Good/Terrible business idea.

"Camry-Into-Canyon" (Camry-Into-Canyon)
08/02/2014 at 09:46 • Filed to: None

Here's my idea for making a quick buck: Scour junkyards for parts that have value, pick them up for cheap and then make money by selling them on Ebay for a profit. Will this work?

EDIT: I know that Honda parts are going for big money, and there are plenty of people willing to pony up. Civic/Teggy Specialist?

DISCUSSION (14)

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 09:49

It seems to work for this guy . He goes and finds old American boats that are too far gone, parts out the brightwork, interior trim and fins and sells them on. He then junks the car and gets some more money from the scrap metal. He's got a great gallery - including his FinLand and the Plymouth Fury he's buried end up in his yard.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 09:49

I'm pretty sure people do this already which kinda dicks anyone over looking for parts if they're all being stockpiles.

I remember watching a show where this guy collected a bucket of spark plugs from a junk yard because he wanted the platinum. The guy tried to charge him like $6 a plug.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 09:49

Its definitely been done before so I imagine it works. But even more profitable are the junkyard owners that just sell parts direct to ebay. Cuts out the middleman. Seems like a lot of work though!

roflcopter > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 09:57

People do it all the time, usually they stick to one make though and sell them on the forums, which works quite nicely and then they can take requests from people that don't have the parts at their local yards.

Snooder87 > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 10:04

It'll work, but it's not a "quick buck". You still have to do all the research to figure out what the current market values are on ebay, then go around to local junk yards to price the parts, then figure out if the amount you'll make from the spread is worth the time spent listing the ads and transporting the parts. Not to mention cost of storage.

At a certain point you may end up just making more money in less time spent with a part time job.

Camry-Into-Canyon > Snooder87
08/02/2014 at 10:07

Where I live, I can't find a part-time job. I can store all the parts in my garage, and as I am currently unemployed, I have tons of free time.

Leadbull > roflcopter
08/02/2014 at 10:07

That's kind of awesome, actually.

Snooder87 > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 10:13

Go for it then. Just don't forget (A) the importance of market research, and (B) the importance of presentation. A part that's been cleaned and is photographed from multiple angles on a solid colored sterile work surface will sell better then a part half hazardly shot in its dirt and grease covered form on your tool bench with a bunch of shit in the background.

Camry-Into-Canyon > Snooder87
08/02/2014 at 10:13

How about a clean part on a white background with at least 5 hi-res shots? Would you buy from a vendor that does that?

duurtlang > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 10:13

Do it then, on a small scale. Start with just a few parts you're confident will sell and are easy to procure, when you're successful expand to parts with greater risk and greater potential profit.

E92M3 > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 10:43

You can't get a pizza delivery job? You'd probably make more delivering pizza that you would selling used parts. Plus you might get invited in by a milf from time to time!

daender > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 11:35

I'm doing this with Miatas right now. Finding decent cars in junkyards and raiding the good small stuff from them. My friend raids bigger-ticket items like their engines, transmissions, wheels, and differential. Hot small items include splash guards, headlights, taillights, gauges, shift knobs, etc.

Local Miata Bro > Camry-Into-Canyon
08/02/2014 at 12:35

There's a junkyard by me that had all engines for $200 and trannys for $200 as well. My buddy went and pulled a LS2 with a 4T60 for $400. He sold it later that day for $1200

roflcopter > Leadbull
08/02/2014 at 21:51

On one of the Volvo forums there is a thread labeled "Tonight's Donor Car" in the classified section that is one dude who just posts whatever he happens to have in good shape off of his latest find. On the RX8 forums there are a few people who make it their business to pick up wrecked ones at auction and part them out.