Sell junkyard car parts and earn money from home
Many people make a lot of money selling auto parts at a junkyard. My husband has been doing this for a while and he loves it! It still amazes me how unexplored this market is. Maybe because when you sell auto parts at a junkyard you’re not sitting in front of a computer all the time?
But working from home doesn’t always mean making money online or just from your computer, especially if you are doing some kind of arbitration agreement.
And there are thousands of people searching for cheap auto parts online. Why not get in the game and be one of your salvage auto parts suppliers?
This is a business where you really don’t have to be a mechanic or a details specialist to make real money, especially if it’s just interior or exterior restoration parts or basic engine parts.
For example, a headrest is a headrest. Unscrew some parts and take it out. Door panels are door panels. Unscrew them from the hinges and remove it. Engine components can be a bit more complicated, but you can always go to YouTube and find out what the parts are, what they do, and even how to remove them.
But even in this type of business, you may want to specialize in a niche. What do I mean by a niche when it comes to used body parts? Very easy. Here are some ways to delve into a niche simply by specializing …
- … on a particular make and model of vehicle
- … in sports cars
- … in truck parts
- … in engine parts
- … on external parts of the body
- … in interior restoration parts
Just think of all the parts that go into building a vehicle, be it a truck or a car. Some parts are even interchangeable between makes and models. For example, I needed a new front fender for my 2001 Mercury Villager. Did you know that the 2001 Nissan Quest has an identical body to the same year Mercury Villager?
They do! So my husband removed parts from a discarded Quest and replaced the fender and headlight assembly on my Villager.
The cup holder assembly on my Villager also cracked. But instead of replacing that unit, he found a narrow console with built-in cup holders from a Dodge SUV that fit perfectly between the front bucket seats of our Villager. Same color and texture as the interior of our car; That console looks like it came with our truck!
So now we have three “new” cup holders in the front and two additional cup holders for the rear seat, from a used $ 10 Dodge console.
You will have to do a little research on eBay before you go out and spend any money. You can’t just go out and buy auto parts from a junkyard and wait for them to sell. There are a few steps required to make this a profitable home business.
- First, get a price list from your local salvage depot. Look for the least expensive parts on the list.
- Find the parts on eBay and filter by sold listings. Take an average of what those parts are selling for and see what your profit margin is. For example, if it is going to cost you $ 10 to buy the piece and it sells on average for $ 85 or more, and a lot is sold, you have a winner.
- Consider how much time and effort you want to spend removing vehicle parts. Some parts are quite easy and you will only need a couple of screwdrivers on hand. Other parts can be quite tricky, depending on whether it’s interior, exterior, or under the hood.
- Another thing to think about is the weather! Here on the east coast, it is very windy in winter. And in the spring, the garden can get pretty muddy. So you have to make sure you dress for the weather, be prepared for anything.