If you sell the car yourself, you might get a figure between wholesale and retail pricing, earning yourself hundreds or even thousands of dollars more on your old car. But before you decide to sell it on your own, ask yourself these questions:

• Is there a demand for the car? A convertible sports car in June or a four-wheel-drive truck in October could be an easy sell. But don't get popularity confused with demand. Though the Camry is one of the most popular sedans in the land, your old Camry could be a tough sell if the market is flooded with used Camrys.
• Is your car in great shape? Well-maintained cars not only sell more quickly, they'll require less of your time and money to get ready for sale.
• Do you live in a relatively high-population area? If you live in a remote region, you may struggle to find enough interested buyers for your exact vehicle.
• Are you able to deal with the public? Sellers who live alone or who feel vulnerable in some way may be unwilling to open up their garages, and perhaps their homes, to strangers shopping for used cars.

If your answer is "no" to any of these questions, you probably shouldn't try to sell your car to a private party. You might, however, consider selling it to a new-car dealer who sells the same make as your used car. Instead of trading your old Camry to the Ford dealer who is selling you a new Explorer, see if a Toyota dealer will buy your Camry. New-car dealers are always looking for clean, late-model used cars of the same make as their new-car franchise, especially if they have certified used-car programs. The Toyota dealer may give you more for your Camry in what car dealers call a "street sale" than the Ford dealer will give you as a trade-in. Also, CarMax and other used-car superstores will generally offer reasonable prices to purchase cars on-site after a brief inspection, without tying that transaction to the purchase of another vehicle.