Scrap yards and junkyards will both recycle metal, but scrap yards specialize in buying metal in bulk. A junkyard or salvage yard specializes in buying cars, sorting out what's salvagable and what isn't, and reselling car parts. How they operate and what they accept comes down to the individual business in question. Some scrap yards may not take certain types of metal, and some junkyards may only take certain types of cars (e.g., BMWs only). You may be able to make more money for your belongings when you understand more about the different kinds of yards in your area.

1. Scrap Yard
vs. Junkyard
Money, Process, and Definition
Differences

2. Scrap Yard
Specializes in buying metal in bulk
Salvage yard
Specializes in buying cars, sorting out
what's salvageable and what isn't, and
reselling car parts.
May have restrictions on the types of cars
they will accept
May have restrictions on the types of
metals they will accept
Sometimes called junkyard

3. Which One Pays
More for
Dismantled Cars?
SALVAGE YARD
A salvage yard specializes in cars and can
efficiently dismantle one that has parts that can be
resold. They know how to price the parts and can
find buyers for them. Some may have warehouses or
storage spaces to keep parts.

4. How much would they pay for...?
An old Honda Accord with a new engine
Scrap Yard
Would not care about
the new engine and
would likely pay less
than $500 for the
scrap metal
Junkyard
Would take into
account the $3000
price of the new
engine when paying
for the whole car

5. What is a Salvage
Yard?
(a.k.a. Junkyard!)
It is a business that specializes in buying old cars,
although they will take newer cars or cars in good
condition, too.
Salvage yards responsibly recycle not just the metal in
the car, but also the fluids, tires, seats, etc.

6. Salvage yards are important to the
environment.
85%
Of a car is recycled by
salvage yards
Thanks to this, salvage yards
save countless tons of junk from
ending up in a landfill.
Of all recycled steel in
America are provided
by salvage yards
Their recycling efforts help
reduce energy needed to make
new steel.
40%

7. 80%
Jobs generated by the
auto salvage industry
in the US
It is a major industry
generating $25 billion per
year.
Salvage yards are important to the
economy.
Rate by how much
junkyard parts are
cheaper than new parts
This passes down valuable
savings to budget-strapped
families and individuals.
46,000

8. What are the Advantages of
Selling Your Car to a Salvage Yard?
They can work with
your car.
Scrap yards often only work with bulk
quantities of metal.
You'll get a better price
for your car.
Unlike scrap yards, salvage yards will
look at the potential value of your
car beyond its scrap value.
Your car's parts will be
put to use.
Salvage yards recycle every possible
piece of a car, reducing the amount
of residue that ends up in a landfill.

9. What Are the
Disadvantages of
Selling Your Car to a
Salvage Yard?
You could make more money if you tried to pull the car
apart or sell the car to a private party, especially if your
car's parts are in demand or if your car still drives well.
Salvage yards will take some money off the top for their
operating expenses, too, which lessens your potential
payout.

10. What is a Car
Scrap Yard?
A scrap yard is a business that buys
metal in bulk. It varies from yard to
yard, but they often can take items
like old appliances, vehicles, and
wiring.
Their specialty is to reuse or recycle
metals, so when buying cars, they
are largely interested in its weight in
metal rather than the reusability of
its parts.

11. What are the
Advantages of
Selling Your Car
to a Car Scrap
Yard?
A car scrap yard may make the process
quick and easy for you. You may not have
to answer as many questions and, in some
states, they may be willing to work with you
even if you don't have the car title.

12. Your car part's may not be harvested from it. A
scrap yard may not have the capacity, equipment,
or the skill to part out a car successfully for parts.
What are the
Disadvantages of
Selling Your Car
to a Car Scrap
Yard?
You may not get the best price for your car.
Scrap yards are known for working with bulk hauls,
so they may treat a car as they would a fridge.

13. Which One is
Better for Selling a
Non-Working Car?
SALVAGE YARD
Whether it's running or not, salvage yards have the
expertise and the skills to part out a car and then
cut the leftovers down to size for recycling.
A scrap yard will likely treat a car as one big metal
object rather than a collection of parts.

14. Which One is
Better for Selling
a Working Car?
SALVAGE YARD
A scrap yard won't have the tools or the skills
needed to do much with a working car besides
recycle it.
A salvage yard may be able to resell the car or
choose to part out a working car.

15. junkcarmedics.com