There is something out of sync with breaker yards who sell recycled car parts and the scrap cars they strip to build their stock, notably the UK seasons. Spring is the peak time for used car parts, as vehicles start coming out of the garage, or maybe it is only when it is warm enough that many attempt DIY repairs. But in terms of acquiring vehicles, this stems from December though to February based on how cold it is.
Very often many people drive around in cars that need some love and attention, but as long as the car starts and gets them to their destination, nothing is done. Then comes that fault that requires some investment to put right and now their is a vehicle, where the cost of repair is more than its value. Winter tends to be when these more permanent faults occur, that converts daily transport into a scrap car, one very common issue is the cylinder head gasket.
If you research the breakdown cover companies most common call outs, once you get over the popular tyre and battery issues (which also increase during winter), you end up with cylinder head and clutch issues, being the most common forms of failure. Now there is a n increase of vehicles available for breaker yards to buy, but there should be no assumption of high prices. If you think about it, the biggest resalable item from any scrap car will be the engine, but if the reason for it being taken off the road is a cylinder head gasket, this needs repaired before resale.
In most cases it is just not worth it, so breaker yards are more likely to quote you scrap metal prices, rather than a vehicle that can be stripped down and all parts sold on. Clutch breakdowns may be a better bet, as these parts tend not to be sold second hand anyway.