Salvage Monster

Used auto-parts valuation for a single-operator salvage business in Calgary, Alberta.

What it does

Parts are recovered by hand from self-service salvage yards and sold on eBay. Pulling a part costs time whether or not it is worth anything, so the question that matters is which parts are worth recovering before driving to a yard.

This application answers that. It holds a catalogue of part numbers and values each one against what the same part is currently listed for by other sellers, then ranks what is standing in the yards by what a visit is actually worth.

How it uses the eBay API

eBay Browse API

One search per part number, returning that part's live competing listings. This is the only call type the application makes. Nothing is fetched speculatively and no calls are used for page rendering.

Refresh cadence

Rows are re-measured on a graded schedule — high-value numbers daily, dormant numbers monthly — and results are cached until due.

Data handling

The application authenticates with client credentials only. It never requests user tokens, has no user login, and does not access, collect or store any eBay user account data. The only information retained is aggregate and non-personal: part numbers, active listing counts and price statistics. A Marketplace Account Deletion exemption is on file on that basis.

Status

In daily production use by the business it was built for. It is an internal tool with a single operator and no public sign-up.