Strange Things People Steal

Desperate times call for desperate measures. The aftermath of the world financial crisis has left some people thinking outside the box to get by. Despite the effort and penalty, a lot of these items don’t yield much in resale value, yet still remain widely stolen items.

Copper

Bucking the trend, stolen copper is valuable as scrap because the metal is used for so many items—from fiber optics to plumbing to anything electrical.

“Copper prices have leveled since the recession, but they’re still high enough to have people steal it,” said Michael Gurka, managing director of Spectrum Asset Management, a Chicago investment firm.

Manhole Covers

manholecover

If history has shown us anything, it’s that thieves don’t mind being in a business with razor-thin profit margins. Manhole covers don’t fetch much on the black market, but it didn’t deter one criminal group in New York USA. More than 30 were stolen in one season to the dismay of maintenance workers and midnight strollers alike.

Fire Hydrant Caps

firehydrant

Hydrants are usually seen in picturesque scenes of hot days and water fights, but today the dark world of hydrant cap theft is being exposed. In California USA, more than 100 were stolen at a cost of $100 each to replace, so that was $10K no one planned on having to spend.

Bleachers

These thieves in Pennsylvania and New York left standing room only crowds in its wake. Possibly just a rival school prank, these thieves have capitalized on the apparent new target in metal thievery.

Bridges

Thieves in the Czech Republic made off with an entire 10-ton bridge. Using forged paperwork, the crew convinced rail officials that the bridge was supposed to come down to make way for a new cycling route. If this crew could make a bridge disappear, it’s scary to think what they could achieve if they really applied themselves.

At Shanghai Metal Corporation we also realize the importance of these metals and manufacture value added copper products. As an ISO 14001 (International Quality Management System) Company and recipient of the “Star Enterprise Award,” Shanghai Metal Corporation prides itself on exceeding international standards of quality and reliability. We guarantee the best prices, quality support, and fast delivery. To find out more, please visit our Tumblr, WordPress, LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code. Moreover, we sell directly from Alibaba , EC21 and Tradekey.

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