"May 16 (Bloomberg) -- Codelco, the world's biggest copper producer, said prices of the metal may extend record gains this year because of possible supply disruptions, low inventories and purchases by investment funds."

"Mining companies failed to anticipate a jump in demand from China, the world's biggest user of the metal, as well as the surge in prices, leading to a lack of new mining projects to help boost supplies, Souper said. Prices, which have surged 84 percent this year in New York, also increase the chance of labor strikes that disrupt production. (Codelco's vice president of sales, Roberto Souper).

Codelco, which in February forecast prices of as much as $1.70 (we are way past that) a pound this year, plans to increase its estimate to take into account the effect of investment funds, Souper said.

Larrain Vial SA, a Santiago-based brokerage advising mining companies about selling shares on the Santiago Stock Exchange, said it expects prices to gain to $5 a pound this year

"There's a number of mines that are having supply restrictions,'' Larrain said. "There's a lag that takes anywhere from five to ten years to increase supply in a massive way.''

I may just ignore the calls I'm getting from people wanting to buy my copper scraps, and han g onto them for a while longer.

Larry:
What is 12ga romex up to now?

I believe I saw it for $408/1000' at the home despot.

I paid $135 a couple of years ago when I started wiring my house.

He larry can you help me figure out how these guys managed to wire the three way light switch to my garage and a 15 amp circuit on a single 14/3UF? I'm scared to even touch it. Time to rent a trenching machine.

It might be the best "investment" towards your retirement!

I can visualize the infomercial now..........

"I retired a multi-millionaire by saving a few boxes of scrap wire (and a few bottles of Penzoil)"!

We'll all be China's bitches pretty soon, due to their exploding economy and desire for the automobile, and logrythmic rate of consumption and demand for precious metals and fossil fuels...

Their use and demand for oil, over just the last couple of years is pretty frickin' scary - not to mention the whole automotive ownership frenzy!

Ever read the book "China Rising"?!? It will only get more and mopre challenging.... Yikes!!!

Larry - stockpile that copper!

|oops!

Hmmm............

Reminds me of the country I live in!!!!!

HD has 250' of 14/2 for $63.90, 12/2 for $102.00



Unless the bare was used as a neutral, or a dangerous, ancient method (which I won't disclose) was used, it can't be done legally. You'd need an always hot and a neutral, as well as a pair of travelers. Ofr course, if the entire garage is on the switches, then it would work.

With the price of copper I'm waiting for a call from one of my builders saying that one of homes that we just roughed in had all the copper wire cut and stolen.

Not to mention that they are taking in billions and billions of US dollars every week. And they throw it in banks and sit on it. Keeps their 'dollar' low, and ours high, and gives them the power to literally destroy our economy one day. And it will happen. Right now its estimated that they have over 750 Billion dollars saved away in national banks. If they were to unload that onto the world market today, every home owner, business owner, etc would be wiped out. The dollar would become useless and the US economy would literally crumble to pieces. Yet we re-elect morons like Bush, who are to blind and stupid to acknowledge it, let alone do anything about it.

Oh, you don't have to wait. There are already plenty of stories about this in the electrical contractor forums I belong to. Wires and pipes are disappearing overnight. We're going to add a clause to our contracts for new construction explaining that any material installed belongs to our customer, they're the victim of the theft, and it's their responsibility to secure the premises.

Carl Spackler love the Bush bashing when much of the problem is of our own creation. The same as the gas pricing. Once a communist countries steps into the world of free enterprises it can't escape - look at Russia and even Vietnam. What would happen to the world economy if China did dumps those dollars? It would effect every nation in the world including China. Yea lets cut off our nose to spite our face. That's great thinking. We would be better off trying to figure out how to save our money and less of it would go over seas. From what I've read there is not enough investment money in this country because of the low rate of saving and that is why many businesses are going over seas for funds.

Marc

I seem to remember Billy Bob Clinton was gonna take care of China if he was elected in '92 cuz of Tienamen Square and civil rights violations. That kinda went away when the chicoms opened their wallets and Gore helped the Buddist monks break their vow of poverty.

P.S. to, two, too

Nevermind.