Great. I thought copper was expensive enough.

[z28toz06]

Copper isn’t glamorous. Unlike gold, it is not likely to be recommended as an investment by Glenn Beck. Yet, before and after the financial crisis, copper has been one of the world economy’s star performers.

Sure, you were smart if you bought gold at the bottom of the financial crisis, back in February 2009. With gold touching a record $1,500 an ounce last week, you’re up 75 percent. But if you’d bought copper, you’d be up 181 percent.

The key to the copper story is soaring Asian demand. Asians want modern houses with Western-style wiring and plumbing. They want cars. They want electronic gadgetry. So they want copper. In 2005 China accounted for 22 percent of global copper consumption. In 2009 the figure was 39 percent. Try as they may, the copper miners can’t keep pace. And the supply of copper in the world isn’t limitless.

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/04/24/copper-is-king.html

 

[Gary S]

I put lots of copper into my garage wiring before the price went up. I'm happy.

 

[1SlowFormula]

I'm about to rewire my whole house and the electircians around here (2 different companies) said the prices have just come down and gave me a new quote then the ones they gave me just 3 weeks ago, not much lower but about $400 less in just the cost of the wire is a decent savings...

But yes it is still much more expensive than it was in 2004 when we last did a large renovation on our last house...

 

[Zeke]

Seems like copper went up right after Katrina. Just like plywood. I think China is only part of the problem. Greed is another.

 

[Frank The Plumber]

This is a speculation market driven by BS and smoke. I never stock pile this commodity, the bottom drops out as fast as it forms.