Surplus single-mode OSP cable runs roughly $0.21/ft at 12 count to $2.85/ft at 432 count on the open market — well under new distributor pricing, and available now rather than on a lead time. Below is what surplus lists for by fiber count. If you’re the one holding the reel, its price comes from the tag.
| Fiber count | Typical surplus list /ft |
|---|---|
| 12 ct | $0.21 |
| 24 ct | $0.25 |
| 36 ct | $0.31 |
| 48 ct | $0.39 |
| 72 ct | $0.46 |
| 96 ct | $0.53 |
| 144 ct | $0.93 |
| 288 ct | $1.64 |
| 432 ct | $2.85 |
Count is the biggest lever and it isn’t linear — per-foot price climbs faster than fiber count because high-count cable is a harder build and a thinner market.
Series and brand matter more than people expect. Corning ALTOS and CommScope TeraSPEED move fastest; specialty and hybrid constructions can price several times a commodity reel of the same count.
Construction — armored versus dielectric, loose tube versus micro, figure-8 with messenger — shifts both the ask and what a crew will pay.
Reel footage is quietly decisive. One continuous 10,000 ft reel is worth more than four short ends totaling the same footage, because splices cost the buyer time.
Condition and paperwork — tags on, ends sealed, legible date code — is the difference between a firm number and a cautious one.
Nothing is wrong with the cable. Surplus exists because builds over-order: a job buys 20% long on a bid, finishes, and the remainder sits in a yard where it is nobody’s job to sell it. That material is factory reel, often the same date code as what a distributor would ship you — the only difference is it’s already in the country, already paid for, and available this week instead of on a quoted lead time.
Sitting on reels from a finished job? We buy them — tag photos to WhatsApp, offer in 24 hours. How we price a reel →