View Full Version : Can't sell my boat
beeman
11-04-2009, 10:01 PM
Ive got a boat im going to sell had a few interested buyer's but no sale. Im located out in west market was hotter than pistol last ten years for aluminum boats. I realise NADA is a waist of time, its about replacement cost.
If people are looking at the boat but aren't even making you offers then what you are asking is probably unreasonably high.
The condition and options in a boat this old are everything. It could be worth what you are asking or less. I've seen boats that are mint and loaded with all the goodies. I've also seen boats that were parked without so much as a tarp over them for years and years before being put up for sale.
If you live where the water goes hard during the winter then I'd wait until April to sell. You'll have a lot more potential buyers.
Price is your best weapon in making the sale. Wait until April if you can.
fall is a buyers market and spring is a sellers market, if you cas wait til spring
rvrdrifter
11-07-2009, 06:04 AM
recently sold my 1660 Prov, took it to a dealer and asked what they'd give me on a trade in for a new rig, took it back home, made a sign with the price 500.00 more than the dealer offered, and waited. I had 27 inquiries within 2 days as it sat in my driveway, busy road.....
Some of the phone calls were immediately eliminated just from the couple questions they asked, yet remained friendly to all that called, and answered every question they had as honestly as I could, its a used rig, yes it has minor faults, scratches, faded carpet, but at the same time everything works and works very well.
Scheduled a couple people for viewing and demanded I take them for a ride not to waste their time but to show them how the boat operated and worked, I let them drive the boat and ask questions as we rode.
The 2nd test drive sold the rig, he offered me a price, I countered and we met in the middle, a fair price that both of us could live with. It was a little more than the dealer offered, and alot more than the NADA price which he quoted me, I calmly explained that those prices are only a reference and have no actual value. It's ironic though, the first gentleman that took the test ride called back a day later and offered me a price, and I told him it's already sold, he offered me more money and I still told him NO....he says just before hanging up....looks like I messed up by thinking I could wait and you'd settle for less.
The moral of my story is this, make sure you're comfortable with your asking price, be flexible, yet firm, you know what you have and it's value, trust me someone is looking for your exact boat, they just haven't seen it yet.
alanexpup
11-07-2009, 01:30 PM
yes buyers of aluminum boats think they deteriorate like maybe fiberglass and the price goes down like them too. aluminum boats are as good as the day they were made unless in an accident. my lund tyee is in almost perfect condition but they all want to lowball me offering an insulting price. I would burn it before i would sell it to them. my boat new is around 45K now. I guess they have to find out the hard way what a good deal they passed up. oh well just as well, i still enjoy fishing with it out here. hopefully when i retire in a couple years we can spend the summers in canada fishing. these people just tend to piss me off.
maidsrone
11-07-2009, 04:24 PM
the more places you advertise the better,
bob oh
11-07-2009, 06:32 PM
yes buyers of aluminum boats think they deteriorate like maybe fiberglass and the price goes down like them too. aluminum boats are as good as the day they were made unless in an accident. my lund tyee is in almost perfect condition but they all want to lowball me offering an insulting price. I would burn it before i would sell it to them. my boat new is around 45K now. I guess they have to find out the hard way what a good deal they passed up. oh well just as well, i still enjoy fishing with it out here. hopefully when i retire in a couple years we can spend the summers in canada fishing. these people just tend to piss me off.
A big part of the cost of that boat is the motor and it is not new anymore. Your boat does deteriorate but I don't know how much, but your boat is getting older and I don't know anyone who pays as much for old as new, do you
Beeman,
Very simple -
A market place is about supply and demand.
Todays economy is in the dumps.
Unemployment is at an all time high.
Many millions of folks out of work.
The folks that are working are worried about losing their jobs.
Most folks least important thought is buying a boat.
All of these factors drive down the actual market value of everything.
If you are advertising a boat and are not getting any calls. There is either something wrong with the boat or you are asking way too much money.
Take care of anything that is wrong with the boat - if anything, and then if that doesn't get the phone ringing - drop, drop and drop the price until the boat sells.
In todays economy - everyone is looking for a bargin and they are finding it.
Many many folks who own nice boats no longer have a job and can not make the payments, or if paid for, need cash to take care of lifes necessities.
So, if you really want to sell your rig NOW, and can't wait until spring, and if the rig is clean and taken care of - you need to expand your advertising to expand your market and or drop your price and continue to drop your price until the boat sells.
That is the rule of the market place. When there is more demand than product, the price rises. When there is less demand (translate, less money, unemployment, tough times) the price drops.
Economics 101.
Good luck in your endeavor.
Take care
REW
yes buyers of aluminum boats think they deteriorate like maybe fiberglass and the price goes down like them too. aluminum boats are as good as the day they were made unless in an accident. my lund tyee is in almost perfect condition but they all want to lowball me offering an insulting price. I would burn it before i would sell it to them. my boat new is around 45K now. I guess they have to find out the hard way what a good deal they passed up. oh well just as well, i still enjoy fishing with it out here. hopefully when i retire in a couple years we can spend the summers in canada fishing. these people just tend to piss me off.
Interesting? Deteriorate like fiberglass? Ranger has been doing lifetime hull warranties all along and most aluminum companies were not. Take a look at a 5 year old Ranger and compare it too a 5 year old aluminum boat. I personally think the fiberglass boats look a lot better, if taken care of, than the aluminum counterparts. Just my opinion though.......
both aluminum and fiberglass boats will look great if they were taken care of.
as far as price and value REW hit the nail right on the head.
Also a used boat is still a used boat, its x number of years old and the motor has x number of hours on it. No matter what brand boat it is, used is not worth the price of new. There is a percentage of depreciation. The price also is determined by the market.
Rebs has it right.
Lets talk about used cars for a moment.
Generally speaking, as soon as a new car is driven off the lot, its value drops by about 20%. This is the difference between new and used.
Then, as each tick of the odometer ticks off miles, and as each beat of the clock clicks off calander time - the value of the auto decreases.
Exactly the same thing is true for boats and motors and trailers.
One thing that has happened in times past is that for the last several years, the cost of the new rigs have been going up. As a result, the depreciation or reduction of value of rigs has been less, than if the cost of the new rigs had not been going up.
However, in the days of this economy, very few new things are going up in value. Manufacturers are simply finding that in this economy an increase in price will mean that the product will not sell. Rather, many things in todays market are actually going down in new price compared to previous years.
As a result, any non calander year new products, or any used product will depreciate and go down in value faster than in previous years.
With the current economic situation in this country, it is quite likely that this change in the value of new and used product values will continue.
For example - take real estate. Many many many parts of the country have had changes of 50% and greater in the negative direction due to the change in the economy. If the values of houses go down - which for many folks is one of the main areas of personal savings, it means that there is a much smaller amount of discretionary spending income availalble.
It is quite likely that as time goes by the new values of current $50K rigs to go down to some substantially lower values, in both the new as well as used market.
Good luck
REW
beeman
11-08-2009, 10:37 AM
I better put the cresty in for NADA hehe $4000
ffishman
11-09-2009, 04:28 PM
yes buyers of aluminum boats think they deteriorate like maybe fiberglass and the price goes down like them too. aluminum boats are as good as the day they were made unless in an accident. my lund tyee is in almost perfect condition but they all want to lowball me offering an insulting price. I would burn it before i would sell it to them. my boat new is around 45K now. I guess they have to find out the hard way what a good deal they passed up. oh well just as well, i still enjoy fishing with it out here. hopefully when i retire in a couple years we can spend the summers in canada fishing. these people just tend to piss me off.
I have to take exception to your statement of "deteriorate like fiberglass". My boat is glass and a 1996. Looks like new. As a matter of fact, I've had guys ask me where I bought it, because they want to get one like it. "Its no longer made". I've also had guys offer to buy it off me. There are boats that are 20, 30, and 40 foot that are very old and still get big bucks. I've never seen an aluminum boat 30 or 40 foot at all. What does that tell you about glass. Don't even get me started on ride.........
orchard frank
11-09-2009, 04:56 PM
Another point I've found in looking at used boats in the past is that owners (almost) always think their electronics and other accessories are worth much more than they are. They may work pretty good, and help to sell the boat, but not much added value unless the stuff is under 2 years old or really top shelf equipment. When I look at a 4 yr. or older boat, I automatically think "going to need new trailer tires, new batteries, new electronics probably, maybe trolling motor, etc.", and then think about the asking price. Agree with many of the posts, price will sell a boat, depends on how low the seller is willing to go.
alanexpup
11-09-2009, 05:52 PM
as for the engine bob o, i just had the IO engine replaced and has 50 hours on it now. the glass boats out here that i have seen are all fogged over, no shine at all to them. I guess they have not been taken care of. the finish on this lund is as good as the day it came from the factory. it has not been abused or forgotten. you are right though that the market determines the price, i did see on a boat web site, this same boat went for around 25K in colorado though. dont get me wrong, i dont mind compromising but i wont give it away either.
ozarkeyes
11-09-2009, 08:27 PM
It was mentioned in this post and others about NADA as being more of a reference and not a price. But try telling that to a bank if you are needing a loan to purchase that boat. I asked a couple banker acquaintences what they used for obtaining loan value, and it was NADA, and the average retail price was definately not the number they picked. Has any one had the chance to look at BOC for pricing. That service is supposed to be closer to reality as it uses pricing surveys from boat dealers around the country. I think however, you have to prove you're in the industry to subscribe.
tzonetom
11-13-2009, 01:40 PM
Interesting? Deteriorate like fiberglass? Ranger has been doing lifetime hull warranties all along and most aluminum companies were not. Take a look at a 5 year old Ranger and compare it too a 5 year old aluminum boat. I personally think the fiberglass boats look a lot better, if taken care of, than the aluminum counterparts. Just my opinion though.......
You don't get the lifetime warranty on a used Ranger...just sayin'.
beeman
11-18-2009, 10:13 AM
Superhawk is gone. 11k more than double book value wish Nada could get it closer to actual value.
You don't get the lifetime warranty on a used Ranger...just sayin'.
If you fill out the warranty transfer form and pay the 100.00 you do....just say'n. ;)
yes buyers of aluminum boats think they deteriorate like maybe fiberglass and the price goes down like them too. aluminum boats are as good as the day they were made unless in an accident. my lund tyee is in almost perfect condition but they all want to lowball me offering an insulting price. I would burn it before i would sell it to them. my boat new is around 45K now. I guess they have to find out the hard way what a good deal they passed up. oh well just as well, i still enjoy fishing with it out here. hopefully when i retire in a couple years we can spend the summers in canada fishing. these people just tend to piss me off.
A perfect example of why I know people who have been trying to sell their boats for two years now. A used boat is a used boat. Just like a new car, it depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot. So don't expect to get what you paid for it new even though they may have jacked up the prices of the new updated model of yours.
guest
11-19-2009, 04:14 PM
Superhawk is gone. 11k more than double book value wish Nada could get it closer to actual value.
Found 2 ads for the same Superhawk you have, out in the western market, claims the sale fell thru, now is listed at $12.8K. From the Ebay description, descibing the dock rash and the trailer needing tires to get it home, good luck if it's yours!
tonto
11-20-2009, 09:42 AM
Most of the boats in the classified are over priced and that's why they don't sell. As soon as I see a boat that is priced decent it doesn't last very long, ussually a couple of days and its gone. You see the same boats advertised over and over with the high prices.
turtle chain
11-20-2009, 11:24 AM
I had real good luck this summer selling our 18ft triton 1999 I bought it for $16.000 and sold it for $10.000 we bought it as a demo very low hours .We kept it in real nice shape and a man from Canada bought it off of Caigs list the deal went real well he paid cash ,He loved that boat right away and we had a deal ,It really pays to buy good stuff that other people want and take good care of it then you can sell it Quick good luck
beeman
11-21-2009, 12:06 PM
So this guy is comming over to pickup the boat and pay and backouts. Buyer's remorse lol. Then the next day i get another guy comming over with $300 earnest money to put down. People are funny, if i make an offer I hold to it.:boozer:Talked to the local Crestliner Dealer he says its a fine deal for a very hard to get boat. Now im playing hard ball and listing on ebay.