There are so many great avenues to sell used rims, including in-store, online companies, and virtual marketplaces. It’s a great way to make some side cash, and it beats letting your used rims gather dust in the garage!
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In the past, I've sold some old rims when I got rid of my Mazda, and it was a nice way to get a bit more money from my used vehicle.
So, keep reading to learn more about what may be influencing the price of your rims, and some of the best places where you can sell them.
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Where To Sell Rims For Cash
There are lots of great options to sell your used rims for cash. Some of these options involve selling with local marketplaces for in-person sales. But a few of them also involve selling used rims online.
Local options are best since you get paid in cash and don't have to worry about shipping. But all of the following options are some of the best places to sell rims that can give you a fair deal.
1. Salvage Yards
Your local salvage yard that deals with used car parts is a good option for a place that buys used rims. As long as your used rims are in decent condition and still have resale value, they should buy them off you.
Keep in mind that salvage yards are resellers looking to make a profit. This means they won't offer you the full value of your used rims.
In fact, salvage yards often offer you their rate for the scrap metal weight of the rim. You may not make as much as you would like, but it saves you the hassle of trying to sell them yourself.
2. Wheels America
Wheels America has three locations: California, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Overall, it's a great place to sell your gently used rims, and the process is quite seamless:
- Take a picture of your used rims,
- Send the picture to Wheels America and they will reply in a few days with an offer.
- Get the offer! If the rim is in good condition and they have use for it, Wheels America will offer between $5-85 USD per rim. If you accept the offer you get paid with PayPal money or check.
If you are local, you can drop the rims off, or they can pick them up. If you're not local, you can ship the rims at any UPS location, and Wheels America provides you with a prepaid UPS label.
3. Used Tire Shops
Local used tire shops usually buy used rims too. You can find a local used tire shop by looking up ‘used tire shops near me’ on whatever search engine you prefer.
Some popular options across the United States include:
- Corporate Tire (for truck tires)
- All Used Rims
- Santa Ana Wheel (in California)
The downside to selling to used tire shops is that you likely won’t make as much money as you’d like, even if the rims are of high value.
The used tire shops are resellers, so they will want to buy them off of you for as little as possible, in order for them to make the highest profit.
Plus, these shops only purchase rims from you if they are in good condition and reusable. And you can also try selling used tires to these shops if you're selling more than just the rims.
4. Scrap Metal Yards
Another place to sell used rims is scrap metal yards. This is a similar idea to selling to salvage yards, and it's one of the fastest options for getting cash.
Scrap metal yards are particularly good if your rims are of low value, and in poor condition. They will give you the scrap metal value for the weight of your used rims.
Some metal materials are more valuable than others, and this can impact how much money the scrap metal yard offers you. As a rough estimate, you can look up the current value for metal here, and then multiply it by the weight of your rims.
This one is a great option for low quality rims, but if your rims are in great condition with a high resale value, I’d personally look elsewhere.
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5. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is an e-commerce platform where you can buy and sell items. You can list practically anything on Facebook Marketplace, including your used car rims.
The advantage of selling on FB Marketplace is that you set your own price. Listing is also simple and just takes a few minutes.
The downside is that you have to spend time negotiating and communicating with buyers. And people on Facebook Marketplace are notorious for lowballing or not showing up the day of the sale.
But you get paid with cash in most sales, and finding local buyers for your used rims can be much faster than selling on online marketplaces.
Note that you can also explore local car enthusiast groups to see if there's a car parts selling section or page you can use to find buyers.
Extra Reading – Facebook Marketplace vs eBay – What's Best For Selling?
6. Blackburn Wheels
If you're still wondering where to sell used rims, you can always try out Blackburn Wheels.
This company buys used rims that are 2011 or newer used Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) products. It also purchases aluminum or steel rims only and doesn't accept custom or aftermarket rims.
According to its buying program outline, Blackburn Wheels pays between $25-40 depending on the size, material, and condition of the rims.
This isn't as much as Wheels America offers, but it's another reputable way to sell used rims online and without much hassle.
7. eBay Motors
eBay Motors in an online marketplace where you can list your used rims as well as other auto parts and even vehicles for sale.
If you know your rims are of higher value, this may be a good option for you. This is because eBay Motors lets you set the price, and typically buyers are looking to purchase parts to use, not resell.
Sellers and buyers negotiate independently on who pays for shipping. If you want to avoid the hassle of shipping all together, you can list your used rims for local pickup only.
Just note that eBay charges fees to use their platform, you can find the fee breakdowns here.
8. Auto Rim Shop
Auto Rim Shop is an e-commerce retailer of auto parts, and they also buy your old used rims.
To sell, you must have OEM rims with no structural damage. How much money you earn depends on the quality and demand for the rims.
To sell your used rims with this company, send an email to [email protected] with a photo of your item, along with a description including the year, make, and model.
If they’re interested, they will send a potential offer. If you want to accept, you ship the rims and get paid by check.
9. OfferUp
OfferUp is an online marketplace for local buyers and sellers. It's one of the most popular Facebook Marketplace alternatives, and you can sell just about anything on OfferUp.
Considering how popular OfferUp is, it's another excellent place to sell used rims, especially if you live in a large city with many potential buyers.
You can list your used rims at a rate of your choosing, and buyers can accept the set price, counter, or decline.
You then arrange to meet using a built-in messaging feature, or you can list the item nationwide, and the buyer pays for shipping.
What's cool about OfferUp is that it has pre-approved meeting places in many cities that are near police stations and busy public areas to improve safety for buyers and sellers.
You can also sell stuff online, but you pay a $1.99 or 12.99% sale fee, whichever is higher.
Because of this online fee, OfferUp is better for selling used rims in person for cash instead of shipping them to a buyer across the country.
Extra Reading – The Best Sites & Apps Like OfferUp.
10. Mercari
Mercari is another online marketplace available in the US and Japan, where you can sell your used car rims. It’s free to list your items, and the app makes selling stuff incredibly simple:
- Take a quality picture of your used rims.
- Provide a description of the product.
- Set a price.
- Negotiate with buyers and agree on a final price.
Used rims aren't incredibly popular things to sell on Mercari, but you still find many buyers selling them or other car parts.
Buyers usually pay for shipping as well, although one Mercari trick is to offer free shipping to attract more buyers.
As for seller fees, Mercari charges a 10% commission as well as a processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30.
11. Craigslist
You can sell basically anything on Craigslist, including used car rims!
This classifieds website even has a specific section for automobile parts. All you have to do is post your item with a quality picture, description, and then set the price.
Buyers email you with any inquiries, and you arrange meet-up or shipping with the buyer directly. Craigslist doesn't charge any listing fees, so you keep 100% of the profits.
Craigslist also has plenty of local cash gigs and other categories you can use to make extra money or start a side hustle, so don't be afraid to explore your options!
Extra Reading – Facebook Marketplace vs Craigslist – What's Best For Selling Stuff?
12. American Factory Wheel
American Factory Wheel is another good option if you have OEM aluminum (also known as alloy), or steel rims to sell.
To sell your rims you must complete this online form. If American Factory Wheels can use the product, they give you an offer. If you accept it, the company will pay for the shipment of the rims, and you’ll get paid!
This is another fast option for selling used rims, but know that you won't get full-price since it has to resell your rims to other customers and turn a profit.
Extra Reading – Where To Sell Used Bikes For Cash.
13. Nextdoor
If you're asking where to sell rims near you, one option you can consider is the local classifieds website Nextdoor.
On Nextdoor, people in the same community can share news and info about what's happening in the area. But they can also post items for sale or to giveaway, just like Facebook Marketplace.
This is an excellent option for selling used rims and other car parts since you don't have to worry about expensive shipping.
My friends have used Nextdoor to sell used furniture, clothing, and all sorts of things. It's a legit local selling platform, and signing up is free.
And, there's even a chance the person who you're selling to lives right down the street or is within a few miles of you. Plus, you don't have to worry about online sales fees, so the process is simple and cost-effective.
Extra Reading – The Best Apps & Sites Like Facebook Marketplace.
What Influences The Price Of Used Rims?
When selling used rims, it’s important to know a rough estimate of their value. This helps you to price competitively, making sure you aren’t undercutting yourself, or pricing too high where buyers won’t show interest.
There are several factors that can influence of price of used rims:
- Condition: Excellent condition means more value. If you aren’t sure what condition your rims are in, check out this used rims grading scale to help you assess.
- Size: Bigger rims mean more material needed to manufacture; so, in most cases, the value is higher.
- Original Price: You can use the original price as a baseline and reduce the selling rate based on the condition and demand of the rims.
- Material: Steel and alloy are the two main materials used, steel tends to be more inexpensive, while alloy is of higher value.
- Make & Model: The more common your rims are, the more options buyers have, which can decrease the value. If the rims you’re selling are rare, they will be harder to find, so you can likely charge more for them.
Taking these points into consideration will help you to get an idea of the value of your used rims. Usually, the more popular the brand is, the higher the original price, the bigger the size, the better material, and higher demand, means greater value.
It may be helpful to find someone selling a similar model in comparable condition to your rims and look at their asking price. This will give you a better idea of the market and help you to keep your prices competitive.
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Final Thoughts
There are so many great options if you’re looking to sell your used rims. Your choice may depend on a few factors, such as convenience, willingness to meet-up in-person, and the condition and value of your used rims.
If you’ve got some high-quality rims that you know have value, you may want more control over the pricing of them so you can make a bigger profit. On the other hand, if you know your rims don’t have much value, at least you can get some money from a scrap metal yard!
Whatever avenue you choose, I hope this list helps you find the best place to sell your used rims.
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