While most of my writing has focussed on the performing arts, I recently took a grand jeté and delved in to the auto industry for two articles. I went from describing a dancer’s life to describing automobile parts’ lives. Having grown up in the family car business, the opportunity to write something for the auto industry was too enticing to let pass by. Not only that, but I could also finally pay homage to the humble cars that shuttled me from home to dance lessons and competitions over 20 years of my life.

The Ontario Dealer is a new trade publication for the Used Car Dealers’ Association of Ontario (UCDA). The UCDA supports used car dealers and consumers shopping in the used car market. I got to stretch my burgeoning car expertise in two ares: auto auctions and aftermarket parts.

While dancers may be able to replace the odd shoe part (e.g., broken taps on tap shoes), car dealers and car owners can replace almost anything on a vehicle and therefore have many concerns when it comes to car parts. For example, does a damaged vehicle need brand-name replacement parts? Or are aftermarket parts sufficient? This article answers those and other questions.

Purchasing used anything is commonplace again today. Parents and caregivers of young dancers know all too well the used shoe bin many studios carry. They can rummage through used shoes, and if they find a pair that fits their young dancer, then, voilá, they have saved themselves $30-$50 and another parent has earned an extra $5 or $10. Auto auctions originated with the same intent but are not as simplistic as a used-shoe bin. In this article, I trace the history of the auto auction from its humble beginnings in the Depression to online auctioning and what used car dealers should be aware of when dealing with online auctions.

If you or someone you know is in the used car market, have a read!