in no time. Old wire, old appliances, aluminum ladders, old copper pipe, anything stainless steel, all metal is valuable these days. My second point is this. Scrap copper is so valuable people are breaking into vacant houses just to steal copper pipe. This might make someone’s otherwise inconspicuous retreat house a target. Just a thought.
Keep up the good work, and stay out of trouble. – Dave from Pennsylvania