How to identify Cats

I was wondering if anyone knows of an online guide with pictures, identifying converters. When I get price lists, they have names like "honeycomb", "four dot", "large GM", ect... I'd like to find something linking the names to pictures. It would really help me to learn about these things.

Thanks.

Try some of these

Let me google that for you

yeah them guides you have to pay for and stuff.It is better to get used to what different ones are.If you need any help with it let me know i will help you the best that i can

I've tried google several times with no results. I can find random pricing, and maybe a random picture, but no guides with a picture along with the name of it in one place, for most makes and models. I was just hoping someone knew of a good site. I've gone as far as buying some off Ebay, but they are useless aswell. They tell you it's a "GM" and the recovery on them, but still no names to go with the pictures. I get about 150 cats a year to sell... so it'd be nice to know exactly what I have when I get them.

Originally Posted by snaggletooth

I've tried google several times with no results. I can find random pricing, and maybe a random picture, but no guides with a picture along with the name of it in one place, for most makes and models.ll you it's a "GM" and the recovery on them, but still no names to go with the pictures. I get about 150 cats a year to sell... so it'd be nice to know exactly what I have when I get them.

Did you try the first 3 or 4 sites that pop from the link I provided in Post 4?

Originally Posted by JohnC4X4

Same guys that are in spot 2 and 3 of the link I provided in Post 4

The one you posted came up with cat prices, not ID's, which was what I was looking for. I have a very slow internet connection, so I didn't want to spend an hour clicking on every link that came up (the whole point of me posting something here, instead of surfing 10,000 google pages) I was just hoping someone would be helpful enough to post an actual link of what I was looking for.

The problem is as i'm sure you know, all cats are different and have different prices. Also some buyers are willing to pay more or less depending on what they do. ie do they process the material themselves, do they have a volume pricing from a refinery that they can offer you much better price than somebody who sells to the high volume guy.

Also, what I've found is that even some model of cars can have a few different types of cats on them. There is no blanket statement that says this car will have this cat and it's worth this much. Every cat buyer i've come across has always wanted a picture, and then tells you what it's worth based on the picture. They could care less what car it came off of and they don't need to know, they just need to see a picture of the cat. Hence why most all online buyers have pictures listed instead of model of car listed to get their prices.

Best thing to realize is that nowhere else but here are you going to find a list of cat's and what they look/feel/sell like. Its such a profitable but risky business, no one is going to give you that information free unless they're family. My brother-in-law bought cats for several years and he had a big book that he had to make himself because NOONE wants you to know the inside trader secrets. Personally i'd say, learn what the exotics are and buy for aftermarket prices. :-P lol...

From someone who has sold to many different levels of converter buyers from the low level guy to the refiners themselves, there is no such book. For one it would be a ridiculously grueling job of compiling one. For example, you take a picture of a converter that is a SF, but on the other side is an O2 sensor, that alone could change the grade, plus where is the sensor located? Middle? Rear? All separate grades of three converters that would all look the same from one angle. You can take a million pictures of converters, but it's only going to get you a ball park estimate. The catalytic converter market has changed drastically over the past few years. 10 years ago I bought and sold on 10 grades of converters, today there's over 90 grades of a GM. Everything is becoming number specific. Too rusty to read the number? Then it becomes the lowest priced one. I was always taught to be cautious of anyone with a "picture book." Just because guy A calls something a GM doesn't mean guy B won't call it a 4 dot (4 dots come off of (G)eneral (M)otors vehicles) see the confusion? Grades are constantly changing in today's market, so that picture may not be accurate in six months. After 14 years I'm still learning, plus they keep making new model cars, thusly new model converters. Bottom line: the guys at the top control it all, then it trickles down. Experience is the best learning tool. Handling each converter and paying attention to the guy grading them is the best place to start. After that just use some intuition, if you feel like you're being cheated, use someone else, it is your product after all. If you're pleased with how it's going chances are the guy is treating you fairly.

You are absolutely correct, Mallard. The book only goes so far. It gives a general picture of them, but always "Buyer Beware". Things will also change. All of the scrap markets are getting bigger which will make them more structured and price-listy, but that list of types is going to eventually stop adding soooo many new ones and when it does, the cat market will be easier. Just keep a look out for empty cats, stuffed cats, yada yada yada...know what I mean?