Junkyards: What Are They?

There are a few different kinds of junkyards, each focusing on a different goal with the junk that they own. The majority of junkyards seek to profit by supplying used parts for customers who want replacement parts for their vehicles, or appliances.

Auto Salvage Yards

What is an auto salvage yard? These are junkyards that typically focus on salvage vehicles. These are vehicles that have been deemed a total loss by an insurance company. These attract car enthusiasts and businesses as it allows them to get cheap replacement parts for themselves or their customers. Usually, the salvage yard’s customers will shop around by looking through the various damaged vehicles that the salvage yard has in its inventory. The customer will then remove whatever parts they want and negotiate a price with the salvage yard employees.

Car Scrap Yards

A car scrap yard is a junkyard that focuses on the recycling value of cars. Usually, these cars are very old, very damaged, and beyond repair. These scrap yards will strip all pieces of their cars that are worth money to be sold to a recycler. Things like the catalytic converter are full of valuable elemental metals. These pay for an old car by themselves.

Auto Wrecking Yards

Wrecking yards are very similar to salvage yards and scrap yards. “Wrecking yard” is a term more commonly used in other parts of the English-speaking world. It is essentially the same thing as a scrap yard and salvage yard, just with a different name.