Wire and cable — Reference
SIZES AND PACKAGING WE REVIEW
Sizes from #14 through 1000 MCM, in full reels, partial reels, wooden reels, spools, coils, cartons and loose inventory. The packaging usually decides the logistics; the gauge decides the price.
Sizes
Common conductor sizes
Small branch-circuit gauges, large feeder sizes and everything between. List each size separately when a lot is mixed.
| Group | Sizes | Typical cable families |
|---|---|---|
| Small branch sizes | #14 · #12 · #10 | THHN/THWN, XHHW, MC, portable cord, control cable |
| Mid sizes | #8 · #6 · #4 · #2 | Feeders, subpanels, welding cable, SER/SEU |
| Large feeders | #1 · 1/0 · 2/0 · 3/0 · 4/0 | Service and feeder cable, tray cable, medium voltage |
| MCM | 250 · 300 · 350 · 400 | Parallel feeders, service entrances, industrial power |
| Heavy MCM | 500 · 600 · 750 · 1000 | Large industrial feeders and distribution cable |
Conductor size alone does not set value. Insulation, jacket, voltage class, shielding and condition all change what a reel is worth.
Packaging
How the wire is wound matters
Reels and spools move differently from coils and cartons. Saying which one you have early keeps the pickup plan honest.
Full reels
Factory length still banded, tag intact.
Partial reels
Opened, with remaining footage known or estimated.
Wooden reels
Large-format reels, often medium voltage or feeder cable.
Spools
Smaller spools, common for control and communication cable.
Coils
Coiled MC, portable cord, welding cable or cut lengths.
Cartons
Boxed building wire, data cable and fire alarm cable.
Loose inventory
Unreeled lengths; describe and photograph each group.
Condition
Condition words sellers use
Condition is a description, not a judgement. A used reel with an honest description is easier to quote than a new reel with an optimistic one.
- New surplus Never installed, factory packaging or banding intact.
- Unused Out of the package but never pulled or terminated.
- Overstock Old stock from a warehouse or distributor shelf.
- Partial reel Some footage pulled; remaining length estimated.
- Used Pulled from service; condition described in the submission.
- Damaged Jacket damage, corrosion, water exposure or kinks.
- Other Anything that does not fit the categories above.
Details that help
What to send with a mixed lot
- 01
A list, not a pile photo
One line per reel: construction, gauge, footage, condition. A list survives the review; a single photo of a pile does not.
- 02
Tag and legend photos
Two photos per group is usually enough when the reels are identical. Unique reels need their own tag photo.
- 03
Cut-end photos
The cut end shows conductor count, stranding and shield. It answers the questions the tag cannot.
- 04
Access notes
Dock, forklift, gate hours, basement stairs, elevator size. Logistics is where good offers stall.
Sell your surplus wire
Send the list. We will read it.
Gauge, construction, footage and condition — that is the quote. Photos make it faster.