Why is Lead so CHEAP?

[Geezer in NH]

1974 or so I bought 1 ton of lino at .10 pound all in ingots Best $200 I ever spent.

Also bought 1500 pounds of lead sheathing for a power cable at .03 a pound. $45.00 total.

mid 70's lead shot at a discount/wholesale store at $6.00 per bag I bought 50 bags it took a new set of shocks on my Plymouth station wagon at Sears that week $8.00 each plus $5.00 installation.

Wheel weights in the 80's for the cost of a couple of pizzas. I have not spent money on lead since the 90's it just seems to appear free now. Secret is never refuse any amount being given even when it may take two or three pickup and trailer trips.(never forget lunch for the giver)

[Plate plinker]

A few years back China was buying lots of lead, now not so much

Yes, since they were caught making toys with it! Who knows what else they were lacing with it?

[Mal Paso]

Lead is cheap because it's decayed nuclear material. It was worth big bucks a couple million years ago when it was hot.



LOL

[Jniedbalski]

For my lead in the 80’s and middle 90’s was free. Tire shops where begging me to take it off for them. They where tripping over it. I got 5 or6 five gallon buckets of all lead wheel weights. I gave a lot away and sold some. I think i got .20 to .30 cents a lb if that much in the early 90’s.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I just scored a 113 lbs. of sorted lead wheel weights for $40.

[markmars]

Doe Run mining company is still lining lead ore in the Missouri mine. They had to shut down the primary smelter in Herculaneum. They ship out lead concentrate only to out of country smelters.

We can probably thank the last president we had for lead being phased out of a lot of things, like wheel weights.

Both of these go hand in hand Doe Run could not afford to run the smelter due to increase regulation.