Copper #2
Real-world copper almost never comes out perfectly clean. A bit of solder at a pipe joint, light oxidation on wire that's been sitting a while, a trace of paint, that's not a flaw, it's just Copper #2, and it's a genuinely good grade to have. Here's what it actually covers, whether cleaning it up further is worth your time, and how to make sure it's priced fairly.
Copper #2 is clean, unalloyed copper that carries some solder, paint, or light oxidation, condition that Copper #1 and bare bright don't allow. It's still genuinely valuable, unalloyed copper, the same metal, just needing a little more processing before a buyer can use it. Most people expect their collected copper to be pristine and are surprised when it grades as #2 instead, but realistically, copper that's been in service, handled, or sitting around for a while almost always shows some of these signs. It's the normal, expected condition for most as-collected copper, not a downgrade to be disappointed about.
The practical test is simple: if it's unalloyed copper (not brass, not bronze) and free of insulation, but has some solder residue, a bit of paint, or a light tarnish rather than a bright shine, it's Copper #2. Heavier contamination or actual coatings usually push it into a lower mixed-metal category instead, worth checking with a buyer if you're unsure.
ScrapTrade's live-priced Copper #2 category covers exactly this: copper with some solder, paint, or light oxidation on it. If yours is genuinely spotless with no coating at all, it's worth checking whether it actually qualifies as #1 instead, since an accurate grade gets a more confident offer than either an optimistic or an overly modest one.
Check today's Copper #2 priceSometimes, and it's worth knowing what actually helps before you spend the time. Solder blobs at pipe joints can usually be knocked off with pliers or a hammer once the metal has cooled down, no heat or tools needed beyond what most people already have. Light surface oxidation often comes off with a wire brush or fine sandpaper in a few passes. Paint is the hardest of the three to remove properly and usually the least worth the effort for a modest amount.
For a small, casual amount, the honest answer is that it's usually not worth the time, the price gap between #1 and #2 doesn't make up for the labour on a few kilograms. On a genuinely large lot, a bit of cleaning can shift enough of it up a grade to be worthwhile. Either way, #2 is a fine grade to sell as-is, cleaning it up is an option, not an obligation.
Copper #2 turns up wherever copper has actually been in use, which makes it common everywhere rather than tied to one industry. It's worth being deliberate about where you sell it, though, since it's a lower per-kilogram value than #1 or bare bright, and freight or travel time eats into that margin faster. Perth sellers feel this more than most, Western Australia's distance from the east-coast buyer concentration means checking a genuine local reference price matters more here than in markets with shorter internal freight distances. In Adelaide, South Australia's engineering, fabrication, and defence-manufacturing base generates a steady, real supply of exactly this kind of clean-but-not-pristine copper.
Neither city is a requirement. Copper #2 comes out of ordinary demolition, renovation, and equipment servicing work anywhere in the country, and ScrapTrade connects buyers and sellers nationally regardless of where a listing is posted from.
A bit of solder or light oxidation doesn't change what the underlying metal is, it's still unalloyed copper, still fully recyclable without any loss of purity once it's processed. The grade gap between #1 and #2 reflects a small amount of extra handling a buyer has to do, not a different or lesser material. That's worth remembering if a quote feels low: #2 should be priced as good copper with a minor processing step attached, not written off as scrap-adjacent material.
Because #2 isn't the top grade, it's the easiest one to be quietly under-priced on, a seller who assumes "not perfect" means "not worth much" is an easy target for a lowball number. On ScrapTrade, you check a live reference price first, so you know what #2 genuinely trades at, then list at a fixed price, run it as a live auction so verified buyers compete for it, or negotiate directly, negotiation is on by default on every listing. Every listing is GPS-video verified before it goes live, and payment sits in escrow from the moment a deal is confirmed until pickup or delivery is done, so neither side is exposed first. The full case for why that beats a single yard quote is on Why Choose ScrapTrade and Trust & Safety.
Less, but not dramatically so, both are clean, unalloyed copper. The gap reflects the extra light processing a buyer has to do, removing a bit of solder or oxidation, not a difference in the underlying metal. #2 is a genuinely good grade to have, not a discount bin.
Depends on volume and what's actually on it. Knocking solder blobs off with pliers once the metal has cooled, or a quick wire-brush to remove surface oxidation, can be worth a few minutes on a decent-sized lot. For a small amount, it usually isn't worth the time, list it as #2 and it'll still price fairly.
Sort it if you reasonably can. A mixed lot typically prices at the lower grade present, so even a rough separation into two piles tends to add up to more than selling it all as one combined load.
Generally yes, light paint is one of the conditions #2 specifically allows for, along with some solder or light oxidation. Heavily painted, coated, or otherwise contaminated material may grade lower again, a buyer's assessment on the specific piece is the reliable answer.
Check a live reference price before you accept anything, so you know roughly what #2 is genuinely worth right now, not what one buyer assumes it's worth. Running it as a live auction lets multiple verified buyers assess and compete for it, rather than relying on a single opinion of the grade.
Light surface tarnish, the dull brownish colour copper naturally develops with age, is normal and expected for #2. Heavy green corrosion, or oxidation deep enough that it's flaking rather than just discolouring the surface, usually signals a lower grade or a longer processing time for the buyer, worth flagging honestly in your listing rather than leaving it for a buyer to discover.
Check a live price, then sell at a fixed price, run an auction, or negotiate directly.
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