Logic of scraping copper in my middle Europe country

Please, excuse my English, not my native language.

Hello, I am new here and brand new to scraping. But I got very good mentor, by accident. I am interested and he likes to teach me all he has learnt for 20 years. He offered me to use his top prices, for free, he just likes me. Anyway. I am quite mad from all the opportunities that open before me now. I still can't believe the price logic in a few things, which I would like to ask you.

For example, I don't understand this - he says me, that he gets prices quoted above LME index. I thought, that LME price is maximum possible and everybody deals below, only the biggest are close to the market price. He laughs and says, that for example, when copper price index is at $10.30/kg then he is able to get even $12.70/kg. Is it possible, please? Usual small scrap yard price around me is $6.60/kg, when I drive 300km away, to the best scrap yard, I could get $8/kg as an individual.

And here follows my second question, which could help me to start massive scraping right away, or stop my idealistic dreams. I decided to understand one thing first very deeply, then move to next. I choose electro motors (the heavy ones 20+ kg). I have read somewhere here, that there's approximately 30-40% copper. The usual scrap yard price per kg of electromotor is $0.46. With my counting, even with the $8/kg copper price, I am getting $2.97/kg when I finish all the scrap work (when I count 35% of copper). Now, I don't absolutely see the logic here. Even if one scrap yard offers $0.80/kg of unstripped motor, it's still waaay bellow my $2.97 price. Very nice, I could stop thinking and start working. But this is not me. I am just interested why there is nobody, who offers for example $1.50 per kg of unstripped. Because it's so hard to do the scrap part?

Anyway, my questions are interwined (sorry for the mess) - I started to look for prices of the non-broken working electromotors. And I was quite shocked. They are still way bellow the price, I could get, when scraped. Is it normal? I am facing moral dilema now. Is it ok to buy working motors and scrap them? Or am I missing something here? I decided today to test the waters - I drove 160km today for 5 motors for $224, total weight 130kg. With my counting I should get $386 after scraped. Maybe you would say, it's not worth the time of scraping 5 motors, maybe you are ok with this earning?
Anyway, on the way back, I decided to stop at one small scrap yard and I asked what are they doing with electromotors. He said me, they resell them. He didn't said me the price, but when I asked him, what about selling me for $1.15/kg, he thought I am crazy and said, I can't make money from this. I was puzzled, because I am still not sure and said him, that maybe he is right and I have to think it up.

And now, I would like to understand the money logic here.

Am I wrong with my thinking?

And if I could ask you personal question - what you think about massive scraping of working things, if it has price logic? Do you have moral problems?

And finally, all my counting here was based on the $8/kg price, if my friend is right and he is able to get me to $10.5+ prices for copper (which he says is no problem), then I am way above and very quickly out of money, invested into motors, while waiting for bigger load

Btw, I can see the same for welding machines - they are full of copper and working ones are selling bellow my scrap prices. Scrap them like there's no tomorrow?

Are there similar prices in your country?

Thank you very much for your answers, help - I am very happy with this new endeavour and would like to expand.

Thanks. The dollar prices are just my counted numbers based on the current exchange rate. Yes, by "moral" I mean ethical dilemma - about dismantling of working things. For example, I can buy pianos in the same way. Some people would play them, or I can scrap them for brass money and make a profit and nobody will be happy making music on them. Ok, if the LME prices are top prices possible, then I have to make sure what he is telling me. Anyway, my counting seems still interesting with the lower prices.

I expected more replies, but maybe I have too many stupid questions?

Please, do I understand it right, that when I check LME copper "cash buyer" prices today and it shows 8934.50 per tonne - it means $8.9345/kg, right? And it's the top price, any scrap yard or manufacturer could make profit from?

Because it seems differently here - I have asked my friend again and he assured me, that the price he could get now is around $11.64/kg - I estimate, he is doing around 2 tonnes per year of copper - is it too much, could it explain his prices? Or is it something, many of you do yearly too? Thank you.

On the larger motors, they usually have a copper content of 10-13%, not 35%, by weight. Your friend/mentor would only be getting more for his copper than the LME prices if he is selling it as a usable material, not as scrap. For example, we had some 1/4" sheet copper pieces come in that was sold to someone for making artwork, and we got $4.50 a lb for it (just under $10 a kilo). Otherwise, we would only have gotten $3.70 for it if we had shipped it to our usual yard. And yes, 1 tonne is 1000 kilos.

Hello Neon.

I can't send you PM, but could you please contact me, cause I see that you are from Europe, so am I, and I have a few questions for you.

Thanks.