The grade of your wire decides a big part of its price. Drag each sample to spin it and see exactly what bare bright, #1, and #2 look like — then you’ll know where your copper lands before you call.
Bare bright copper: stripped wire, bright and shiny all over, no tarnish. Drag to spin it.
#1 copper: clean wire with light tarnish or discoloration, no paint or solder. Drag to spin it.
#2 copper: dark, oxidized wire — may carry paint, solder, or light coatings. Drag to spin it.
Bare bright is the top copper grade: stripped, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire that is bright and shiny with no tarnish. It pays the top copper price.
#1 copper is clean, uncoated copper that may have light tarnish. #2 copper is miscellaneous unalloyed copper with oxidation, paint, solder, or light coatings. The grade difference is real money per pound.
Light tarnish is fine for #1, but heavy oxidation or discoloration drops wire to #2. Keep stripped copper dry and out of the weather.