How to find a buyer for a used car?

June 9, 2011 6:40 AM

Got some used cars and I need to sell them, but I am not a used dealer nor do I want to be. Need some buyers. How can I find them?

Hey all,

I have a situation. It's a long story, but I have a few older cars that I need to sell and I am looking for resources to track down buyers. They run well and are in pretty decent shape.

Does anyone have any suggestions on places to post or find buyers besides cars.com or craigslist? I am in Long Island, so anywhere on the island, NYC or even Jersey would be helpful. I am trying to avoid using a dealer and I would rather not pay for ads.

Thanks in advance!

posted by avrobie to travel & transportation (8 answers total)

Craigslist would be my choice, but eBay would be a decent alternative.
posted by jon1270 at 6:42 AM on June 9, 2011

Try to find internet forums for collectors of these specific makes of car. If they're over 20 years old and have any sort of collector following, you can probably find a forum where you'll be able to place an ad. I've sold several older cars this way. Cheap, quick, and an audience that's guaranteed to be interested in what you're selling.
posted by cosmicbandito at 6:59 AM on June 9, 2011

Ask around - friends, coworkers, neighbors. I recently had to sell a family member's car and we got so much interest from acquaintances we didn't even have to put up a craigslist ad.
posted by something something at 7:02 AM on June 9, 2011

Is this a situation where you're trying to get the best bang for your buck, or where you're wanting to unload these cars? You can get a surprisingly fair appraisal from Carmax. You'll get less than private party, but it's a heck of a lot less hassle.
posted by litnerd at 7:15 AM on June 9, 2011 [1 favorite]

Seconding Carmax. I sold them an 11-year-old minivan a few months ago that was in pretty dire shape and got much more than I expected. Not having to deal with the hassle and flakiness of Craig's List buyers -- priceless.
posted by BurntHombre at 7:31 AM on June 9, 2011

Believe it or not, people still pour through the used car ads in newspapers.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:33 AM on June 9, 2011

Sold my car on CL in a day (and they had to tow it aware). Also sold a previous car on CL years ago (ran fine, sold to another individual). I live on LI (Long Beach specifically).
posted by Brian Puccio at 9:58 AM on June 9, 2011

Craigslist
posted by WizKid at 10:58 AM on June 9, 2011