William Lipovsky
Short Answer — Brass is worth around $1.25 to $2 per pound ($0.08 to $0.12 per ounce) on the scrap market. Some brass items are more valuable in the vintage and antique collectibles market, fetching prices ranging from $10 to over $1,000 per item. Several factors impact the price of brass; we explain these, plus how and where to sell brass below.
Brass Scrap Prices Explained
On the scrap metal market, brass varies in value depending on the type but is generally worth around $1.25 to $2 per pound or $0.08 to $0.12 per ounce.[1][2]
We explain the price factors and the different types of brass you can sell below.
Price Factors
In addition to market conditions, there are a few other factors that can impact the value of brass.
The vast majority of brass sold in the U.S. is recycled from uses like industrial parts,[3] so contamination is one concern. If your brass is contaminated with materials like plastic, paint, or oil, this may affect its strength and machinability, which can make it less valuable.[4]
There are also different types of brass, each of which is priced differently. For example, red brass is typically more valuable than yellow brass because it has a higher concentration of copper.[5][1]
Types of Brass
As noted above, there are different types of brass you can sell for scrap, each of which will fetch a different price.
At the time of writing, average values by type are as follows.[1][2] Keep in mind that scrap prices fluctuate on a daily basis and can vary significantly from month to month (as well as by region), so you may not be able to meet these exact values for your brass.
70/30 Brass
- Per pound: About $1.60
- Per ounce: About $0.10
- Per ton: About $3,200
80/20 Brass
- Per pound: About $1.80
- Per ounce: About $0.11
- Per ton: About $3,600
85/15 Brass
- Per pound: About $2
- Per ounce: About $0.12
- Per ton: About $4,000
Red Brass
- Per pound: About $1.75
- Per ounce: About $0.11
- Per ton: About $3,500
Mix Red Brass
- Per pound: About $1.70
- Per ounce: About $0.11
- Per ton: About $3,400
Yellow Brass
- Per pound: About $1.55
- Per ounce: About $0.10
- Per ton: About $3,100
Mix Yellow Brass Borings
- Per pound: About $1.60
- Per ounce: About $0.10
- Per ton: About $3,200
Brass Radiators
- Per pound: About $1.25
- Per ounce: About $0.08
- Per ton: About $2,500
Iron Brass Radiators
- Per pound: About $0.64
- Per ounce: About $0.04
- Per ton: About $1,280
How Does Brass Compare to Other Metals?
Brass is a mid-level commodity at metal scrap yards; it’s worth more than aluminum or steel but less than copper.
To get the best price for your brass scrap, make sure it’s clean before you take it to the scrap yard. If possible, pre-sort it by type.
Selling Brass
How to Find/Identify Brass
Brass is usually shiny and yellow in color, but since it contains copper, types that contain more copper will appear more reddish.
Brass isn’t magnetic, so if you can stick a magnet to your item(s), you’ll know they aren’t brass.[6]
An item that looks like brass might instead be plated with a thin layer of brass, which is less valuable than solid brass.
Brass has been in use for hundreds of years and has a wide variety of applications, meaning you can find it in many places.
Some common brass items include:[6][7]
- Ammunition
- Bearings and bushings
- Decorative antiques like figurines, candleholders, and planters
- HVAC equipment
- Ornamental castings
- Pipe fittings
- Plumbing fixtures
- Valves
- Water pumps
Scrap vs. Antique
A vintage or antique brass item in good condition might be worth more sold for what it is than for scrap.
These include things like statues/figurines, planters, pitchers, vases, bookends, jewelry, and decorative mounts.[8][9]
Your particular item’s value will depend on the item type, size, age, casting quality, and maker. Prices range anywhere from under $10 for small, vintage items to $1,000 or more for larger, older, and more ornate pieces.[8]
Note that newer, mass-produced brass items can be designed to look older. You might want to consult an antique dealer to figure out whether your brass is truly antique or vintage before deciding whether to sell it as a collectible or for scrap.[9]
Where to Sell
Most scrap yards will buy brass, though some prefer to receive large, bulk lots instead of a few small pieces.
You can use Scrap Monster to find contact information for scrap yards in your area and call around to find out which yards are interested in your items and at what price.
It’s best to check with several different scrap yards in your area to be sure you’re getting the best price.
If you can’t find a scrap yard near you to sell to, you might also want to try a site like Craigslist or the Facebook Marketplace.
You might also try selling the items on eBay’s metalware marketplace or another peer-to-peer selling platform like Etsy.
Please, my name is Frank from Ghana. We have yellow brass bars and would want to know if there is a special weighing machine for it. They are very heavy though. Also, we don’t know where to sell it here in Ghana. They were left by our fore, fore fathers.
Hi Frank,
There’s no special scale for weighing brass. Use whatever scale is available to you and fits the bars that you have. You might need to convert the unit of weight to the unit of weight brass is sold by. Over here, it’d be by pound, but you’ll probably sell by the gram or kilogram. As for where in Ghana to sell it, we can’t help with such location specific requests because of the volume of comments we get. I’d recommend looking on local buy/sell groups or websites to see if there is anything comparable for sale. Or, if you have local scrap yards or recyclers that accept brass, inquire with them to find out the going rate.
Solid Brass head board,bought in 70’s very heavy. When scratched it is yellow and magnet won’t stick to it.how much is this worth?
Hi Wanda,
You’ll have to weigh it to figure out how much its worth. Scrap yellow brass is currently at $1.75 per pound, and might go for a little less at your local scrap yard.
A lot of the time, if these old brass objects are in good condition they can be worth more sold for what they are, rather than for scrap. You can compare antique brass headboards on eBay to get an idea what yours might be worth. My search brought up several listed for over $200. You could also contact a local antique dealer for an estimate, see our article on finding a local antique dealer for help on finding an antique dealer.
I have a solid brass Blo Poke fireplace accessory.
It is 46 inches long and purchased in 1983 for $45.00.
Can you please give me advice in how to sell it?
Thank you!
Hi Lola,
Sounds like you got a deal on your Blo Poke. You could try selling on eBay. There’s currently one on eBay selling for about $80.
WE have several old brass Basketball trophys from 1917 through 1959 -what would that brass be worth.
Hi Kay,
There are a few different types of brass, so you first you’ll have to identify which kind the trophies are. Right now yellow brass, for example, is worth about $1.75 per pound, so weigh your trophies and multiply by the per pound value to estimate what they’re worth. The price can vary a bit by where in the country you are, so you can get a more accurate price by contacting local scrap yards.
Hi there I have 3 solid brass weights that are used for holding down heavy fabric for sewing. I have a 4 pounder a 10 pounder and a 25 pounder. Can you give me a rough estimate as to how much I’m looking at ? or should I try to sell it on Ebay or an antique store. Any information that you can give me would be appreciative.
Thank you
Hi Kathy,
The first question you need to answer is what kind of brass you have because this will affect the scrap price. There’s about 50 cents difference between the cheapest, iron brass, and the most expensive, red brass. Let’s assume you’ll get a mid-range scrap price of $1.50 per pound. That makes about $58.
If your pieces look nice and are in good condition, I would recommend researching the resale value before scrapping them. Try searching eBay for similar pieces to get an idea what they might sell for, and call local antique shops to ask for an estimate. You can also try searching Google shopping for similar items to check prices.
I have a variety of brass ornaments in my attic some of which are quite heavy, are they likely to be worth anything and where would I take them
Hi Lyn,
Find a scrapyard near you or you may also have luck putting them for sale on Craigslist.
I have eight brass doorknob sets. Are they worth anything?
Hi there!
Can you tell me anything else about the doorknob sets? Do you know their age, their approximate weight?
were you able to describe your brass door knob sets. did you receive a response as to their worth?
I have a solid brass bowl made in India, or so the sticker says.
The sticker on the bottom also says
Design exclusive Enesco Imports Corp
How can I find out if this bowl has any value to it? Thanks for your help.
Hi Debbie,
Enesco is a maker of solid brass items. Depending on their age and size, many Enesco bowls are worth $25-$50 (based on what eBay and Etsy are selling them for). You will definitely make out better listing it on eBay then selling it for its brass value. Good luck!
I have a old player piano that stoped working properly but when you look inside it appears to be all brass it weighs about 500 lbs. And is over one hundred years old what type of brass do you think it’s made with and how much would it be worth.
Hi Riana,
Interesting question! I found quite a bit of information about antique upright player pianos. More player pianos were built in America between 1900 and 1930 than any other single type of piano, with most of them built between 1905-1930. I found this website called the Antique Piano Shop that provided quite a bit of information on these pianos. What was most interesting was their resale value: $500 – $1,000 in poor condition, $2,000 – $3,000 in good, non-functional condition, $3,500 – $6,500 in functional condition, and $20,000 – $25,000 in restored, factory-new condition! A lot of the interior components are brass, but as you can see on this site, they aren’t worth much. Instead, I would turn my attention to the value of these gems!
Kay 6/7/2017
Hi:
I have a brass coupling from a fire truck hose. Also, a brass door from a safe deposit box at a bank. I think they’re considered more than scrap. Can you provide any information.
Thank you
Hi Kay,
Brass couplings sell for between $20-$30. I wasn’t able to find much about brass safety deposit boxes; however, I did find one for sale for $20.
Hi, I have a very large yellow brass rocking horse, it weighs at least 75 lbs. if not more. It’s a decorative item and we’d like to sell it. Help!
Denise,
Brass rocking horses of the size you’re describing were produced both in the late 1800s and then again in the 1960s and 1970s. According to one antiques appraiser, a brass rocking horse of this type from the 1960s or 1970s in good condition could sell at an antiques shop for $250-300 (they’d likely purchase it from you for less, depending on how much they mark up their items). A similar mid-century horse recently sold on Barneby’s, an online compendium of antique auction houses, for $250. The true antique from the 1880s could be worth significantly more. To find out what you have, you may want to have your rocking horse appraised. Consumer Reports offers many helpful tips on where to look for a reputable appraiser. You can learn more general information about antique brass on eBay’s Antique Brass Buying Guide as included in our article.
thanks for the info!
Is brass fender worth anything?
Hi Mrs. Colley,
It looks like scrap yellow brass is currently being bought by scrap yards for roughly $0.90 – $1.20 per pound. If the brass fender weighs roughly four pounds or so, you can expect to get around $4 – $5 for it at a scrap yard. You can get a more exact estimate by weighing the brass fender and contacting some local yards for their prices. I hope this helps!
Hello I have a solid brass that’s yellow when it was marked like maybe a cannon it’s not the shell but the bullitt it’s very heavy. And I have never seen anything like it can you tell me is it worth anything I guess it’s a bullitt about 20 or so pounds about maybe nine inches long