If you’re thrifty or running low on cash, buying a used car or trying to get every last second of use from your vehicle is the way to go. At some point, you’ll end up with an old car you don’t want anymore. There are a few common ways how to sell old cars, no matter whether your car is old and still works, in disrepair, won’t run ever again or is totaled and only good for scrap. You can sell or junk the car, but it may surprise you to learn that there isn’t one set difference between junking vs. selling a car.
It comes down to semantics, as a “junk car” is often one that’s not running and unfixable. They can be old or new, but you can still sell junked cars.
On the same note, not all old cars are junk cars. For example, you’d never call a vintage Thunderbird “junk” if it’s up and running. Some might term an old car that’s broken down but fixable a junk car, while others wouldn’t.
Whether your old car is “junk” or not, you can make money from it. Take a look at these basic old car selling tips.
1. Go the Dealership Route
If you asked the next person you see how to sell a car, their answer would more than likely be, “Go to a dealership.”
While this is the most well-known way to sell an old car, it’s also the most limiting. It’s best if your old car still works and you want to trade it in for a new (or “new to you”) car, but that’s not always needed.
On occasion, dealerships run promotions where they buy used cars whether they work or not. When used cars are a hot commodity, you can often sell your old car without a trade-in.
Cars that aren’t good for anything but scrap metal can’t be fixed up and flipped by a dealership. Because of that, a lot of dealers refuse those junk cars and direct their owners to scrapyards. If they do take them, you’ll often get more from selling your junk car another way.
2. Sell Your Car on Your Own
The only way to get full control over selling an old or junk car is to do everything by yourself. You won’t have to trade the car in, though someone might be up for a trade if that’s what you want to do. Selling by yourself also lets you price it as high as you want, and you’ll get the full amount so long as someone’s willing to pay it.
As nice as having control is, there are some downsides to selling the car by yourself. You have to create listings, advertise and talk to potential buyers—none of whom are guaranteed to follow through. It could take months to sell your car if you aren’t aggressive about hunting down buyers.
One of the biggest things to consider before selling your car on your own is how to stay safe when marketing your car to strangers. This is extra-important for women, LGBT people, people of color, and other groups at risk for hate crimes. Meeting in public and bringing someone with you are a couple of key ways to limit the danger.
You should also watch out for scammers who pay with counterfeit bills or checks that bounce. If they’ll allow it, travel with them to the bank and watching them withdraw cash to pay you with.
You could also send a digital invoice using a platform with protection for sellers, such as PayPal. Keep in mind that those sites often take a cut.
3. Contact a Used Car Buyer
These days, you can do almost anything online with little to no contact. You’ll be glad to learn that selling used cars is no different. The easiest way to get rid of an old car in most cases is to visit website pages dedicated to buying old cars.
This business model offered “no contact” transactions before most. You set up an appointment online, they pay you online, and they’ll come and grab your car from where you parked it. You might have to be there—not always, if you get the keys to them another way—but you won’t have to do much more than hand the car over and wave goodbye.
Used car buying sites tend to value cars based on indexes like the Kelley Blue Book and give you that amount rather than negotiating a deal in their best interests as many car dealerships do. If your car isn’t in the condition you claimed, they might lower their offer, but any reputable company tells you this upfront and still pays a fair, index-based amount.
Another benefit is that they often take lower-quality cars than dealerships do.
These car-buying companies, on the other hand, profit from selling to scrapyards. For that reason, they take junk cars most dealerships never would.
4. Take Your Old Car to the Scrapyard
If your old car isn’t worth enough to sell or trade-in, consider taking it to a scrapyard. They’ll value the car’s metal, often by weight, and make an offer. It helps to shop around for the best rate since they’re not the same from yard to yard.
Keep in mind that if you don’t pick working parts out of your car, the scrap buyers will. That saves some work for you, but it can also take a big wad of cash out of your pocket. In many cases, working parts are worth more than the entire car is.
When you ignore the value of those parts, scrapyard operators won’t tell you what you missed. They make more money if you don’t know that trick about how to junk a car. If you don’t know what’s valuable or how to take it out before scrapping your car, see a mechanic.
How to Sell Old Cars and Other Know-How for Vehicle Enthusiasts
If you’re looking for ways how to sell old cars, these methods are your best options. Or, after reading this, maybe you’re not ready to give up on your old car. You can pick up tips on fixing up cars from this site alongside a huge range of other truck, bike, and car know-how.
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