A flexible strand stacker includes a conveyor having an elongated endwise travelling stretch onto which the strand is fed to be carried endwise on the stretch, a gripper to grip a trailing portion of the strand as forward extent of the strand is carried endwise on the stretch, structure to effect displacement of the gripper to a position locating the gripped portion of the strand sufficiently out of alignment with the stretch that the strand is progressively pulled sidewardly off the stretch in response to endwise travel of the stretch relative to the strand, and a holder such as a roller for temporarily and locally holding the trailing portion of the strand to the travelling conveyor means stretch to travel therewith, the holder then releases the wire strand and the gripper initially grips the trailing portion of the strand. Typically, the holder and the conveyor cooperate to effect transport of a selected length of wire on and along the trailing conveyor, so that the wire becomes positioned for gripping by the gripper.