The local scrap yards here have all become "high tech" in their approach - because of legal reasons... or something. You need to sign forms when weighing-in, payment for scrap is by bankers draft to your account, you can't wander around, find a bit of metal then buy it - They don't sell except after sorting to proper metal merchants for re-cycling. I used to buy all my brass - as much as I wanted "for a Fiver" - even some bronze extrusions etc. - off-cuts from local machinists, etc. But all those small scrap yards have gone because of legislation, or whatever.
And when selling scrap to them, iron and steel is 75p/kg. copper and alloys £5 per kg (or whatever, daily rate changes). But each metal weighed-in must have at least £20 value before they'll give you a penny.
C'est la guerre?
K2