Seller guides · Houston
Guides for selling surplus cable.
Twelve short, practical guides on identifying cable, establishing footage, storing it in Gulf humidity and presenting a lot a buyer can actually review.
Written for the person holding the reel
Most cable-selling advice is written for procurement. These guides are written for the electrician, millwright, warehouse lead or plant engineer standing in front of a reel with a faded tag, trying to work out what it is worth and what to do next.
Nothing here is a sales pitch. Each guide answers one practical question in plain terms.
Reading a reel tag
What the fields mean and which ones a buyer needs.
Review → 02Footage by weight
Estimate remaining length when the tag is gone.
Review → 03Copper vs aluminium
What changes between the two metals.
Review → 04MV safety before handling
Safety before anyone touches MV cable.
Review → 05Storing cable in Gulf humidity
Heat, rain, UV and standing water.
Review → 06Turnaround surplus manifest
How to hand over a TAR surplus package.
Review → 07Photographing a reel
Five photographs that answer the questions.
Review → 08How cable is valued
The factors behind an offer.
Review → 09What to send first
The first message that gets a real answer.
Review → 10Buyer vs scrap yard
Choosing the right route for a lot.
Review → 11Proving ownership
Paperwork that makes a lot sellable.
Review → 12Consolidating inventory
Gathering reels from several yards.
Review →The short version
If you only read one thing: identify the cable from the jacket print or the tag, measure or estimate what is left, photograph the tag and the cut end in daylight, and note where it sits and how it has been stored. That is enough for a buyer to give a real answer.
Everything else on this site is detail around that.
- Read the tag before the reel moves
- Photograph the cut end, not just the reel
- Say whether the cable is new, used or damaged
- Keep the reel tag with the reel
Questions sellers ask
Do I need to unwrap a reel to identify the cable?
No. The jacket printing and the reel tag usually give the type, size and voltage. If the tag is gone, one exposed end is enough to identify conductor material, strand and insulation. Do not unspool a reel to satisfy curiosity.
How accurate does the footage need to be?
Close is fine at first. A tag length minus what was used, a wrap-and-circumference estimate or a weight-based estimate all work for an initial review. Final numbers are confirmed at inspection or pickup.
Is it worth selling a single partial reel?
Sometimes. A partial reel of medium voltage or a large feeder size can be worth collecting; a nearly empty reel of small building wire usually is not. Send it anyway and the answer will say which it is.
Buying desk · Greater Houston
Send the details, get a real answer
Tell us what you have, where it sits and when it can be seen. A buyer reviews the lot and responds with next steps.
- Cable type, size and voltage class
- Footage, reel count or weight, and condition
- City, and whether the site has loading equipment