Universal Metal Recycling at 720 New Haven Ave, Aurora, IL 60506

Skip this place and walk two blocks to Aurora Recycling instead. The woman running the counter tried pulling a fast one on me—I’d sold the same aluminum light fixtures to two other yards that day for 35 cents a pound, no questions asked. One load even hit 37 cents. I’d gone through the trouble of stripping bolts, cleaning off most of the steel, and making sure the aluminum was clean. She didn’t even look at the stack before telling me it was “breakage” and offering 15 cents. The forklift guy backed me up, said it was solid aluminum, but she wouldn’t budge. When I pushed back, she tried lowballing me at 29 cents. Hard pass. I reloaded my truck in five minutes and left. Aurora opens tomorrow, and I’ll be there first thing. Oh, and someone should tell them to take down that “best prices in Chicago” sign—this is the worst-paying yard I’ve been to so far. ---

Avoid this place if you’re selling copper. They quoted me $2 a pound for two different grades—*clean* copper—and when I called them out, they didn’t even blink. Other yards in the area are paying $3.60 to $4.70 for the same stuff. It’s not just copper, either; they’re undercutting everything. If you don’t know the market rates, they’ll take advantage. Brass is the only other metal that pays close to copper, and even then, their prices are a joke. Wouldn’t waste my time here again. ---

Honestly, this place makes selling scrap way easier than it should be. You just dump your stuff into carts—keep the steel separate from the rest, and if you’re not sure, grab a magnet and test it. They weigh each cart, hand you cash, and you’re done. No hassle, no waiting around. We’ve got a bunch of old file cabinets sitting in the garage, and next time we clean them out, this is where we’re bringing them. ---

What’s the name of that lady who works the counter? She’s always gone out of her way to help, and this time, she finally remembered my name after I’d been coming in for months. Little things like that make a difference. Thanks, gorgeous—you’re the reason I keep coming back.

The owners here are the real deal—friendly, fair, and actually care about their customers. Not the kind of place where you feel like you’re being rushed or lowballed. If you’ve got scrap to sell in this area, this is where you should go. Simple as that. ---