The four official series in ScrapValue
ScrapValue receives official BLS data through the Goodale Studios service and displays four Producer Price Index series selected for practical scrap-market context.
- No. 1 Copper Scrap, Including Wire — WPU10230101 — base: December 1986 = 100.
- No. 2 Copper Scrap, Including Wire — WPU10230102 — base: December 1986 = 100.
- Aluminum Base Scrap — WPU102302 — base: 1982 = 100.
- Iron and Steel Scrap — WPU1012 — base: 1982 = 100.
What an index point means
An index compares a current period with the series' base period. If a base is defined as 100 and the current index is 150, the measured producer-price level is 50 percent above that base level. It does not mean the metal is worth $150, $1.50 per pound, or any other cash amount.
The copper and aluminum/steel series use different base periods, so their raw index values should not be compared as though the larger number identifies the more valuable metal. Read each series across time against itself.
Read direction, momentum, and volatility together
Direction answers the simplest question: is the latest index above or below the prior comparison period? Momentum describes how strongly recent observations have been moving. Volatility describes how uneven those movements have been. A rising series with high volatility is different from a smooth, steady rise.
Use the history chart to check whether the latest move is a one-month reversal, part of a longer trend, or still inside a choppy range. The app can summarize the data, but no signal guarantees what next month or a local yard will do.
Why the latest point is monthly and may be revised
BLS publishes these Producer Price Index observations monthly. The newest point is not a live market ticker, and official data may be revised under BLS procedures. ScrapValue shows the observation date and refresh state so you can distinguish a current official release from cached data.
When the network is unavailable, the app can continue showing a previously saved snapshot and identify it as cached or stale rather than pretending it refreshed. Goodale Studios retrieves the official series; it does not manufacture substitute values when BLS data is unavailable.
Use the trend to ask a better question
A broad downward copper trend might prompt you to refresh an old yard quote before loading the truck. A sharp move in steel may explain why a current offer differs from a receipt several months ago. That context is useful, but the final decision should still use today's accepted grades and a current quote from the buyer you may visit.
