With a three-year-old in the house, my wife and I could not let a dead car sit in the driveway forever, so I did the homework before calling for pickup. Here is how the number actually gets built, and how to get a real one before the truck shows up.
Start with the weight, but the right weight...
Before you call around for quotes, it helps to walk in with your own number in mind. A junk car value calculator gives you that starting point. Here is how to use one properly so the estimate actually helps you instead of misleading you.
What the calculator needs from you
Year, make, and model...