Avoid being a victim of con artists.

High metal prices, digital technology, and a lack of vigilence on the part of scrap dealers have contributed to an increasing proliferation of internet and phone scams targeting metal suppliers.

Add to that a conviction rate hovering around 1%, and you can see we have a serious threat to our industry.

The cons fall into two basic categories: mail forwarding and false shipment addresses.

2007 was a very interesting year for metal prices. Nickel rose to record heights only to plunge mid-year. Zinc dropped nearly 50% from the start of the year to the end. Precious metals like Gold and Platinum rose steadily throughout the year, reaching highs at the end of the year, and Copper took a roller coaster ride through 2007 with $1.40 separating it's high and low.

Follow the "read more" link and scroll down to see the graphic charts we've compiled for 2007's pricing on selected metals.