Junkyard Rant

[PettyBlue72]

Sorry this is a long one so bear with me

I just got back from a local junkyard that I go to frequently and have gotten some good deals at in the past. Today however was not a good day. I haven't been to this yard in a while so I figured I'd go and see what was new and exciting there. I found a bunch of late 40's to mid 60's Mopars and some cool fords as well. Alot of these cars had cool hood and trunk ornaments on them that were in poor to very poor condition, most were to bad to get rechromed. I figured they would be good to hang on the walls of my dad's garage for decoration so I grabbed them.

It took me about 2 hours to pull all these things off and I was tired. I figured they were pretty much worth there weight in scrap but unfortunately the junkyard guys felt differently. After much negotiating they told me they wanted $200.00 for about $50.00 worth of basically scrap pot metal. I told them good luck and that they will still have the parts 20 years from now.

Why do these yards think every piece of junk they have is worth its weight in gold! They have charged me less in the past for parts that were in alot better shape. I told them the reason they were still in the yard was because they were to bad to rechrome and nobody wanted them. They told me they could put them online and get big bucks out of them. Good luck!

OK I am better now!

 

[b-star69]

they saw american pickers get 200 for a 1930's pericearrow hood ornament in pristine condition :angry9:

 

[Cranky]

How bout a buddy that you have done favors for for years and even taught him how to rebuild certain things and when they needed something you let them have it for free or for a real low price and then when they finally have something you want, they hit you in the head on the price!! Well, that this particular guy will get NOTHING from me ever again unless he pays a premium price for it and no more 'class room' instructions either.....!

 

[YY1]

...or when you GIVE someone something that maybe doesn't work, and they fix it, even if it was real easy and you should have been able to do it but were just too lazy....and then later they ask you if you know anyone that wants to BUY it...and you say, "hey, you remember where you got that right?" and then they say something like "I'll keep it before I GIVE it away"...WTF?

 

[PettyBlue72]

A while back a sold a rusty dual cutout 73-74 Charger valance to a guy who said he was going to cut it up for the cutouts to graft them into his standard valance for $25.00 plus shipping. He gave me a hard luck story which is why I sold it so cheap. About a month later he listed it on Ebag as a whole part and got like $100.00 out of it. When the listing was active I posted a question stating that he must not have need the cutouts as bad as he said and he gave me a lame excuse.

As far as the junkyard goes, it will be a while before I go back there and I hope they get stuck with every last one of those hood ornaments.

Oh and I agree 100% that the American Pickers epidemic has definitely influenced what people think they can get out of there junk. Similar to how the Barrett Jackson auctions made everyone think there rusted out /6 dart 4door was worth a million bucks a few years back. I still can't find a decent parts car around in the Western PA tri-state area for under a grand when just a few years ago I was buying savable cars for 6-$900.00

Joe

 

[Moparsmitty]

they saw american pickers get 200 for a 1930's pericearrow hood ornament in pristine condition :angry9:

So true. What I call picker syndrome has a lot of these people thinking these piles of junk in their yards are gold mines. Well, they can keep it. Thanks a lot History Channel.:angryfire:

 

[PettyBlue72]

Well that new show American Digger is no better. These guys dig holes and find stuff worth money. At least these guys splitm the profits with the owner of the land.

Unfortunately though, it will soon have everyone and his grandmother out there with a shovel and a metal detector trying to find their retirement fund in the ground LOL!

 

['69Net]

I Hate that show........and the 2 bullshit artists in it.....

 

[trimmer]

I'm not in the scrap yard business but I do have a few parts cars. I get folks here all the time that tell me my stuff ain't worth anything. Sometimes when they pester me enough I give in and let them have for a lot less than it's value. Then a short time later I'll see my very same item at a swap meet at a very inflated price and it makes my blood boil. It has gotten so bad I don't list most of my junk for fear of being taken to the cleaners. Sometimes I will ask the value of an item (when I already know it's worth) just to see how many guys will low ball me for it. Sometimes I do get a fair market offer and when I do those folks most generally get the best deal. Just goes to show honesty is the best policy.

 

[PettyBlue72]

I'm not in the scrap yard business but I do have a few parts cars. I get folks here all the time that tell me my stuff ain't worth anything. Sometimes when they pester me enough I give in and let them have for a lot less than it's value. Then a short time later I'll see my very same item at a swap meet at a very inflated price and it makes my blood boil. It has gotten so bad I don't list most of my junk for fear of being taken to the cleaners. Sometimes I will ask the value of an item (when I already know it's worth) just to see how many guys will low ball me for it. Sometimes I do get a fair market offer and when I do those folks most generally get the best deal. Just goes to show honesty is the best policy.

I agree honesty is the best policy. When I sell parts I try to be very fair with the pricing. I don't gouge people and I will negotiate and help them out with shipping when I can. But like you it ticks me off when I try and help someone out and they take advantage of me.

I sold a restorable 72 Dart Swinger a couple years ago and the kid told me he had every intention of restoring the car and getting it back on the road. I sold the car cheap with a whole lot of extra parts included. About a month later the kid began parting the car out and was listing the parts on the very website I sold the car from. His excuse for selling the parts was that a buddy of his wanted the shell to make into a race car but the problem with that scenario was the fact he was selling the brand new quarter skins I included with the car. Don't race cars need quarters too? Oh that just made me go through the roof and believe me I let him know it!

 

[Sonny Black]

yea, I sold a guy, and he said he had a sick kid (cancer) & two more,a wife in school and he was out of work......
"he and his uncle are going to restore it!........yada, yada,yada"

my buddy said "it" was on craigs list a week later for much more $ than
he bought it for....
......the price--->free!
....I gave it to him 'cause i felt sorry.

sonny:icon_confused:

 

[moparmarks]

I gave a "friend" a bunch of parts that I was clearing out. Heads, intakes ect. About 6 month later needed an intake and he wanted 50.00 for one that I gave him. Well found another instead. Still a "friend" just doesn't get no deals.

 

[70RR]

Junk Yards or Gold Yards

We had a Junk yard in the Concord N.H. area that I knew the owners ..This was mid 70's..He always had like most junk yard dealers had a BIG wad of cash in his pocket since deals were cash only..He love pulling it out every time so you could see it..This is how he sold stuff..If he had a VW part # 00001 and you called for a price, it was say $20...If you called for the same part but, it also fit and Audi and you said Audi it was $40 and if you said God forgive Porsche it was $60 to $80..It was the same part but, this Redneck thought if you drive a Porsche you could afford to pay triple or more..If he could over charge some one for a part he was happy all day long with a **** eating grin knowing this High School drop out got one over on a College Boy as he called them.
Rick

 

[Lowhound]

I GAVE a friend a complete 8 3/4 rearend because he needed it for a project. He didnt have much money(or so I thought). In the past he was always a GM person & this was to be his 1st Mopar build.But I told him if he didnt go through with the project that I would like to get it back. Then he went through a divorce. He sold a nice alluminum bass boat,a 71 Dart which he had just converted to front & rear disc brakes & frame connectors,a 78 Dodge pickup all for $1500.The boat itself would sell for $4000 easy. When I asked about the rearend he said that he threw it in with the deal to sell the other stuff. By the way he sold all this stuff to a stranger & never offered to sell me any of it.

 

[tpodwdog]

heres a proven fact..:

FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS,,,,BUT BEST FRIENDS F**K THE HARDEST!

 

['69Net]

No Friends in Business...........

 

[moparsteve636]

I sold a 65 coronet 500 awhile, back nice roller! He gave the speel about putting it back on the road,so I threw in a very nice 1/4! He took it home and immediately put it on craigs list! He even unload the thing, and even used the pic. I had taken for the original add.He had the gall to call me wanting more parts for it! That didn't happen!!!

 

[Bruzilla]

I always get a chuckle from the guys who own the two junkyards around here that have old cars. They're always talking about how much they can get for stuff, and seem to get a thrill out of sticking it to anyone coming through the gate. But then you look at the craphole trailer behind the junk they always seem to be living in, or the crappy apartment above the garage, and I think "yeah guy, you sure got the World by the ***!" LOL

I think the truth is they sit on this stuff not for business reasons but because they are hoarders, and hoarders just don't like getting rid of anything. Their view of success is seeing a vast sea of cars when they wake up, and they sell enough to pay the bills and that's fine with them.

 

[Lowhound]

A little word to the wise; Hoarders dont make money,but the people that inheret from them do.

 

[Basket case]

don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I've given parts to "friends" over the years, and when I need something, they think it's gold. But I've got a coupl of REAL friends, that in 30 years, a dollar has never changed hands. whoever has something the other needs, come and get it.