Bulk data cable we review
We buy all types of electrical wire and cable, including Cat6, Cat6A and coax. Send new, unused, leftover or used cable on full reels, partial reels or in pull boxes. We also buy cut lengths and mixed lots. There is no universal minimum quantity. Send the type, footage, packaging and Arizona location, and we will make an offer.
Include bulk cable, loose patch cords and used cable in your lot photos. A factory box, a reel-in-box package and a bare reel can hold the same product, but each needs its own quantity record. For other cable in the closeout, use our wire and cable buying categories to identify each family.
Categories, constructions and jacket listings
Cat6 and Cat6A are balanced twisted-pair data cables. Coax has a center conductor surrounded by insulation and an outer shield. They are not interchangeable, even when both came from a low-voltage package on the same job.
| Cable or marking | Construction or listing | What to record for an offer |
|---|---|---|
| Cat6 bulk cable | Four twisted pairs; solid copper horizontal cable is common | Category, AWG size, pair count and part number |
| Cat6A bulk cable | Four twisted pairs; unshielded and shielded constructions exist | Exact category and shield designation, not just jacket color |
| U/UTP | No overall shield and no individual pair shields | Keep this separate from shielded cable |
| F/UTP | Overall foil shield around unshielded pairs | Identify the shield construction from the label or specification |
| CMR | Communications riser listing | Photograph the listing on the cable and package |
| CMP | Communications plenum listing | Do not group it with CMR as one product |
| CM or CMG | General-purpose communications listings | Record the exact letters rather than calling it plenum |
| RG6 coax | Center conductor, dielectric insulation and foil/braid shielding | Center-conductor metal, shield layers and product listing |
| CATV, CATVR or CATVP | Cable-TV listings; R identifies riser and P identifies plenum | Record the actual listing; coax may instead carry a communications listing |
Plenum and riser describe fire-performance listings, not conductor quality. A blue jacket does not establish Cat6A, and a white jacket does not establish CMP. Separate fiber optic cable and fire alarm cable from the data cable inventory.
Conductor sizes and voltage ratings
For this product, we review small data-cable conductors by their cable specification, not by feeder-wire size. Verified examples include Belden 2412 Cat6 and 10GXS13 Cat6A, both with four pairs of 23 AWG solid bare copper. Belden 1694A RG6 has an 18 AWG solid bare copper center conductor and tinned copper braid over foil. These are examples, not specifications for every Cat6 or RG6 product.
Each of those examples has a manufacturer-listed 300 V rating. That rating does not make the cable suitable for a branch power circuit. Other models need their own voltage and use ratings checked. Include the rating from the data sheet when it is absent from the jacket.
Do not call copper-clad aluminum solid copper. If the documentation says CCA or copper-clad steel, include that detail so we can identify the conductor construction. Aluminum foil or braid on coax is shielding, not proof that its center conductor is aluminum.
The wire-size hub covers building wire and feeders from 14 AWG upward, not these smaller data conductors. If your closeout also includes separate power wire, list the 14, 12 and 10 AWG material on its own inventory lines.
Read the jacket and package together
Photograph a complete repeat of the print line. Look for the manufacturer, product number, Cat6 or Cat6A designation, conductor gauge, pair count, listing letters and footage marks. Also capture a UL mark or file reference, voltage, temperature rating and production or date code wherever provided. Not every field appears on every jacket; the reel tag, box label and manufacturer specification fill the gaps.
Temperature ratings need context. For example, Belden lists 105°C as the UL temperature for 10GXS13 but gives a storage range ending at 75°C. Do not treat a printed temperature as permission to leave a box in any hot storage location.
Match the part number on the package to the cable itself. A replacement box can carry the wrong label. Preserve unfamiliar production codes rather than guessing their date. The reel-tag and jacket-print guide explains which fields to capture when the label is hard to read.
Report footage without emptying the box
The length printed on a box is its original package length. Once cable has been pulled, it is not a remaining-footage statement. Record the visible footage mark and any documented starting or ending mark. Some products count down; others use sequential marks that count up. Confirm the direction and whether the units are feet or meters before estimating what remains.
Do not pull an entire box apart just to find the inner end. Give an honest estimate and state how you reached it. If you already have both end marks on one continuous length, their difference helps establish its length. Separate pieces need separate entries, even if their combined footage looks substantial.
Photos that make the lot identifiable
Send actual photos of your cable, not catalog images. For each distinct model, include:
- The complete box label or reel tag, including part number and original length.
- A sharp jacket-print photo with category, listing and footage marks visible.
- The whole box or reel, showing packaging condition and how cable is wound.
- An existing exposed end, if accessible, plus any crushed, kinked or discolored area.
- One wide photo of the full lot, with a count of matching packages.
Use a separate inventory line for each category, listing, conductor size and part number. Include estimated continuous footage per package. Attach those details when you request a written offer; they are more useful than describing everything as network wire.
Arizona jobs that can leave unused data cable
Chandler's CyrusOne PHX1-PHX8 campus includes eight facilities. It illustrates the local data-center setting where network fit-outs and support-system work can leave unused reels. Contractor overorders, revised cable routes and changed equipment layouts are possible sources of surplus, not proof that a particular campus has cable available. Keep copper data reels separate from fiber and power feeders in data-center cable closeouts.
Outside data halls, network and AV work can leave partial boxes after commercial tenant fit-outs, hotel room systems or multifamily communications rough-ins around Phoenix and the East Valley. Coax may remain after a video-system design change while Cat6 remains from network outlets. For electrical-contractor leftovers, identify the original job and keep purchase or closeout paperwork with the lot. We confirm who is selling and record the name of the person authorized to release company-owned material.
What helps an offer and mistakes to avoid
Matching full packages, readable labels and documented continuous lengths help. Missing tags, mixed models in one box, water exposure and unknown footage affect the offer. A sealed box helps identify the product, and we also review cable and packaging condition.
Protect indoor-rated cable from Arizona sun and rain. Do not assume a black jacket is sunlight-resistant or suitable for direct burial. Avoid tight re-coiling, crushing boxes under other material or hiding a kink beneath tape. Send honest photos of the cable as it is, including any jacket damage.
We buy full reels, partial boxes, cut lengths and mixed lots, whether new or used. We keep simple paperwork, such as an invoice, purchase order, job closeout paperwork or company letter, with the name of the person releasing the material. Our review also considers current demand for the exact cable, so listing and condition affect the offer.