By the end of the 19th century, Cincinnati was the manufacturing metropolis of an otherwise-rural Ohio. As the years went on, and due to Cincinnati’s location, the metal industry moved to other parts of the state. Still, that didn’t stop Cincinnati from birthing the American Metal Supply in 1986.
Today, the scrap metal business in Cincinnati can be highly lucrative, but it’s not easy money. Getting the most for your scrap metal isn’t as simple as loading up your truck with scrap and selling it at the first recycling spot you can find.
While you can go online and get a general idea about scrap prices in your region, those prices can fluctuate from shop to shop. So before you go selling the scrap you’ve spent days or weeks collecting, we're going to give you some clues about how to turn your metal trash into treasure.
Scrap Metal Prices in Cincinnati, Ohio
Before you do anything with your scrap metal, do some research online and to find out the average scrap metal prices in Hamilton County. There are a few different ways to do this.
If you’re searching for the scrap prices in Cincinnati, Ohio, a quick web search will bring up a long list of different websites listing average scrap prices in the city. Sites like Scrapmonster and Scrapmetalpricer are a great place to start and they’re easy to navigate.
These sites will have listings of all the different kinds of metals that can be sold for scrap. And they’ll give a price per pound for each type of metal. Sometimes the prices are a range, sometimes it’s a very specific number.
Listing the price by pound can come in handy if you’re looking to scrap an old car. To find out what your old car is worth at the junkyard, use this formula:
Junk car price = Scrap metal price per ton x Car weight in tons
You can usually find your car’s weight on the driver side door or you can look it up online. For the scrap metal price per ton, try out one of the above sites, or contact your local Cincinnati scrap dealer.
Some of the most reputable are:
- Cohen
- Miamitown Auto Parts & Recycling
- River Metals Recycling
Finding the Best Scrap Prices
It’s important to note that the sites listed above don’t necessarily have a presence in Cincinnati. That means there’s a chance there will be a difference, sometimes a big one, between the prices on the website and the price an individual store is willing to pay for your scrap. This is the part where good old-fashioned leg work is going to be necessary if you’re driven to get the most for your metal.
The reason the prices might vary is because some shops will get orders for scrap. They’ll need a certain amount of metal quickly and so might be willing to pay more for what you’ve got if your supply can meet their demand.
Doing the Research
Now, let’s drill down into the weeds to get the best prices for your stuff. It’s time to head back to the web and get a listing of all the recycling or metal shops in your area.
Cohen’s, for example, has a number of locations across Ohio. In the Cincinnati metro, they have facilities in Norwood and Sharonville, apart from the one downtown. That said, not every location accepts the same scrap metal.
This is another reason why research is so important, it can save you valuable time and effort. Make the calls and do the math and, before you know it, you’ll be on the road armed with a big load of metal and a pretty exact idea of how much money you’re going to get out of the deal.
And if you have a lot of scrap but no way to get it to the yard, some of the recycling centers, like River Metals Recycling, will come to you and take the metal off your hands.
Show Me the Money
The one thing to take away from all the information above is that you can have an impact on the amount of money you’re going to get for your scrap metal.
If you’re looking to make the most money possible, or if you’re considering turning scrap recycling into a side-gig or career, do the legwork to find the best prices for your scrap metal before and you won't be disappointed.
And if you need to junk your car, Junk Car Medics buys junk cars for cash in Cincinnati, and we’ll take that rusty old bucket off your hands.
