Should I make this offer to get into the hobby?

[kmw1954]

In these parts the dealers won't even talk to you about lead. So it needs to be bought thru private party of places like Rotometals.

[WILCO]

If I was doing it from scratch, I'd buy from Rotometals.
500 bucks is too much for unknown alloy.

[kmw1954]

If I was doing it from scratch, I'd buy from Rotometals.
500 bucks is too much for unknown alloy.

I am fortunate enough to get my lead for the cost of my labor to dig it from the berm.

[kevin c]

I am fortunate enough to get my lead for the cost of my labor to dig it from the berm.

Berm mining was a source for me but I gave it up because I had labor problems; my back went on strike.

[country gent]

I would second Wilco here. While i dont beieve that package is way out of line at 500 ( depending on moulds maker and usefulness to you) lead pot is pretty generic to casting as are ladles and other tools. But the actual alloys for sure are a question. Buy buying the blend you want from roto metals you remove one question and variable. This way when you do start casting bullets you know what you have and its a standard.
Some babbit metals can be very hard to cast with unless sweetened with other alloys pure lead tin, they are usually high in antimony some copper and other materials. Linotype varies by the batch some depending on how many times it was remelted in the shop. ( lino type was used for printing and when the letters wore they were recast). Pure lead can very from how it was used and normally it is tin that changes. Buying the first few batches known from roto metals Takes this out of the start up. It also gives you some time to decide if you like the hobby and to acquire materials as you learn.

[Bensdad]

Where do you live? Just asking??

I live in central Maine. I've been here 20 years but grew up in the Midwest.

[wwmartin]

Google scrap metal prices. Clean lead was $.36 a # on Friday.
I bought 120# from the local isotope pharmacy for $45 Friday.
97.5 lead 2.5 antomony, 10.5 bhn.
Bill

[lightman]

I would offer him less that $1 a pound and see what happens. The lead is an unknown as are the Lee molds and melter. They may be functional and may not be and may not be be anything that you need.

[samari46]

If I were you all that stuff would be sitting in my garage now. Roughly 440 pounds of lead or lead alloy. Plus the goodies he also offered. While not a truely fantastic price figure out how much gas you would waste scrounging all that up. Plus your time and effort in doing so. Buy some roto metals hard mix and a little tin and your in business. Get a turkey fryer from wally world a big dutch oven and away you go. Frank

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I was poking around facebook marketplace today.
190# WW ingots ,110# pure ingots, 75# flashing and 65# flashing...he said he wants to sell the whole lot and will throw in a LEE melter and a few molds.
I was going to offer him $500 sight unseen as of yet.
This is my first post so I hope I can ask this here.
Thank you
I hope to learn to roll my own for my 444 and 30-30s
Jon

There also would be no shipping as he's one town away from me. I think I'll see if he will take it. Worst he can say is no and I could end up with a couple decent molds to use or trade and a melter to start with. Then I can learn what I need rather than guess.

I'm not sure how much you've read about casting, whether here or from a good manual/handbook...BUT, I would go talk to this person and just have a conversation with him, even if you don't know much about casting, if you have a good judge of character, you should be able to learn quick, it this seller is a knowledgeable caster and will give you good info about what he is selling...OR if he is a idiot and/or a jerk, which you would not want to deal with, and just skip giving them any offer.

[Bensdad]

Well I don't see this happening. I think I'm going to take my time and buy a small amount of known alloy and take time to learn. Thank you for all the good advice.
Jon

[frkelly74]

Yeah, you should go talk to the seller. You don't know how much they want for it , or what they might accept. They might want to get rid of it pretty bad. You can always walk after you have learned the facts of the offer. It is worth checking out. Try to get them to give you an idea at least of what they are expecting before offering any amount. I really hate when I give an offer and the response comes too quickly " Sold " . I then realize i have paid extra. Good luck. I am kind of curious what molds there are available there.

[richhodg66]

Just for reference, there's a guy in swapping and selling with range lead already in ingots, 25 pounds shipped for $34. Range lead is better than pure unless you're casting for a muzzle loader.

If it was me, I'd go look just because you never know, but $500 seems high to me.

[Bensdad]

What happened was I offered him 500 and he told me he thought it was worth a "lot more" and he needed to double check the weight. I told him to check the weight and let me know what he thought was fair. I waited a day and asked him if he had time to recheck the weight and he tells me that 440# was indeed correct. After that I don't get any more replies from him.... I am pretty sure he's hoping for me me to offer too much. And I'm not offering anything without his counter offer first.
I did agree to buy a box of the range lead last night I'm going to the post office to get the gentleman a money order now.
Jon

[Bensdad]

I figure if he messages me back I will run over and see exactly what he has for molds with it but I can't let couriosity get the best of me. He is still running the ad offering to sell ingots but wouldn't even tell me his price for those...
Jon

[lightman]

From what you are saying it doesn't sound like you are going to get any kind of a deal. I would probably bail out.

[kmw1954]

Sounds to me like another "top dollar seller", I'll get my asking price of keep it. See tose sellers on ebay and craigslist daily.

A while back there was an ad on cragslist for 500# of lead. Price seemed reasonable so I emailed the ad asking what form the lead was in, sheets, ingots, wheel weights, one slab. Never received a response so I never contacted again. Ad was up for over a month which around here is rare.

[frkelly74]

Well , at least you tried. If they think it's gold, they can keep it.

[kevin c]

Basic economics, no? What is paid is what the buyer thinks the item is worth, to him, right at that moment. It may not be worth that to the same buyer, maybe more or less, in some other circumstance, and the same for other potential buyers. And what it's "worth" is a matter of supply and demand. Maybe the seller will find somebody else to whom that pile of unknown lead is worth more money right now. Maybe not.

I just decided to pay 33% more for items that another vendor had discounted, but not in stock. After waiting weeks and getting only messages on more delays on restocking, I decided that my need outweighed the cost, and went with the higher cost. I'm just glad I don't need primers right now.

Seems like a 440# score of lead would be great to build your stockpile, but it's not like you need it right now, today, especially if the content isn't suitable and the price not ideal. Let somebody else whose need is greater take the gamble and pay more.

[Rickf1985]

I just got 5,000 primers at 70.00 a thousand. Expensive, yes. But do you think they are going to become more available or cheaper anytime soon? I seriously doubt it. And large rifle primers are very hard to find right now.