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How To Sell Used Tires: The End-To-End Guide

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Want to Make Extra Money Now?

Yes, you really can sell used tires.

Just because they’re no use to you, doesn’t mean someone else won’t take them in! There are companies all over the nation that will accept tires of all conditions.

So why not get rid of some junk and make it cash?

Whether it’s a small, medium, or large, companies will either recycle or turn them back into working tires.

On average you can make anywhere from $1 or $40 for large truck tires.

This could be the easiest way to make some cash and make some room in the garage! 

Here are the best companies that will take your unused tires for cash:

Table of Contents

Companies That Buy Used Tires

Company #1 Corporate Tire (East Coast)

This company has multiple locations on the East Coast. They are actively buying tires as well as growing the business. At this time they’re only accepting truck tires and the condition of the tires is listed below:

  • Not too much rust
  • Not a lot of critical damage
  • No major issues

They will pay based on the quality of the tire along with the demand for the tire. So try to find some solid tires that aren’t too popular to get the most money.

Company #2 Pomp’s Tire (Midwest)

Pomp’s Tire is a growing company that has multiple businesses in the Midwest. They are only accepting semi-truck tires. This is important to know as they won’t be accepting any car or lightweight truck tires.

They will only buy the tire if they’re in demand for that size. They also have a limit on how many tires they will buy as they don’t want to go over their demand.

They don’t say too much about the quality of tire so it seems like they’re pretty lenient on that part.

Company #3 Santa Ana Wheel

This company is only located in California. Santa Ana Wheel will only accept tires that are original equipment manufacturers (OEM). These wheels are produced by a car maker’s specific manufacturer. They are pretty precise about their requirements. Here are the only tires they will accept:

  • A+ is brand new never mounted
  • B+ is good; minor curb scratches 
  • C is poor; The wheel has many surface issues but not cracked or bent.

They will only buy it if that tire is in demand. They are a little picky so be sure you have the perfect tire going in!

Company #4 Tire Management, Inc. 

Located in Illinois, tire Management, Inc is one of the best companies to sell your tires to. They prefer large orders of tires at one time. They currently accept the following tire brands:

  • Dayton
  • Unimount
  • Budd

Their policies for buying old tires are they have to be regroovable and have capable casings. Steel and Aluminium wheels are required to have good bold holes and rim flanges.

Their pricing is dependent on the demand for the tire.

Company #5 A & A Tire & Wheel (Dallas)

This company accepts most tire brands but they recommend contacting them beforehand to ensure they accept the brand. They require the tires to be in relatively good condition along with being able to be retreaded and resold. 

They are accepting tires as needed so if they have too many they won’t take yours in.

The same goes for pricing if they have a ton of tires chances are you won’t be getting paid that much.

Company #6 Auto & Tire Works

This company is located in Denver, they accept all kinds of tires and rims. They just want the tires to be in decent shape along with a rim that doesn’t need too many repairs. They also would like the tires to be good enough to get retreaded.

The price is all based on demand so definitely look for a less popular brand tire.

Company #7 Your Local Tire Shop

This can be a hidden gem. You can quickly cut down on travel time using a local tire shop. These small businesses can be in need of tires. Just be sure to contact them ahead of time so you know they’re in need of tires.

They usually can’t take as much in because they’re typically not major companies but it won’t hurt to try!

Company #8 Liberty Tire Recycling

With over 25 locations in the United States and Canada, Liberty tire Recycling is one of the best options for getting rid of tires. They take in any tires because they recycle instead of making the tires work again. Here’s what they turn their tires into:

  • Crumb rubber
  • Rubber mulch
  • Industrial feedstock
  • Rubberized asphalt

This is a great way to get rid of unused tires and give to a company that helps millions.

Company #9 Lakin Tire

This company has been working hard for over 100 years, they turn those unused tires into a product that benefits millions. They will accept just about any tire. Their goal is to recycle as many tires as they can to eliminate waste.

This is a great way to get rid of the tires that are in terrible shape. You won’t make as much as you would a newer tire but still, a great way to help the world and make money.

Company #10 United Tires

This company buys and sells tires, especially used tires. That’s the perfect opportunity to sell them your used tires. They will take your tire and turn it into a working tire and resell it all while you get paid for hardly anything.

The tires must be in pretty decent shape and cant have any tears, holes, or large damage. They will accept tires based on the need for them, so if they are full they won’t be accepting any.

How to Find Companies That Buy Used Tires Near Me? 

Tip #1:

Look for local companies. This can be done either online or in the newspaper, word of mouth, phonebooks, etc. But there are more local companies than you’d think. They would love to take in the tires and possibly pay you for it. 

Just be sure to be upfront about the condition along with the brand. Some places will even pick the tires up from you but will charge you for it. It might be worth the trip to save some extra cash but that’s up to you! 

This is a great way to make money, support local businesses, and help the world.

Tip #2:

Contact the companies you’re interested in. This is a great way to build a connection and continue a successful business. Make sure to discuss their needs, brands, and quality of the tire. Then once you have the requirements, go hunt for those exact tires. 

It could also benefit you to talk about transportation. They could end up providing the transportation to take the drive off your hands. Or you can save some money and do the driving yourself, it’s all up to you and what you work out with them.

Tip #3:

Figure out pricing and narrow down what tires are worth it. Make sure to call different companies to work out deals and get the tires they’re looking for. 

This will also help you find what the company will pay you more. For example Company A will only pay you $3 for your tire while company B will pay you $10. It’s all based on their needs.

You can also talk about bundling tires, so instead of 1 tire for $5, you’ll give them a trailer full for $250. It could be a good way to get rid of a lot of tires for a solid price.

Places Where You Can Sell Used Tires Online 

Website #1 Tire-Trader.com

This company is buying and selling used truck tires and tire casings. They would be a perfect fit to make a lot of money, they have contacts for both US and Canadian countries. 

They will match you up with companies that are looking for your exact tire. That’s why this can be a great way to save time and make money.

Website #2 SellMyTires.com

This classified ad listing site is a perfect way to get your tires out to companies across the nation. You can post your advertisement with a photo. You will then have either people or companies looking to purchase your tire. 

Everything is free and there is no limit to size, quality, or brands. You can post as much or little as you please! 

Website #3 eBay

This is a site that offers more than tires. Regardless It’s a great way to save time and money but just uploading a picture and description. You then can set it as an auction or “buy now” and watch the money roll in.

Just make sure to be straightforward with the condition and set up the shipping so you don’t get burned with having to pay the shipping fees.

Website #4 Craigslist

This website is a 2-in-1 opportunity, not only can you find free tires on here but you can also sell them! All you do is upload a picture and description, from there people will contact you about the tires. 

You can either meet them locally or ship them the tires. It’s completely up to you and the buyer. Either way, this is a fast way to get exposure and make some money.

Website #5 Facebook Marketplace

Last but very important is Facebook Marketplace. This is the fastest and, most direct way to sell tires. All it takes is a simple photo and description and anyone that searches for tires will see your ad. This is all completely free.

They will contact you via Facebook messenger. This is a great way to quickly sell and also build relationships with future customers.

How Much Can I Make?

Selling tires can actually make you a decent amount of money! There’s even potential to turn it into a business. It would be pretty easy. 

People are always getting rid of tires for free on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or even just their yard. All it would take is picking up the tires then bringing them to a place that will but them. 

So how much can you actually make?

Well.. on average they will sell from $25 to $75. The price depends on the quality and demand. These would need to be tires that can be turned back into working tires. 

  • How do you know they’re quality?
  • What should you look for?
  • Requirements?
  • How many should you buy?

The most important thing to keep in mind is that companies will only buy tires based on demand. This means they will have a cap on the tires they’re accepting.

It might be smart to call them ahead of time to know how many they will accept.

The quality is also very important but simple to look for – The tire must be in good condition. If the tire is slashed, broken, cracked, or damaged, you most likely won’t make any money from it. But you could always take it to a recycling plant and make a couple of bucks!

Key situations to keep in mind: 

  • Not all companies are looking for tires at the moment
  • Most will accept all tires but usually, they need to be in decent condition
  • You can make money by searching Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and yard sales.

It’s very important to not just throw tires away here’s why:

Why Can’t I Just Throw Them Away?

If you want to get a nice fine then feel free to throw your tires out. 

Truth is, it’s illegal to throw out old tires. There are many reasons for this. The steel belts inside the tires will actually puncture the liners in landfills. This will eventually lead to ground contamination and create major problems. 

Instead of throwing them out you can easily make some cash anyways!

Here’s another reason to not throw them away – Tires take up a lot of space and will pile up ver easily. Especially if everyone throws them out. But the real problem is piled up tires are perfect for mosquitos that are not only annoying but also carry and transmit diseases.

Another problem with tires getting piled-up is that it will trap methane gas that will, in the end, destroy the landfills production.

Contaminated Water

When tires are placed in wet soil, loads of chemicals will seep into the ground from the tire. This causes the groundwater to get contaminated. When this builds up the water will become unusable.

So why not just burn the tires, easy solution right?

That might not be a good idea… Burning tires will cause air pollution, especially large piles of tires. Air pollution can cause many diseases and issues in the world.

The best decision is to just either sell or recycle the tires, not only do you benefit everyone else but you also make some money. If you’re selling just be sure they’re in good condition or you could be held accountable.

Do I Have Liability After The Sale?

This can sound a whole lot scarier than it is. It all depends on the situation of the sale here are the two scenarios:

  • Are you selling to a business?
  • Are you selling to an end buyer?

Selling tires (or any product) requires a lot of honesty or you can face some legal trouble. Here’s an example:

If you list the tire as “brand new, no problems” chances are someone will purchase that tire. So now you just made a quick $75 bucks! Everything’s great.. Until you hear on the news that a 2012 Ford had issues with its tire and caused a major accident.

Yeah, that’s your tire and you’re not facing legal trouble because you weren’t upfront about the issues. Good news! This can all be avoided by doing one thing…

Just be upfront about every sale you make. If there’s a hole or tear just let them know and you shouldn’t have any issues!

Selling tires to a business is completely different and a whole lot more “stress-free”

If you are selling used tires to businesses, the liability of the tire will transfer from you to the business. You’re free of anything that has to do with that tire. When you sell to a business you are legally required to make sure the tire is in a good safe condition. The business is required to do the same. 

Check out these legal regulations to stay clear of any problems!

Are There Any Legal Regulations?

The law on selling tires is pretty vague, Pretty understandable as it’s a pretty small part of the world. If you live in the United States the laws will vary from state to state so just be sure to check with your local laws. 

The law states that you are responsible for ensuring the tires are in safe condition before selling them. You are also responsible to mention any problems or issues with the tire before the sale.

This all sounds like a lot and can be scary but truthfully there are no legal guidelines on what a “safe condition” really is. 

Because of the legal regulations, tire shops will be a lot more selective when it comes to selecting tires. So if you bring them a tire that’s in terrible shape chances are you just wasted a trip, only bring tire shops tires that they can actually real. And bring the tires that are in bad shape to a recycling plant.

Another big thing to look for is if the tire is under a recall. This is important to do because it’s illegal to sell any tire that is under recall. To search for this you can look up your tires DOT number on the US Tire Manufacturers Association website.

The key things to look for to stay out of legal trouble:

  • Just be upfront
  • Bring dealerships quality tires
  • Bring Recycling mats the bad tires
  • Check if the tire is a recall

It can be very intimidating with all the legal situations, but it’s really not that bad. Just be upfront and honest and you can make a lot of cash.

Final Thoughts

Selling tires is a great way to make money, it will also help the world in many ways. Although it can be a little scary with legal issues, it’s not that bad. Just be honest and upfront about the tires. If there are any issues with it bring it to a recycling plant. If they’re in good shape, then bring it to a business!

To find free tires, browse Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, yard sales, or even check with dealerships.

Either way, you go you can make a lot of money and positively impact the world!

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