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I am always on the lookout for opportunities to make some extra money. So, when I heard that you can make good money by selling used auto parts that were taken out from junk cars, I was intrigued.
I did some research and found out that there is a huge demand for used auto parts, especially from salvage yards and junkyards. I also found out that you can make a lot of money by selling these parts.
So, I decided to give it a try. I went to my local junkyard and salvage yard and started buying used auto parts. I then cleaned them up and sold them online.
In just one month, I made over $11,000! It was an amazing experience and I am now planning to do it full-time.
If you are looking for a way to make some extra money, I highly recommend selling used auto parts. It is a great way to earn good money while helping people get the parts they need.
I will tell you everything I know about selling used auto parts I pull from junk cars near me. To be able to start this method to make money, there are a few things you will need.
Find out what parts are the most profitable, easy to find and on the demand to sell online.
Exterior parts, like steel bumpers, upgraded or replacement grilles, side mirrors, wheels and tires, along with suspension parts like shocks, struts and headlights are some of the best selling parts on eBay and Amazon.
Most profitable parts to sell online
For me, the most profitable parts I sell online are headlights, car computers, doors, door electric motors, light housings, AC compressors, alternators, radiators, tail and fog lights.
Sometimes you get really lucky and find junk cars that have upgraded parts that are easy to sell, I am talking about turbos, seats and car computers. Some newer vehicles will bring more money since finding used cars with newer parts can be difficult. But the same goes for someone that need parts for a very old car, hard to find car parts are always good to have and listing them on a nationwide network like eBay or Amazon can help you sell them easily.
What do I need to be able to pick car parts from the scrap yard?
A pick up truck or trailer to carry those big parts like engines, transmissions, or any heavy parts that could drain fluids into your junk car, or it's too heavy to bring inside your car or van.
Tools to remove the parts from the junk car. Going to the junkyard without an agenda or a specific part to pull can be fun, you need to be prepared for anything and everything.
Most of the larger auto salvage places will buy junk cars to replace the vehicles on their yard every day, this is the perfect opportunity for you to get the easiest parts to pull out from the junk cars they have just brought out. But just like you, there will be others doing the same thing, waiting to see what else comes out to the yard, the early bird gets the worm, so you better be ready and have the right tools and claim your spot on the junk cars you want to pull the parts out of.
Have a clean workspace to clean up the parts before posting them online and then shipping them to your buyers.
Taking the perfect picture before listing your parts online
You can have a perfectly working part, but if it look dirty or with black grease, most buyers will skip and go to the next cleaner looking one, even if it's way more money than yours. I recommend having plenty of WD40 to clean the parts after you pull them out, remove all the dirt and grease before you take pictures.
When taking pictures, make sure you have a very lit up place or make yourself a cheap photo studio with cardboard and a 65000k bulb.
Make sure your phone has a decent camera or that you have a digital camera for taking pictures, I use my iPhone SE 2nd edition and it works great, the iPhone has really good cameras and filters that can help you get the right photo done the first time. Yes Android phones work too, but I only have an iPhone and I know it works great.
Where do I list my parts to sell?
List your parts on an online marketplace (such as eBay or Amazon), nowadays it very simple to upload and update a listing on eBay or Amazon, you can do this straight from your phone. We suggest you check who else is selling the same part as you, and then post yours for a few cents cheaper than theirs, even $0.10 will be a good strategy. People are always looking for the best deal and those 10 cents make a huge difference on selling or not.
What about shipping cost?
Companies like UPS, DHL, FedEx and even the USPS offer flat rates for shipping any products, you will need to measure the dimensions of your shipping box in order to find out their prices.
Consider your shipping cost and listing fees, people always consider shipping charges before buying, preferably try to offer free shipping, the more items you move, the more money you will make.
What kind of profits can I have selling car parts online?
If a headlight cost you $48 at a junkyard, then you could list it for $299, shipping cost you $15 and eBay charges you $26.22 or 8.35% percent and Paypal charges you $12.22 percent 3.49% + $0.49, for a total fees of $53.44, you also need to consider taxes, in Florida we have a 7%, that would be 21.98 in taxes for me. In my case, my profits would be $175.
What should I do once I get an order on eBay or Amazon?
Once you receive your first order, make sure you do the shipping right away, don't waist time at all, it is best to have everything already packaged and ready to ship, mark your boxes with the same listing number you have from eBay or amazon, that way you don't confuse the parts or send the wrong item to the wrong person.
Once the item shipped, send your buyer an email or a personalized message thanking them for the purchase and give them the tracking number for their item.
How Important are your customers reviews?
Once you know they receive their part, ask them to leave a review. Most buyers on platforms like eBay or Amazon will filter out bad sellers or only look at the sellers withe the most reviews or higher rated ones.
That's why you most ask your buyers to rate their purchase and their shipping experience, also once they have left a good review, thank them and wish them the best.
How can I know when a salvage yard gets new inventory of junk cars?
This method to make money online is very simple to follow, I will also suggest you ask your local junkyard when do they have special offers or deals, some yards have weekday specials, or holiday special where you can buy the parts half price or even cheaper.
Auto salvage yards will replace rows of junk cars at a time, you will see an empty row being prepared for the switch right before the new junk cars are setup on the stools. You can check the junk car online inventory for updates on when a new junk car hits the yard, but you may be too late since there are other people waiting there for the new cars and trucks to show up.
With the cash for junk cars program, most auto dismantling companies will buy junk cars from companies and the general public to replenish their inventory, one junk car at a time its all it takes, but there are also local car buyers that deliver multiple junk cars per day. If you are looking for a specific junk car for parts, we recommend calling local junk yards and asking them if they have the junk car you need parts from or if they have future plans to set one up, ask them when is the junk car schedule to be setup on the yard.
When does my local junk yard have special deals?
Most junk yards like Pick your part, Pull A Part, Pick N Pull, U Pull & Pay and other large local junk car buyers offer daily specials, some will have tires on Mondays, car body parts on Wednesday, Headlights and electric parts on Thursdays, they all have different days that they offer special discounts on car parts. The one common thing is that most will have special holiday offers or discounts, holidays like new years day, Saint Patricks day, Easter, memorial day, independence day, labor day, black Friday, Christmas day and many others.
If anyone is looking to get cash for junk cars before any of these holidays, mayor used auto parts stores will start to stock up inventory, they will buy junk cars offering to pick up any junk car with their tow truck for free, stating a free junk car removal service. Pull A Part buys junk cars daily, over 50 per day on each of their locations.
Buying a whole junk car to sell it's parts
Some people decide buy junk cars and dismantle them themselves, this is a good idea at first, but then you need to store and keep all the junk car parts home or your own warehouse. If you decide to buy junk cars near your home, you may need a special permit to keep and dismantle them, it is best to contact your local city hall, state's DMV or a governmental office to find out if you are allowed to buy junk cars near you or even sell junk cars parts.
If you are allowed or you are permitted to pay cash for junk cars, it's a great idea to find out about scrap metal prices, since you are not going to be able to sell every single part from the junk car. You need to contact a local scrap yards that pays cash and buy cars that are not complete or are missing parts, local scrap yards are in the business of shredding junk vehicles for their scrap metal and will probably offer you free towing.
Can I sell my junk car online or to a dealership even if it's missing parts?
You can also try to sell your junk car to car dealerships, you will not get top dollar, but the whole process can take just a few minutes, you will not be getting top dollar, but that should not be an issue since you already sold the parts you needed from the car, also when your time value is more important and you get a guaranteed offer for an old car that is missing a lot of car parts, you tent to just appreciate car dealerships and their willingness to buy cars.
What cities are best for starting a used car parts store online?
I know that not just everyone can live in trending cities like Miami, New York, Chicago, Dallas or Los Angeles, but this cities are the ones with the larger amount of old cars that will end up in a local scrap yard. Also many people are looking to sell they junker car for the best price.
If you now live on a trending city, you can create a Craigslist post where you ask if anyone is willing to sell your junk car for cash, post something like “Sell my junk car, instant offer”, since everyone with a non working vehicle is looking to get rid off it fast and easy, you can offer a cash quote and more cash for a hassle free deal.
Conclusion
If you are looking to start a new business, the idea of selling car parts on digital marketplaces like eBay, Amazon or even Craigslist is something almost everyone can achieve. Selling valuable parts from a junk vehicle is even better, you need to have tools and some experience dismantling a vehicle. checking junkyards inventory and being able to go when the new cars arrive is something you will need to do, also shipping the parts fast and asking your buyers to give you a five star review for your products and fast shipping will only increase your sales.
SELL YOUR JUNK CAR ONLINE AND GET PAID TODAY!
- Get an Instant Offer and sell your car fast, it only takes minutes to get an accurate offer.
- Guaranteed Offer what you are offered is the amount you will be paid, no decreasing on the value of your vehicle.
- Cash for cars will be paid at the moment we pick up the vehicle, you get paid on the spot!
