People use these three names as if they mean the same thing. They don’t, and picking the wrong one can cost you a tow bill or a wasted afternoon.
The three options side by side
| Junkyard (salvage or auto recycler) | Scrap metal yard | Junk car buyer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they want | Cars with parts worth pulling | Metal, priced by weight | Whole cars in any condition |
| Who moves the car | Varies; some tow, some don’t | Usually you | The buyer, at no charge with us |
| Paperwork | Title or accepted papers | Title or accepted papers | Title or accepted papers, checked on the call |
| When you’re paid | At the yard or at pickup | At the scale | At pickup |
| Best for | A car you can drive or tow in yourself | Loose metal, or a car you can haul cheaply | A car that doesn’t run or can’t be moved easily |
When a scrap yard makes sense
If you own a truck and a trailer, or a friend does, and the car is already stripped down, a scrap yard can work. You haul it, it’s weighed, you’re paid for the metal. What people underestimate is the hauling: renting a trailer or paying a tow company to move a dead car across town comes out of your pocket, and some yards won’t take a car with fluids still in it.
When a junkyard makes sense
A salvage yard that pulls and sells parts is interested in cars whose parts people still want. A late-model car with a good engine and a common body style can do well there. An old car with a rusted body and a dead transmission may get a low number or a “no.” Some yards tow; ask before you assume.
When a junk car buyer makes sense
Most of our calls come from people whose car is stuck where it is: dead on the street, sitting in an alley garage, or parked at a shop after an accident. For them, the deciding question isn’t the yard’s per-ton rate. It’s who comes to get the car. We do, from our base on S Yale Ave, and the tow is free. You’re paid in cash, Zelle or Cash App when the car is loaded. See how our free removal works.
The option people forget: doing nothing
Leaving a dead car on a Chicago street isn’t free either. The City of Chicago can classify a vehicle as abandoned if it hasn’t moved in more than seven days and looks deserted, or if it’s sitting on the public way in a state where it can’t be driven. Abandoned vehicles can be towed to a city pound and, if nobody redeems them, sold for scrap, according to the city’s abandoned vehicle page. Our guide to a car abandoned on your block covers what that means for owners and neighbours.
How to choose in one minute
- The car runs and you can drive it: call a salvage yard and a buyer, and compare.
- The car doesn’t run: a buyer who tows for free is usually the cleanest option.
- You’ve already stripped it and own a trailer: a scrap yard may pay you the most for the metal.
- You’re not sure who to trust: read our checklist for checking a junk car buyer before you call anyone.
Want a number to compare against? Get our offer, it doesn’t expire.