If you don't sabotage yourself, it's a great time to be selling your used car.Prices for used cars, as measured by the Manheim Index, a gauge for wholesale used-car values, have been at or near all-time highs since the last quarter of 2010, and consumers are looking to cut costs by buying gently used cars over new ones.
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• 5 DIY car maintenance tipsA 2011 Consumer Reports survey found 65 per cent of respondents said they were more likely to consider a late-model used car than they were a few years ago.
Still, it's possible to bungle your way into a bad price for your used car. Looking at seller advertisements, you'd never know people were trying to sell one of their most valuable possessions. If private auto sellers could win prizes for grainiest photo or most imaginative price, the competition would be fierce.
If you'd rather get top dollar for your car than serve as a punch line for prospective car buyers, take a minute to check out these common, used-car sales mistakes and how you can avoid them.
Sell your car to a dealer
It's hard to beat it for convenience, but selling or trading your car at a dealership is a good way to lose out on $1,000 or more, says Melanie Kovach, senior director of private seller sales for AutoTrader.com, a website that hosts used-car classifieds.
Seven ways to wreck a used car sale
