Salvage Car Minimum Values Fluctuate: Here’s Why
Sturtevant Auto Pays the Most Cash for Junk Vehicles, But the Amount Does Vary
We hear it fairly often. A customer calls us and asks how much cash we’ll pay for their clunker. Then, a week later, they call to schedule a pickup but are surprised to hear the payout has changed. Sometimes, it’s higher. Sometimes, it’s lower.
Junk car values fluctuate depending on metal prices.
We’re not out to scam or trick anybody into selling us their car for less than it’s worth. What most people don’t know is salvage yard cash offers take the market value of steel and other metals into account. After all the useable parts of a vehicle have been sold, what’s left is a collection of steel frame pieces and other odds and ends. These leftover pieces are normally sold for scrap.
As the price of steel rises and falls, the value of this leftover scrap metal changes.
As scrap metal becomes more valuable, the value of a salvage car goes up. When metal prices fall, the leftover scrap from a salvaged car is worth less and this, in turn, affects the price offered for a junker.
Selling Your Car for Scrap? Shop Around but Don’t Wait
If you already know selling your car on Craigslist is too much of a hassle and minimum trade-in values are scams, you’re probably ready to sell your car to a salvage yard. Be sure to call around to get the most value for your vehicle. Not all salvage yards offer junk car pickup services and some will even pay you extra if you bring the vehicle to them. Be sure to ask.
Once you’ve decided where to sell the car, don’t delay. Schedule a pickup or drop off the car as soon as possible.
While it is true prices do go up and you could get a little extra if you wait, you could also lose money if the price falls. Don’t risk losing out. Schedule your pickup the day you get the quote. Sturtevant Auto normally picks up cars within 24 hours of your call.
Why Are Some Cars Worth More than Others?
Most salvage yards, like Sturtevant Auto, have an advertised minimum price. As stated above, this price fluctuates depending on the market price for steel. We buy many cars for far more than this minimum value, though.
If your car has lots of in-demand parts, it will be worth far more than the burnt-out hulk of a 20-year-old junker.
Junkyards receive a few vehicles with no salvageable parts. These are often sold for scrap by the ton. The vast majority of the cars purchased by salvage yards have lots of perfectly good auto parts they can sell. When making an offer to purchase a junk vehicle, a salvage yard will take into account the value of the useable parts your car has. When you’re ready to see what your car is worth, contact Sturtevant Auto for a free quote.