Last mentioned: Feb 26, 2026
Liquidity Freeze
During Chinese New Year, buyers find no secondary market for the bars.
Market Collapse
Investors are advised to sell bars to scrap dealers at a significant loss.
Copper Bar Launch
1kg copper bars appear in Shenzhen's Shuibei market as 'investment' products.
Speculative Peak
E-commerce prices hit 320 yuan/kg; FOMO drives massive retail buying.
Precious Metals Surge
Gold and silver prices hit record highs, pricing out many retail investors.
A speculative frenzy in China that saw retail investors purchasing copper bars as 'investment-grade' assets has collapsed within a month. Driven by soaring gold prices and a fear of missing out, investors paid premiums of up to 200% for industrial metal that is now being sold to scrap dealers.
A speculative bubble in physical copper bars among Chinese retail investors has burst within a single month, leaving buyers with industrial metal worth a fraction of its purchase price. Driven by a fear of missing out on precious metal rallies, the fad saw copper bars sold at 200% premiums before liquidity vanished.