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Jose, our neighbor, doesn't speak much English, which makes it tough to live here in the north. Despite that, he made a profit of $35,000 last year selling cars in front of his mobile home. He is a bit of a mechanic, but this isn't the key.
To make money selling cars you have to know the market, which means knowing the value of cars in that market. Cruise around town looking at cars for sale, or cars just sitting idle in people's yards. If you can comfortably say how much each can be sold for, the rest is easy. Offer $1000 less. Eventually you'll buy a car, sell it for a profit, and repeat the process.
To learn the used car market, you can watch the classified ads, keeping in mind that the asking prices are not the sales prices. Used car guides, such as the "bluebook," show inflated retail prices. If you use them, assume you will sell the car for the "loan value", or average wholesale price. Use them in any case to show to your prospective buyers.
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If, like myself, you know nothing about cars and don't want to learn, find a friend. I gave a friend $3200 to buy an old plastic-bodied car for $2200 and put a transmission in it. I didn't know what a Corvette was or why anyone would want a car from 1976, or where to go to put a transmission in for $800, but my friend did.
Michigan law says you need a dealer's license if you sell more than six cars in a year. But six in your name, six in your friend's name, and six in your wife's name gives you a good start before you have to decide if you like the business enough to get a car dealers license. Check the laws in your state.
The key is knowledge - but you can buy that from a friend.