How to find a second-handed car in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho (CNN) It's a familiar story for Boise, which is home to more than 30 million people and boasts the nation's largest metropolitan area with a population of more than 1.3 million.
Boise has been home to a car dealer for more than a century, and it's no secret that it's not for everyone.
The car dealer has been selling second- and third-hand cars for decades.
And in the early 2000s, it was on the rise.
But then the industry began to fall apart.
The first car dealers closed down and the second-to-last dealership closed in 2008.
Today, most people still drive a secondhand car, which they do in the car dealership parking lot.
That's a common experience for many people in the area, said Joe McAlister, who owns and operates The Car Depot.
It's an opportunity to get away from it all and get a little bit of a fresh start.
"I was just like, 'I just can't wait to get out there and buy a car.
I've got to get my hands dirty,'" he said.
McAlister started selling secondhand cars in the parking lot at The Car Depot in 2009, and he's had customers for more years than he can count.
The store is one of only two car dealerships in Boise.
There are other businesses like the Honda dealership and the Honda Parts Depot, but McAlisters car dealers are the first ones that people come to.
"It's pretty cool.
It makes you feel good about being a part of the community, and you can just kind of hang out in the store and have a good time," he said, laughing.
The Car Depot sells secondhand and thirdhand cars, as well as used vehicles.
The car department has a small car section, which McAlison said is where people often come for advice on buying a used car.
"You can pick up your car in about a week.
We can do that in a week," he explained.
McALISTER'S business is thriving, he said as he walked through the store.
There's always a car waiting for a customer, or someone is just out of town.
"We sell the best of what we have.
We have cars for sale, and we're getting better and better," he told CNN affiliate KTVB."
Every time I go in, they have new cars," McAlsister said."
There's a lot of people who don't want a used, they don't know what they want," he added.
The Car Dealer's car dealership is in the middle of the Boise Metro."
If I can't find it, I can still do a good job and sell it."
The company is open six days a week, but customers can stop by the car department to pick up a new car, or even an old one.
McAnister said he makes about $20,000 a year selling used cars, and if he's lucky, he'll make enough money to support his family.
"Sometimes I think it's better for me to go to work and see my family every day, because I have a paycheck.
I have to work," he recalled."
They don't have to worry about whether I'm going to be able to pay the bills," he joked."
In some ways, I've done it all before," he continued.
"I have a family that works.
They work for me.
They have a job.
They're able to buy a home, to buy clothes, to go out to dinner with their friends, to do anything they want to do."
That's the great thing about this business.
I don't need to worry.
I know where I'm headed.
"McAnsister has no plans to stop in Boise anytime soon, but he does plan to keep the dealership open for the next five years.
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