Titanium can bring you $1-$1.50 a lb. depending on how clean it is. This price is a reflection of the smelters having to check each individual piece with an XRF and to make sure it is completely clean. The problem with titanium is that if it even has a speck of iron, aluminum or any other contaminate the price will drop drastically. All the man power that goes into quality control of titanium is ultimately what drops the price.