May 9, 2019  •  For Sale  •  27 Comments

Junkyard For Sale: 400 Scrap Cars for $150K!

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I’ve long felt like I should be in the junkyard business, given my chosen use of any free time I still have left. That’s why this listing for a salvage facility – well, half of a salvage facility – in Vermont is so appealing. For $150,000, the seller is letting in a co-caretaker to do what they will with 400 scrap vehicles, most of which look largely complete in the listing photos as featured here on eBay.

Now, that being said, I would love to have more information about specific vehicles up for grabs. I can see the tail-end of an old Mercedes in the top picture, along with an early 90s Volvo sedan. If I had to guess, any savvy scrap yard operator would be unloading all of the old inventory that wierdos like me covet, but that actually provide very little in the form of measurable parts sales. Which, is why, I would be a horrible, horrible junkyard owner. I would only buy that stuff I found interesting, which 98.9% if the world does not.

Some of the vehicles look like boring, late-model vehicles that are certainly capable daily drivers but offer very little in the form of consistent parts sales, like a Ford Ranger pickup or a Mitsubishi Lancer (the non-turbo version). I did reach out to the seller for more information about what was in the half of the yard that’s for sale, but they have yet to respond. Do you see any interesting cars in this photo? With the location being in Vermont, I’m sure any older vehicles have a healthy coating of rust, but Vermonters do like their oddball 4WDs and wagons with manual transmissions.

Some late-model Volvo wagons, a PT Cruiser, a Crown Victoria, a Navigator and a late-90s Oldsmobile are all I can make out here, none of which are particularly appetizing from an enthusiasts’ standpoint. Whether there’s $150,000 in potential sales here is a mathematical formula I can’t possibly compute from here, and it sounds like the seller wants the cars removed – in other words, you’re not going to set up your business on his site. Is there an opportunity here or is more information needed?

Comments

  1. Howard A Howard AMember
    May 9, 2019 at 2:46pm

    Well, let’s see, 400 cars at about $150/ton scrap, dang, still $30K short,,,on the other hand, if there’s a VW bus in there, ANY condition, should come out about even.

    Like 15
    • Maverick
      May 9, 2019 at 6:29pm

      Junk I don’t see any value here.

      Like 4
    • Superdessucke
      May 9, 2019 at 6:52pm

      Or any 1968-69 Charger!

      Like 2
      • walt
        May 10, 2019 at 2:23pm

        No 34-35 ford 3 window coupe or pickup, 69-70 mustang fastback, 67-69 camaro. What’s a charger?

        Like 1
  2. IkeyHeyman
    May 9, 2019 at 3:39pm

    You lose money on every car, but you make it up on volume.

    Like 8
  3. bull
    May 9, 2019 at 4:26pm

    Might be worth it IF you also got the property on which the cars are “Parked”!

    Like 15
  4. Mark
    May 9, 2019 at 5:04pm

    New owner better have an army of people on staff. Vehicles scattered, no organization. What if someone wants to buy a vehicle from the middle?

    Like 3
  5. Gaspumpchas
    May 9, 2019 at 5:20pm

    I’m sure whats for sale has either been picked clean or are cars no one needs parts from. I’d bet there’s nothing good there, keeping the good stuff. With the scrap price in the dumper, this guy is looking for a sucker,,Good luck.
    Cheers
    GPC

    Like 24
    • Sandy Claws
      May 9, 2019 at 8:08pm

      Couldn’t have said it better myself, and I am a pretty smart guy.

      Like 2
  6. CanuckCarGuy
    May 9, 2019 at 5:51pm

    The potential need to remove and dispose of the environmental waste from each vehicle, would be a deal breaker for me. If it was easy money, they’d be counting cash not cars.

    Like 10
    • Richard Douglass
      May 12, 2019 at 10:29am

      Setting aside the actual value of the cars, think about the cost of moving all those cars(even to a nearby location)!!! Money Loser Big Time.

      Like 0
  7. Blueprint
    May 9, 2019 at 5:51pm

    In the oddball 4wd wagon department, I spotted a Suzuki Aerio. Plenty of Subaru’s of course, Vermont’s favorite brand. Funny to see a car scrapped with a cargo carrier still attached to the roof.

    Like 1
  8. Frank Sumatra
    May 9, 2019 at 5:52pm

    Don’t forget to factor in all of the inevitable environmental fees and penalties.

    Like 7
  9. AndyinMA
    May 9, 2019 at 6:08pm

    There is a numbers matching hemi cuda under the short bus.

    Like 5
    • Howard A Howard AMember
      May 9, 2019 at 9:23pm

      Ha! Good one.

      Like 2
    • spoonleg
      May 10, 2019 at 7:32am

      Hmmm, add up cost of hiring helicopter to get into the middle of the pile and airlift it …..oops. powerlines! back to the drawing board.. darn

      Like 0
  10. stillrunners
    May 9, 2019 at 7:24pm

    We had mostly big GM’s from the 50’s…and 60’s….lots of 40 stuff and 60’s stuff with few 70’s…..big old pile of engines around the place and big piles of rear ends stacked around…..he had over a 1000 cars and people always balked when he thru out $100,000.00 when they asked….it damn did crush out way past that when the time came. It was right down a block from the now Trinity Groves area of Dallas.

    Like 1
  11. PaulG
    May 9, 2019 at 8:25pm

    375.00 per car. The catch, you gotta take them all…

    Like 2
  12. TimM
    May 9, 2019 at 8:41pm

    From the description it sounds like a bunch of newer cars maybe they could make plastic bottles out of them!! Seeing there’s no metal in them!!!

    Like 0
  13. Rex Kahrs Rex KahrsMember
    May 9, 2019 at 9:26pm

    This deal doesn’t work even in reverse: If they paid you $375 each to disappear 400 worthless cars, you still wouldn’t make any money!

    Like 2
  14. junkmanMember
    May 10, 2019 at 5:49am

    The owner knows what dreamers don’t. He’s tired of people looking for what he doesn’t have and can’t afford, nickels and dimes is what I see. Tough business to get involved with at this point in time.

    Like 4
  15. rustylink
    May 10, 2019 at 8:43am

    if this was a money making venture they wouldn’t be for sale. Who the hell has the logistical resources to remove 400 cars to another property?

    Like 1
  16. 38ChevyCoupeGuy
    May 10, 2019 at 9:46am

    Rustylink hit the bull’s-eye. I can’t imagine having to look through titles if they exist, then having check ALL the vins after finding or not finding each car.Not to mention the time and expenses moving them. I’d say there isn’t a catalytic converter or aluminum wheel to be found. You guys just scrolled up to the pictures didn’t you? Lol . This is even before the check writing or the handshake.

    Like 1
  17. Johnmloghry Johnmloghry
    May 10, 2019 at 3:11pm

    Sounds like all this stuff has to be moved somewhere else before you could start sorting, selling, organizing to figure out what you have. I don’t see how you could even break even under those circumstances, unless there’s gold bars in one of those old cars.
    God bless America

    Like 1
  18. newfieldscarnut
    May 11, 2019 at 2:23am

    Buyer beware .
    Price includes half of all fines .
    Look at the “buyers other items” for sale at the end of his ebay listing . TOP dollar for everything he sells !

    Like 1
  19. Mark S Smith
    Mar 30, 2021 at 1:24pm

    BUT, you could probably crush out more than the buying price.

    Like 0
  20. Mark S Smith
    Mar 30, 2021 at 1:25pm

    But who would want to be in Vermont?

    Like 0

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