If you're buying a new car, don't trade in your used car to the dealer. You can get a much better price by selling your used vehicle before buying the new one. Or, go ahead and buy the new car and then sell the old one if you need uninterrupted transportation.

Why should you not trade in your used car? Why will you get a better price by selling it yourself?

When you let a dealer have your used car as a trade-in, they will never give you the same amount you can get for that car by selling it to a private party. They know they will have to detail the car, carry it in inventory and sell it, so they want to make a large profit on the used vehicle, which is largely done through giving you less value for the trade-in. If your used car is more than three or four years old, the dealer will end up virtually giving you nothing for it, although the paperwork may appear as if you are being given an allowance. In the end, you are virtually giving away a good car.

If your used car is in good condition and is still attractive in appearance, you'll have little trouble selling the vehicle quickly unless it is an undesirable vehicle. Today, undesirable vehicles are those that use tremendous amounts of gasoline. However, there is even a market for those cars because some people simply can't stand traveling in a small car.

You can sell your used car through the local newspaper easily enough. The cost of classified ads is not very high and you can expect to run an advertisement for about one week. Sometimes, it may require running the classified ad twice to get the job done, but it is still a small investment.

You can also frequently sell your used car by word of mouth. Let your friends and family know you want to sell the vehicle and, is known to be reliable and has served you well during your ownership, someone is likely to step forward to purchase the car.

There are special publications for selling used cars as well. These trade papers list used vehicle in the area, usually an area covering several counties or part of a state. You'll pay a bit more for running an advertisement in this type of publication, but you will also be able to provide a photograph to include in the ad, giving the potential buyer a better idea of what to expect about the car's condition and appearance.