You fondly remember the day you first laid eyes on Cherry. She was parked toward the front of the lot, shining in all her polished, candy-apple red glory. At 18 years of age, you had met your match; she purred as soon as you turned the ignition.

Fast-forward ten years. Cherry’s brightness has faded with age, her fabric seats are spotted with ketchup stains, and she just doesn’t run as well as she used to. You have determined that it’s time to move on to greener pastures. Your first stop is, of course, Car Credit Nation and just as Cherry did all those years ago, a jet black, four-door sedan with leather seats and satellite radio catches your eye. You flag down the nearest sales associate and tell him that you would like to trade in Cherry for this new vehicle you have already named Miranda.

But what will happen next?

Cherry will be appraised. Keep in mind that, despite your appreciation for Cherry, the appraisal technician must take her overall condition into account. That ketchup stain you tried so hard to get out might require extensive deep cleaning, or the interior may need to be reupholstered altogether if more defects are noted. Car Credit Nation will fix any additional dents and dings in your vehicle and get it back to tip-top shape.

After Cherry has been restored, the dealer may choose to resell her, but a car with high mileage (over 80,000) is often not suitable for placement on the lot. Shoppers arrive at Car Credit Nation looking for “newer” used cars and will likely overlook an older car unless it is considered a classic. The best candidates to be sold on the lot are those that fall between three and four years old, and have less than 50,000 miles. These are sold as “certified used vehicles.”

We might choose to sell your car at an auction, or at wholesale value. Maybe Cherry — a 1994 Toyota Scion — will find her next caretaker faster if sold to the Toyota dealership across town, but even with her own kind, she’s no spring chicken. It might be a better option to set her up at auction before a larger audience in the hopes that someone will fall in love the way you did ten years ago.

At Car Credit Nation, we know that your car is so much more than the box on four wheels that takes you from point A to point B; your car is an investment, and a place where memories are made. Rest assured that, when you trade in and up, your Cherry will be well taken care of.