Pick and pull yards attract a wide spectrum of people. More often than not the people who manage and run them are not the same people who gravitate to teaching or nursing or being social workers.
Please don't get me wrong. One pick and pull yard I visit is run by a very nice trusting lady.
Sometimes the other yards however are staffed by thugs and cretins. I've seen a lot of nasty treatment of customers, and one yard proudly boasts of its shoplifting conviction rate. I've seen customers threatened with police action if they refuse to pull ot their pockets or similar disrespectful behaviour. I'd venture to say not all of those convictions were legit.
Most people are honest. Also most people don't like being treated like crud or see those who are easily intimidated treated like crud.
You can't beat the bargains at these yards sometimes. I've found parts that were priced at 30% of the used parts value easily.Nevertheless their management iis also placing their livelihood in your hands. All I would take would be one simple law suit to shut a yards down.

I agree..I turn out my pockets for no man.....let them threaten action.....I will drag them into court....and win. But then I have frquented no place like that. And I certainly would never return to a place like that....also trust me I would let everyone within ear shot know about it too.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

you must be going to some bad places. The relatively few times I have used a junkyard I've always called or asked for a price first, so I knew what it would be before I got it. Does that work differently where you are?

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

Certain businesses attract a certain kind of owners and certain kinds of customers. This, as you say, is why the, let's say, upper levels of society does not gravitate to running junk yards. It is the same reason why the upper levels of society to not shop at junk yards. We all seek our own socio/economic levels.

I must admit that I would not invite most of the junk yard owners I've met home to dinner. Still, over the years, I have had pretty good relations, in a business sense, with yard owners with whom I do business.

I lived overseas for 20 years and in the Middle East for 10 of those. During these years I learned to bargin for nearly everything I buy. Today I even bargain for vegatables at my local super market. Maybe it is because of this that I like shopping in junk yards. I recently got a $600 engine for my mini van for $300.

Although I have never experienced having to turn out my pockets at a yard I can see why the owners might ask people to do so. I bet that 90% of junk yard shoppers, my self included, have stolen the odd part or at least a hand full of nuts and bolts from yards. Multiply that times a zillion customers a year and now you are talking money. Certainly the parts are small and just laying in the dirt but they still belong to the owner and it is still stealing to take them.

Remember that you as the customer are the one that determines whether that yard will survive or fold. If you don't like the management then boycott the yard. Don't be a hypocrite. If you don't like their rules don't play their game. Any MB dealership in town will gladly sell you the parts and certainly they won't give you a kiss on the cheek but they certainly won't make you turn out your pockets.

"Most people are honest"
You are kidding right?
Do you have any idea how many people grab a few extra parts that they don't pay for? At yards where they chagre a nominal admission, people rationalize their theivery by saying they paid to get in.
The basic rule here, is, If you don't like they way they treat you, don't go. That is the basis of free enterprize.

Hey Carra, what part of South Jersey are you from? I guess it's just the NJ junkyards, since just about EVERY one I've been to, are exactly the same as you describe. It doesn't make any customers happy, it doesn't help keep any car on the road, either. And all for what? Cheap thrills for the owners?

Funny how the "Junk yard filth" stereotype, is so.. true, around these parts. Not only do quite a few of them charge absurd prices (after making you get the part yourself.. AND charging a fee simply to "look around").. but giving you an attitude and treating the customers like crap, isn't exactly the best way to win over customers. Does it stop theft? No.. because to be quite honest.. when someone is ripping you off, and treating you like scum.. it makes people MORE apt to try and "get their money's worth".

This has to change.

The Pull and Save nearby seems to keep a close eye on their customers but don't ask them to empty their pockets. Their prices are good enough that I can overlook their oversight. I always think of a visit to the junkyard as a cross cultural experience. I try to talk other academics into coming along so that can get a broader view of life.
I really like the 'all you can carry' for $30 days. Seeing peoples' knees buckling as they struggle down the 30 ft course with an engine block and a couple of tranny's tied to the 4x4 over their shoulders is better than reality TV.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

You wonder what it says about society that they ask people to do this.
I wonder what it says that they have reason to even ask

The fact that they have a record of convicting people simply proves thet they DO have a reason to ask. They probably brag about their conviction rate to scare would-be shoplifters.

The u-pull yard I go to has signs clearly posted that they search toolboxes. They rarely do, but I do not think it unreasonable. If they find anything, I've never heard mention of police action. The only charges are on your bill They also offer to mark any parts you bring in so you won't get charged for them on the way out. Of course, these guys don't charge for bolts or fuses and misc small bits laying in the bottom of the wheelbarrow.

They're just trying to run a buisness and keep their merchandise from going out the door for free. It's not like you can put those little tags on car parts like they have on clothes.

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1971 220D/4-speed ~250K mi. Family owned (dads side) through three generations since <5K miles.
1992 Chrysler LeBaron, 3.0V6 125K. Family owned (moms side) through three generations since new.
1977 Chevy Camaro Continual hotrod project
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille 472ci and nearly 19' long
1974 Fiat Spider Still needs work

Not JUNK YARDS but AUTO DISMANTLERS.

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82 300D....went to MB heaven
90 350 SDL....excercising con rods

what's the point of this thread?

Like all diesels, it's pointless.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Their are a handfull of junk yards in my area and none of them are pick and pull. I have called them looking for parts when my Camry was hit, but usually their prices for used body parts were 50%-70% of what a new one would cost. So screw them I am not paying good money for used junk. They wanted $80 for a headlight when I could go buy a new one for $130.

Even if their was a pick and pull by me I probably wouldn't use it, I have had zero luck with used anything and don't want to waste my time pulling it.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The owner of my favorite junk yard and I got off on the right foot from the start. I called ahead and asked if he had a certain part. He had it and I went there to get it. While I was pulling it I saw a few goodies that I needed. When I went to the main office with my part to pay for it I put all of my goodies on the counter and told him I needed these too. He charged me for the initial part and threw in the goodies because I was honest with him. Now our business is a two way street. I buy parts from him and he patronizes my machine shop. The man also happens to be a millionaire although you would never guess it by talking to him.

__________________
1983 300-D turbo
1985 300-D turbo
1959 Harley Panhead chopper
1929 Ford coupe restored
I hang out with Boneheaddoctor at Schuman Automotive OBK#5
All liberals are mattoids but not all mattoids are liberal.

The self-pull yard I went to is run by a dude younger than me, African American. Very chill and a nice guy. He's got a big dog though. That dog didn't look like it was for show either.
He even lent me a breaker bar so I could pull some injectors, and let me go to an ATM when I didn't have the $50 for the HUGE box 'o parts I pulled. I mean I got a lot of parts, mostly interior trim but still. Not all yards/yardkeepers are as this thread describes. There were a few good complete MBs there when I was there last, back in Feb. Not tellin' where! Probably not there now.
Just remember to be nice to the dudes and they will be nice to you. Treat them like lowly junkyarders and they won't, and will charge you accordingly for that big box o' parts you pulled. And what about when you need a rear trailing arm? $1800 part when bought new, if I were to go back and the part was still there I know I could get both for $50, at least at the yard I know of.

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

Here, in the Baltimore area, there is a chain of U pick yards under the name of " Crazy Ray's". The thing I really like is that they have a printed price list, so you know the price before you even go looking. They also have the price list available on their website. If you don't like the price, go somewhere else.