Do you have a junk car that you’re ready to sell? If so, chances are good that you’re considering selling it to a local junkyard. Maybe this question has crossed your mind, though: how much will a junkyard actually pay for your junk car? Finding out what sort of price you can expect may actually be easier than you think.
At the end of the day, there are 3 major things that the vast majority of junkyards will pay attention to when it come to pricing out your junk car. Read on to find out what they are, and sell your junk car with confidence!
1) The price of scrap steel and aluminum
When you call around to junkyards and ask for a price for your junk car, you probably aren’t thinking about the international scrap metal market. That’s understable, of course. But, the bottom line is that the price on the open market for scrap steel and aluminum is a major determining factor in what the average junkyard is willing to pay for your vehicle.
The price of scrap metal fluctuates from year to year, and lately it’s been lower than in the past. The market plummeted in 2014, and has been making a slow but steady comeback. Day to day fluctuations can impact the price that you’re quoted for your junk car.
2) Your vehicle’s model, make, and year
This is a more obvious factor in the overall value of your vehicle: what’s its year, make, and model? While you could price out most used vehicles using the Blue Book or a similar resource, pricing out junk cars is more complicated. That’s because the average junk car is in too poor of condition to evaluate it using standard pricing methods.
Instead, you’ll want to consider the value of the parts inside of your vehicle, in combination with its overall weight. When you call around to a junkyard, these are the two things they’ll likely be the most concerned with. Some makes and models of vehicles are particularly big and heavy, which makes them more valuable in the eyes of a local junkyard. And, some cars have particularly valuable parts inside of them. That can mean a higher price when you’re ready to sell.
3) The condition of your junk car
When selling a used car to a private buyer, they’re often very concerned with its condition. The same goes for junk yards, believe it or not. If a junk car is in reasonable shape, a junkyard may be able to sell it at an auto auction. As a result, they’ll be able to pay you more for it. But, if your junk car is a complete wreck, a local junk yard isn’t going to be able to pay you as much for it. They’ll be needing to break it down into its component parts and materials, which means they’ll have to base their offer on the value of your junk car as scrap.
Are you ready to sell your junk car? Rusty’s Auto Salvage pays the most for junk cars in your area. To find out more, visit our website!
