Some folks just don't have a clue!

[MikeS]

Hi All.

Yesterday I went to a plumbing supply company that's been around forever, figuring I would see if they had either bar solder, or possibly some old plumber's pots, etc. that they wanted to get rid of (for cheap). Well, the old timer I was talking to acted like he didn't know what bar solder was, showed me some little bars of silver solder, so when I explained that I was looking for solder bars that were like 1/2"x1/4"x1' or so, he finally realized what I was looking for, and he said that he hadn't seen that stuff in 30 years or more, and that was back when everything was done with lead. I said that I was hoping they would have some as they're such an old company, and he mentioned that he did have 3 5lb chunks of lead, and he shows me one. It's a round piece maybe 4" in diameter, and 2" thick. Then he says that this one isn't for sale, as it's already sold, but he did have 3 others available. So I ask him how much he wants for them, and he calls over to a younger person behind the counter, and asks what the price is, and the guy says that the lead is $17.50 per piece! I told him I knew of a place where I could get lead for $1.00 per pound, and he's like "tell me where, I'll buy it all!" and I tell him that I'm going to buy it, so I wasn't going to tell him where it is, and he gives me this look like I'm full of ****, and I just left.

Are there really people that think lead is worth $17.50 for 5lbs out there? I was planning on seeing if they had any old lead handling stuff (pots, ladles, etc.) but when he told me the price for the lead, I figured he's going to try and get full list price for old junk he probably couldn't sell anyway!

[bumpo628]

You should have directed him to rotometals.com. Then he could try and "buy it all" to his heart's content. It would still be cheaper than his asking price.

[Bulldogger]

A 5 lb ingot of pure plumber's lead at my local full-service hardware store goes for $16 last I checked. A pound bar of 50/50 solder for about the same price. They admitted last time I asked they hardly sell any anymore, but them's the going rates.
BDGR

[bpratl]

A 5 lb ingot of pure plumber's lead at my local full-service hardware store goes for $16 last I checked. A pound bar of 50/50 solder for about the same price. They admitted last time I asked they hardly sell any anymore, but them's the going rates.
BDGR

I agree as I was given the same price when checking local sources on price and availability.

[Rangefinder]

Hell, that's nothing. The local musket/BP shop here has ingots of pure and WW---the very same ones we all smelt, sell, buy, and trade for about $1 a pound. They were marked at $4.95 a piece!! I asked the owner about it because I thought I was seeing wrong. He said "Nope, that's what they go for. The guys who buy them get about 5 pounds, cast some balls, and we don't see them again till they run out--most of the time it's a long time."

OK, so some people are willing to pay obnoxious prices... *shrug* What can you do other than move on.

[MikeS]

OK, so some people are willing to pay obnoxious prices... *shrug* What can you do other than move on.

Is it that they're willing to pay those prices, or is it (more likely) that they don't know that they can get it much cheaper? I guess I really can't fault the shop I was in, if I could sell something that should sell for $5.00 for $17.50 I would do it too!

[chambers]

You may want to check for 50/50 bar solder at some older sheetmetal/heating companies that make flashings/etc. They have to be older as the old timers are use to soldering/using melting pots. Also older plumbing companies have melting pots which were used to pour lead for cast iron plumbing joints. The reason I know this is because I work at a large heating and plumbing company and the old timers are all but gone, and I have to tell them how things were done.

[David LaPell]

Right now be thankful you can get any lead at all. We have a blackpowder club here locally and alot of them are retired doctors, engineers, and such. When they buy their lead, they buy it in large amounts and have enough for the year so that they can compete. One gun shop had the novel idea to go out and get every piece of lead solder and 50/50 they could, charge a higher price and they sold it all in maybe a month. I went in there and they had several hundred pounds of lead, its now all gone, all but the wheel weights because its too hard for the guys who shoot their Sharps and Remington Rolling Blocks. Wheel weights here can't even be bought in some places as the new lead ban has got alot of tire shops scared about a visit from someone from the DEC. Apparently it now has to be disposed of in "approved" places. So now if anyone has it, you have to pay for it, upwards of $1 a pound but I heard that some guys are charging $5 a pound now for WW's. As far as plumbing supplies, I think now NYS has made it so that you have to show some form of ID to even get it as a plumber. Not 100% sure though.

[chambers]

I have been stocking up on WW and melting into ingots. Local tire companies have made the switch away from Lead wheel weights at least the large chain stores. It has become very expensive due to the high metals market and high scrap prices are forcing tire comanies to charge the going rate. Prices range from .25 cents/pound to .85 cents per pound from the tire stores. Some is still free, but on average the price is really become excessive.

[Ole]

I'm sure glad I found this place, otherwise I might be one of those suckers paying $5/lb for lead. :Fire: