Theresa Colbert 
Last year at the ARA convention, I was speaking to a class and found out that these words: “Why are you the only one here?” made a big impression on one of my yard owner friends. I am telling you this story with his permission. Last month, out of the blue, I get a call … Read more
Trade show season is upon us! My calendar is quite full right now, and some days, I ask myself, “Are you really able to leave the yard for a trade show for 3 or 4 days, when you also should be doing inventory?” My answer is always, “YES!” (even though I really should be doing … Read more
#1 Be Honest. Please stop putting 000 on ALL of your parts. The parts we see coming off of 2021 and 2022 vehicles may still have dings, dents, and scratches. Trust me, the body shop is going to find them even if you don’t. When we say a part is 000 this means to the … Read more
You guys know I like to keep all of you posted on any new and cool information about what’s happening in our industry. But sometimes, I get to tell you about the complaints that I hear from other recyclers! Today I want to talk about a “bait and switch” issue that came up fast. Until … Read more
I have been working from home and have been getting a lot of instant messages via Car-Part Messaging (iCPM). One of the recurring messages I have been getting from yard owners, managers, and employees has been (ironically) to complain about instant messages! They are not complaining about using instant messages—quite the opposite. They are complaining about people … Read more
If any of you have been to my Selling Used Parts in an Online World class, you know that I love, love, LOVE online sales! eBay, Car-Part.com — selling online makes me happy! Here are my top 5 tips for selling used parts online: 1. Great pictures Go look at pictures from other yards that … Read more
I know that with COVID-19 going on, a lot of us are spending more time online. I have heard from several customers that online sales have really been picking up for them the last couple months. I thought that I would share some of my tips on social media for auto recyclers. 1. Never post … Read more
Ever since I came to work at Car-Part.com, I have had this debate at least once a week with a recycler. The recycler tells me the MANY reasons they can’t or won’t put prices online. Trust me, I have heard them all! Let me tell you an example that I use in one of the … Read more
I know that a lot of you are going to think that I am crazy when I tell you my top five tips for January 2020. Some of them are so simple, YOU may not believe that other people are not doing these simple steps. On the other hand, I have been to some businesses … Read more
If any of you have ever been to a trade show or conference where I was selling raffle tickets, you are probably tired of me asking you for money! Haha! You may not realize the reason I do that. I sell raffle tickets to raise money for the scholarship foundations and groups that provide scholarships … Read more
You may ask yourself: “Times are tough. Why should I spend my hard-earned money on association dues?” I can tell you a lot of reasons, but today I’ll just give you my TOP FIVE: Lobbyists: How many of you can afford to send someone to your state legislature or Washington D.C. to lobby on your … Read more
With all of the questions I have been getting recently about eBay, I thought we should look at some of the tips and tricks that I use with my customers to increase their eBay sales. Even if you don’t sell on eBay, these tips will help with your inventory process! 1. Use keywords. eBay does … Read more
I write a lot about training and trade shows. I received a lot of great feedback after one of my articles. Here’s one email that stuck out to me (I’m sharing with permission): “Whenever I get back from a trade show or conference, I usually have a specific list of things to focus on. But … Read more
I was doing some research for a class that I was teaching last month at a trade show. I came across some new statistics for Facebook. The last time I gave a class on the subject of social media, the numbers were much lower than they are now, so I thought I would share some … Read more
I posed this question to some of my customers and on social media recently: Are you attending the ARA convention in Orlando this year? Several people said, “Yes, I never miss it!” A few said it was too far this year or had other commitments. Some said that they could not afford to take the … Read more
I don’t normally talk about Car-Part.com products in my “Life on the Road” articles, but I have been receiving so many calls recently that I think it would be worthwhile to talk about Car-Part Gold this month. The 3 main things I have been receiving calls about are: “How can my parts be shown on part … Read more
With the increase in parts brokering, we really need to talk about how often there is inconsistency in part grading. When you broker another yard’s parts, you need to know that the part grading is consistent and that a part’s condition is “as described” by the yard. They also need to know that about your … Read more
I was recently speaking with some customers at a trade show and we realized that not everyone is using the Car-Part.com broker key when a customer calls for a brokered part. The scenario we hear most goes something like this. Body Shop: I need a left headlight for a customer on a 2002 Mercedes wagon. … Read more
A lot of people know that I am the “Queen of Cores!” I help recyclers set up core programs at their businesses, I teach classes on cores. I work closely with several core buyers to make sure that my customers and I are up-to-date on any changes in the industry and that the best practices … Read more
I have recently attended a number of trade shows and been “on the ground” at many yards the past few weeks. I have been seeing a lot of the same issues repeated wherever I go. Business is slow; sales are down My first question is: Are you behind on inventory? Why do I ask this? … Read more
I know that I work at Car-Part.com but I don’t usually write about Car-Part. Usually, I write about things happening to me on the road and during my visits to recyclers. But, I do think it’s about time to address some questions and misconceptions I have been hearing from recyclers. Some yards think that Car-Part … Read more
Let’s talk about one of our favorite auto recycling subjects, shall we? The one group that recyclers have a love/hate relationship with. The customers that we can’t live with and can’t live without. The two words that strike fear in a recycler’s heart: BODY SHOPS Yes, someone has to say it, and most of you … Read more
Top five reasons why you DO NOT need to join your state or local associations: 5. Business is bad everywhere and I don’t need to pay more money in dues.” No, it’s actually not. If you have a chance to sit down with other recyclers, vendors, core buyers, legislators and your inventory management systems you … Read more