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Old 06-03-2011, 07:32 AM   #1
superdawgfan
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Default Advice on Selling a Boat

I hate to do it, but I think it's time for me to sell my 1998 23' Cobalt bow rider. It's the only boat I've ever owned so I have no experience selling one, and I'm not getting another so I can't use it as a trade.

I'd really appreciate any advice on the process, including how to maximize my selling price, best way to sell, etc.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.
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Old 06-03-2011, 08:00 AM   #2
Dave R
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Quote:
Originally Posted by superdawgfan View Post
I hate to do it, but I think it's time for me to sell my 1998 23' Cobalt bow rider. It's the only boat I've ever owned so I have no experience selling one, and I'm not getting another so I can't use it as a trade.

I'd really appreciate any advice on the process, including how to maximize my selling price, best way to sell, etc.

Thanks in advance for the assistance.
I only buy used "cream-puff" boats and have no problem spending more on a boat that was lovingly cared for and I continue that care. I would only buy a boat that showed pride of ownership.

Here's what I'd do if I were selling mine:

Make sure it operates perfectly.
Make it spotless and shiny.
Clean areas that are normally hidden from view.
Touch up the paint on the drive.
Clean up any nicks on the prop(s).
Change the oil in the engine so that a dipstick pull reveals fresh oil.
Make sure all fluids are topped up and clean looking.
Address any little things like loose screws, missing snaps, rattles, blown light bulbs, frayed whipping on dock lines, etc.
Include any miscellaneous stuff that you can, like anchors, PFDs, docklines, spare trailer tire etc.
Detail the trailer and make sure it's in perfect operating condition as well.

Show off all the cool storage nooks and quality build techniques that Cobalts are known for. People love that kind of stuff.

Take the serious potential buyers for a test ride and focus on the fun, but also set a good example by not beating on the engine until it's fully warmed up and by being careful to follow all the navigational laws. If you include an "unscheduled" stop at some town docks for a quick bite, you'll go a long way toward selling the lifestyle and assuming the boat is nice, THAT will probably seal the deal.

Good luck!
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Old 06-03-2011, 08:38 AM   #3
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Default Excellent advise Dave ...

That's exactly what I did. I got a great resale value and the guy that bought it got a great boat.
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Old 06-03-2011, 08:47 AM   #4
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Can you PM the info on the boat. Believe it or not my next door neighbor is looking for an over 20 foot bow rider. Pictures too please, phone number, address and so on. I'll give it to them. They are here right now. Well across the street. They are here for the weekend.
Wiki Wiki now there fella!
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Old 06-03-2011, 09:49 AM   #5
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Consider a broker sale thru a marina. They have high traffic of motivated buyers. They will promote and show the boat and you pay them 5-10%. Many buyers will purchase from a dealer, even as a broker boat, and not from a private owner.

I sold my boat quickly thru Channel like this.
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Old 06-03-2011, 10:04 AM   #6
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Most dealers are going to want 10% for consignment commission. Try craigslist and Ebay. I have had great luck with both.

Dont waste your time with ABLboats.com. I did, it was a big costly mistake. Use boattrader.com directly, the hits that I got through ABLboats ( I advertised with them and they partner with a few different sites) all came from boattrader searches.
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Old 06-03-2011, 10:33 AM   #7
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If you are looking to sell, price it slightly below market price as that is what gets it moving. There's a lot of boats out there and nobody is wanting to over pay. The book values are way out of sync with actual boat values. All of them.

Like was mentioned, condition is everything. Clean, clean, clean is what sells a boat. If you have oxidation, peeling paint on drive, nasty trailer, rotted tires, etc then you need to be realistic on price.

Craigslist and boat trader are the best for DIY online. If you want less hassle and not needing every dollar then you can clean it and have the dealer sell it and they'll take 10-15% of the sales prices.

If you truly don't plan on getting another boat then throw in the extras. Beware that many boat owners have said this only to come back and have to buy the stuff all over again

I'd keep any tubes, skis, and the extra anchors. Just leave the basic orange life vests and keep the nice ones. I would not want someone elses "clothing" anyways.
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Old 06-03-2011, 10:49 AM   #8
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You have to be honest with yourself on condition, this is a 12 year old boat. First you need to get a price range to work within. Go to online boat sales sites and see what people are asking. Go to the local dealers websites and see what they have for sale.

If perfect or near perfect, follow Dave's advice. Shine and polish and fix up everything, put it on Craigslist ask 10-20% over market. Sell it for somewhere near market.

If not perfect and it will cost you more than 20% of the market value to make it perfect, do a quick clean up, then put it on Craigslist at 10-20% below market and sell it quick. It's usually not worth it to spend $1000 on a boat to get $1000 more in sales price. Unless the boat is unusable, let the new guy spend his money.
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Old 06-03-2011, 12:04 PM   #9
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I agree with Dave,if you don't want to deal with the phone calls,no shows and the free demo ride crowd I would look to a marina. They will market it and can assist the buyer with financing if needed. I would call Shep Browns they do a great job selling boats. 603-279-4573
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Old 06-03-2011, 12:55 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lakesrider View Post
Can you PM the info on the boat. Believe it or not my next door neighbor is looking for an over 20 foot bow rider. Pictures too please, phone number, address and so on. I'll give it to them. They are here right now. Well across the street. They are here for the weekend.
Wiki Wiki now there fella!
My sister is also in the market for a boat if you could do the same that would be great!!
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Old 06-03-2011, 05:10 PM   #11
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I would also recommend having maintenance records on hand if possible. That's something that was a factor in my decision on buying used.

We purchased through a marina consignment sale. In this case they had originally sold it and had all maintenance records, providing a degree of confidence in how it had been cared for.
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Old 06-03-2011, 10:15 PM   #12
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Default Meredith Marine...

A few years ago I took my 8 year old Maxum there and they sold it rather fast. Brokerage boat so no warranty from either of us. Paid fast and they took the time to talk to me about the process. Yes they took 10 %, but was worth it. People look to go to a dealer vs private sale. Just a level of comfort for those that dont know "what to look for"
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Old 06-04-2011, 06:15 AM   #13
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Default Best way to sell a used boat

Dave R. Is absolutly right. A clean first impresion means alot.
Lots of people go boat window shopping around the lake. When we decided to get another boat back in 94 we just jumped in the car and hit all the major marinas around the lake. We felt we knew these boats were lake used only. To us a 10 year old boat would be better than perhaps a 1 or 2 year old boat that had some salt in and on it. A marina like Silver Sands or Irwin are right on the main roads in the most populated areas and get tons of lookers. One thing I liked a Silver Sands is that if I wanted to take a test drive. That boat was in the water in about 10 min. that was important to us. That made is very convenient for us to not have to keep coming back and forth. Like I said these as well as other marinas have great reputations for quality used boats. Good luck.
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Old 06-04-2011, 06:47 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonG View Post
A few years ago I took my 8 year old Maxum there and they sold it rather fast. Brokerage boat so no warranty from either of us. Paid fast and they took the time to talk to me about the process. Yes they took 10 %, but was worth it. People look to go to a dealer vs private sale. Just a level of comfort for those that dont know "what to look for"
We had the same experience with Meredith Marine 4 years ago we brought our Four Winns there. It was sold fast, and again with no warranty from either of us. They were good to work with.
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Old 06-04-2011, 07:19 AM   #15
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Default Selling your boat

I sold one of my last boats, a Eliminator on CL. I had a ton of calls and e-mails from the northeast. Most of the buyers wanted more pictures and my bottom line. I did sell it to a man from Mass for my price. I found a lot of tire kickers on CL. It took about 3 weeks from advertising to selling.
I have also sold a Formula thru Lakeport landing, took a few months but painless on my part and a Checkmate thru Silver Sands, again painless.
Good luck
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Old 06-04-2011, 12:01 PM   #16
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Default winni.com classifieds

8-9 years ago posted my boat for sale on this websites classifieds. because i posted the location of boat, the buyer did a "drive buy", called me, he wanted it, and i had "cash" money within 24 hrs of posting my classified. actually had to sign some kind of tax form stating were i came up with $20,000 cash, when purchasing our next used boat several days later. the buyer wanted the boat "yesterday", and went to the bank for cash versus my wanting ANY type of check to clear. if the right buyer wants your model boat, it will sell, so start advertising. good luck!
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Old 06-05-2011, 08:11 PM   #17
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I bought a boat over the winter at Irwin Marine. They made it really easy, and hassle free.
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Old 06-09-2011, 04:53 AM   #18
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Default Realistic pricing

We sold our boat a few years ago. We ran the ad on Craigs List at 10 PM on a Sunday; priced it realistically; it was gone within 24 hours of listing it. A couple of guys came down from New Brunswick. They told us all the boats up there have been run in salt water, so they looked around Winni to find one that would have been run in fresh water. They were tickled with the boat and we were tickled to have sold it so easily! We finally bought a newer boat a few weeks ago. We are desperately trying to find the time to get it in water so we can use it. Life is hectic!
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Old 06-09-2011, 11:22 AM   #19
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Mine was posted on Craig's List last year for 72 hours before being sold to a fellow who came down from the Montreal area.

Tell you what, that day made me understand the popular saying... The best two days of being a boat owner are the day you buy the boat and the day you sell it!
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