What Should I Know About Selling Used Tires?

There is a great deal of money to be made selling used tires. Older tires can be used for a number of different purposes, including the creation of retread or recap tires that are affordable for people with limited income. The tires can also be used in other recycling projects as well. Securing used tires and selling them to the right client can help pay part of the expense of buying new tires, or become a lucrative way to establish a secondary source of income. If you find yourself with old tires on hand, here are some possible avenues you can take to sell the tires and make a little money on the side.

Before you begin to market your first used tire, assess the current condition of the tires you have on hand. Is the tread slightly worn or are the tires more or less bare? Taking a realistic look at the tires will help you prepare an honest description of the condition of the tires, and also give you some idea of where you may be able to sell them.

One of the easiest ways to begin the process of selling used tires is to place an ad in the local newspaper. Using the description you drafted after assessing the condition of the tires, create an ad to run in the newspaper for several days. Many newspapers will run the advertisement at no charge, unless you are selling used tires as a business venture. Even if you plan on selling old tires on a continuing basis, the newspaper will often have special rates for small business ads.

While you are considering print ads, look into placing an ad in local pulp magazines. Many communities have weekly publications that are primarily outlets for people to sell used items, including car parts and accessories. As with the newspaper, the ad is likely to cost nothing if you are looking to make a one-time sale. If you plan on selling used tires regularly, they will likely charge a nominal rate for your advertising.

Along with selling used tires by running print ads, visit local businesses that produce and sell retread and recap tires. They may be interested in buying your tires, especially if they are in the right condition for recapping. Don’t expect to get an amount equal to the retail price they charge for retreads or recaps. However, it is reasonably to assume they would offer you somewhere between twenty-five and fifty percent of that retail rate. Use that figure as your benchmark, and negotiate from there.

One final option for selling used tires is to check into local garages that carry good quality used tires. If there is still a lot of tread left on your tires, this may be a better option than selling them to a retread business. Visit the garages and make sure they sell tires of a similar size. You can also get an idea of how much they charge for used tires that are of the same quality as your tires. Use that data to negotiate the best sale price possible for your tires.

Offering used tires for sale, like any other money making venture, requires some research if you are to receive the maximum amount of return. Explore all your options closely, and determine which avenues for sale are likely to produce the most profit. By evaluating all your options and making sure you are completely honest with potential buyers, there is a good chance that you will sell the tires in a short period of time and for a decent amount.