Consignment or private sale, or ?? to sell a boat?

Rich · 03-29-2013, 04:33 PM

I'm considering buying a 'new' (or should I say larger and newer) boat, but I currently have an older (1990) 27ft cruiser that will need to be sold.

Since the 'newer' boat is a consignment boat, I'm told my only options to sell my boat are either to sell it myself privately, or to consign my boat with a dealer/broker. My boat is not very expensive (by most standards), so any extra fees hurt more than for an expen$ive boat.

So this means I will probably own two boats until my current boat sells.

Since I don't have a plot of land large enough to hold/store my boat while trying to sell it privately, I feel my only optinos are to consign it with with a dealer/broker.

Some want 12% to sell a boat, and also may want to charge summer (as well as winter) storage fees until the boat sells.

Are there other options out there that I'm not aware of?

Thanks for any help or ideas.
Rich

BroadHopper · 03-29-2013, 05:47 PM

They are two good alternative in a private sale. I sold my last boat through Craigslist to a gentleman on the Cape and bought my current boat from a bank in Maryland on EBay. The boat I sold I got book value and the gentleman drove up and trailer it back. The Maryland boat, I drove down and trailer it back. I was very happy with the boat.

Both listings has a must greater market to buy/sell than if you broker/consgnment at a local marina.

Ebay has a limited Buyer's Protection Program that gives my mind a little peace. Make sure the boat is surveyed by an independent service.

Bob M · 03-29-2013, 10:13 PM

Most local marina's post their boats on their local web sites as well as on national data bases. I sold my boat last fall through Shep Brown's in Meredith. Most of the serious inquiries were made from out of state locations. The eventual buyer was from NJ and the boat will be taken there this spring to be used on the Delaware River. I wasn't pleased with the 12% commission but from my perspective and circumstances it was the correct way to go.

ApS · 03-30-2013, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

They are two good alternative in a private sale. I sold my last boat through Craigslist to a gentleman on the Cape and bought my current boat from a bank in Maryland on EBay. The boat I sold I got book value and the gentleman drove up and trailer it back. The Maryland boat, I drove down and trailer it back. I was very happy with the boat.

Both listings has a must greater market to buy/sell than if you broker/consgnment at a local marina.

Ebay has a limited Buyer's Protection Program that gives my mind a little peace. Make sure the boat is surveyed by an independent service.

Craigslist, while very effective, gets a lot of spamming messages returned to you. Many are looking for an address or a phone number to exploit for nefarious purposes. You'll immediately receive queries like:

Quote:

"What's the least you'll take for it?"

"Has it been sold?"

"Do you still have it?"

When I sold a car this month, I requested that prospective buyers "text" their e-mail address to my cellphone.

Just two text-messages later, it was sold.

IMHO, when you make a prospective buyer "work" a little bit, you save wear and tear on yourself!

Belmont Resident · 03-30-2013, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Craigslist, while very effective, gets a lot of spamming messages returned to you. Many are looking for an address or a phone number to exploit for nefarious purposes. You'll immediately receive queries like:

When I sold a car this month, I requested that prospective buyers "text" their e-mail address to my cellphone.

Just two text-messages later, it was sold.

IMHO, when you make a prospective buyer "work" a little bit, you save wear and tear on yourself!

Your wasting time you should already have the boat listed.

I'd try it myself first then if it doesn't sell quickly look at other options.
Good luck

Rich · 03-30-2013, 08:12 AM

Thanks for all the suggestions, and I'm aware of Craigs list and eBay, etc.

However my dilema is that I have is that if I purchase a 'newer' boat, I have no place to store the boat while waiting for it to be sold.

Belmont Resident · 03-30-2013, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

Thanks for all the suggestions, and I'm aware of Craigs list and eBay, etc.

However my dilema is that I have is that if I purchase a 'newer' boat, I have no place to store the boat while waiting for it to be sold.

OK so bite the bullet and just sell your old boat before even looking for a replacement. Then you have cash in hand no matter how much or little it always talks volumes.
I also like to get pre-approved through my credit union for an amount I am comfortable spending. This way your walking into the sale and talking cash not dealer financing or waiting for financing.
No matter HOW you decide to sell your boat NOW is the time to be doing it.
Another consideration is if you really want to get rid of it price it to sell. Don't price it high and expect to have a lot of hits. If you want it gone you have to make it go.
Last you will always do better on the price selling it yourself.
FYI I consigned mine at Channel Marine. Although I did pay it off I was very disappointed with the way things went and felt that they did very little for me and were more interested in just getting the boat off the lot at any price.

Rich · 03-30-2013, 09:15 AM

Thanks again for your input, I do appreciated it and agree with all that you have to say.

I just wanted to ask here to see if I was missing any options.

I'm thinking of using Irwin for the consignment, if I can work out some details of the whole deal.

codeman671 · 03-30-2013, 09:31 AM

I have had huge success with buying and selling boats on ebay, in fact I have a whaler being delivered to me next week that is coming out of Florida.

I have sold many boats ranging from $5k to $90k on ebay and have purchased many as well. My rule of thumb is that you typically have to go through 3 listing cycles before they sell.

I have used the buyer protection once, when I bought a bought with a trailer that was not titleable due to paperwork issues from the seller. After a long battle ebay paid me $4k for the trailer, and I got to keep it.

Their protection is for title issues or mechanical issues over a certain dollar value, but for boats that are no more than 10 years old. The boat had issues but was outside the 10 year window.

Craigslist is great too, although I recommend putting in your ad that responders provide a complete name, phone number and location otherwise their responses will be deleted. Responses without this info get deleted.

robmac · 03-30-2013, 09:48 AM

If space is an issue you'd have to pay somewhere so consignment is the most plausible way out. I know about the consignment fee and have dealt with Shep Browns with great results also. They deal with the tire kickers,they deal with finance if needed,they market and best of all they sell. You simply collect,no email and or after exchange of info 100 calls no haggling just collect. Just my 2 cents.

jrc · 03-30-2013, 01:01 PM

If possible I would make a deal with the dealer selling you the newer boat. He obviously wants to sell you the boat he has, why wouldn't he deal on selling your current boat for you?

Summer storage shouldn't be an issue. Dry summer storage is dirt cheap for the dealer. Once the boats are in the water, those big fields sit empty. If you set the price too high and you end up storing over the winter, then expect to pay a fee. If you set your price right and the dealer see a quick turn around, he should be willing to bend on the percentage.

The other choice is find a cheap summer storage option. Then sell it yourself. If you sell it quick enough, you can get away without storage. Discount the storage fee and consignment fee, then post it for a quick sale.

Belmont Resident · 03-30-2013, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrc

If possible I would make a deal with the dealer selling you the newer boat. He obviously wants to sell you the boat he has, why wouldn't he deal on selling your current boat for you?

Summer storage shouldn't be an issue. Dry summer storage is dirt cheap for the dealer. Once the boats are in the water, those big fields sit empty. If you set the price too high and you end up storing over the winter, then expect to pay a fee. If you set your price right and the dealer see a quick turn around, he should be willing to bend on the percentage.

The other choice is find a cheap summer storage option. Then sell it yourself. If you sell it quick enough, you can get away without storage. Discount the storage fee and consignment fee, then post it for a quick sale.

I have yet to find a dealer that will take a trade in on a consignment. I had that problem when I bought my last boat. Went to a different dealer and bought new instead.

Belmont Resident · 03-30-2013, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

Thanks again for your input, I do appreciated it and agree with all that you have to say.

I just wanted to ask here to see if I was missing any options.

I'm thinking of using Irwin for the consignment, if I can work out some details of the whole deal.

Irwins is high, they wanted 15% when I talked to them about consigning my Baja. Good luck.

jrc · 03-31-2013, 06:58 AM

Right BR, I would not expect a dealer to take a trade on a consignment boat.

And if you are going to put a boat up for consignment, you have the most leverage to get a good rate with the guy selling you a consignment boat.

Good luck Rich, hope to see you back at the club.

ApS · 03-31-2013, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

Thanks for all the suggestions, and I'm aware of Craigs list and eBay, etc.

However my dilema is that I have is that if I purchase a 'newer' boat, I have no place to store the boat while waiting for it to be sold.

Every Spring, all up and down Wolfeboro's Main Street are boats on trailers marked "For Sale". I suspect those boats are from Wolfeboro's hinterlands, and the seller has arranged to display his boat where many potential buyers can't overlook it. Paying a fee to the landowner would certainly cost less money than a dealer's consignment.

I'd find just such a place in your home town and, with a photograph, put the location on Craigslist, so you won't be inconvenienced with an appointment—and the buyer can take stock of your boat at his leisure.

There's a buyer for your boat out there!

Cub Run · 04-01-2013, 09:30 AM

I sold a whaler through Shep Browns a few years ago and then purchased a larger used whaler and a new trailer from Sheps. Both very positive transactions .
Mike

Rich · 04-08-2013, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrc

Right BR, I would not expect a dealer to take a trade on a consignment boat.

And if you are going to put a boat up for consignment, you have the most leverage to get a good rate with the guy selling you a consignment boat.

Good luck Rich, hope to see you back at the club.

Hi John,

Oh we'll be there, one way or the other, and you know how much work I put into my older boat.

Heck, we had a all brand new canvas and a camper back put on at the end of last year, and we only used it for one weekend before we pulled it out of the water.

I already have a deposit on the 'new' one, and waiting the survey and trials.

It's just that I have no room for a boat at home and also I don't have a trailer for it. So I would have to pay, pay, pay (pay to have it shipped to my home, and/or pay to have it stored again if it doesn't sell).

I worked out a deal so no summer storage fees while the boat is for sale. As you mentioned, this is a consignment deal, so they won't take my boat in trade. If you know anyone that wants a good starter, weekend (older) 27 ft boat, let me know. I'll pay a finders fee.

Rich · 05-06-2013, 01:08 PM

I just thought I would give a final report here.

On Friday (a week ago) I posted a Craig's list ad.
Saturday I had two different parties come and view the boat.
On Sunday I was in negotiations for a final price.
By Wednesday the boat was delivered and paid for.

It was pretty painless for me, I hope the new owner has a much good luck as I did with her.

Now, if I could only say the same thing for my dealings with a local salesman/brokerage on the replacement boat. Grrrr! LOL

HellRaZoR004 · 05-06-2013, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

I just thought I would give a final report here.

On Friday (a week ago) I posted a Craig's list ad.
Saturday I had two different parties come and view the boat.
On Sunday I was in negotiations for a final price.
By Wednesday the boat was delivered and paid for.

It was pretty painless for me, I hope the new owner has a much good luck as I did with her.

Now, if I could only say the same thing for my dealings with a local salesman/brokerage on the replacement boat. Grrrr! LOL

Awesome, thanks for the update. I'm curious, did the buyer have it surveyed?

Rich · 05-06-2013, 03:23 PM

No, the buyer didn't ask to have the boat surveyed.

And to be completely honest, when I purchased this boat less than a year ago, neither did I.

At the time (which was at the start of June of last year), all the surveyers were booked and I would have had to wait a month to get an appointment with one. So considering the relatively low cost of the boat, I was willing to take a chance with it vs. including the cost of a survey to the cost of purchasing the boat. Luckily, I didn't have any problems nor issues while I owned it and I hope the new owner will have the same luck that I did.

jazzman · 05-06-2013, 04:00 PM

I sold a 20k boat on Craigslist last fall... You do get lots of replies from places wanting to place your boat with them for consignment. The most important thing is to make a realistic price. With NADA boats readily available online, it's hard to sell for more then the "book"

One issue is you will have perspective buyers wanting a test drive, which can be a real pain.

A few years ago, I also sold a boat on consignment with Fay's. It was pretty painless (other than the 10% commission), and they sold it quickly for close to my asking price.

Rich · 05-07-2013, 06:12 AM

My original plan was to consign it with another of the large brokerage companies on the lake.

But now that I'm working on buying one of their brokerage boats, I'm glad I didn't end up consigning my old boat with them. Not only to save the fee, but just in the way they seem to treat their brokerage customer's and boat sales.

03-29-2013, 04:33 PM	#1
Rich Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Derry / Gilford Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 68 Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts	Consignment or private sale, or ?? to sell a boat? I'm considering buying a 'new' (or should I say larger and newer) boat, but I currently have an older (1990) 27ft cruiser that will need to be sold. Since the 'newer' boat is a consignment boat, I'm told my only options to sell my boat are either to sell it myself privately, or to consign my boat with a dealer/broker. My boat is not very expensive (by most standards), so any extra fees hurt more than for an expen$ive boat. So this means I will probably own two boats until my current boat sells. Since I don't have a plot of land large enough to hold/store my boat while trying to sell it privately, I feel my only optinos are to consign it with with a dealer/broker. Some want 12% to sell a boat, and also may want to charge summer (as well as winter) storage fees until the boat sells. Are there other options out there that I'm not aware of? Thanks for any help or ideas. Rich

03-29-2013, 05:47 PM	#2
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,512 Thanks: 3,116 Thanked 1,090 Times in 784 Posts	Craigslist and EBay They are two good alternative in a private sale. I sold my last boat through Craigslist to a gentleman on the Cape and bought my current boat from a bank in Maryland on EBay. The boat I sold I got book value and the gentleman drove up and trailer it back. The Maryland boat, I drove down and trailer it back. I was very happy with the boat. Both listings has a must greater market to buy/sell than if you broker/consgnment at a local marina. Ebay has a limited Buyer's Protection Program that gives my mind a little peace. Make sure the boat is surveyed by an independent service. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

03-29-2013, 10:13 PM	#3
Bob M Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Gilford, NH and DeBary, Fl Posts: 51 Thanks: 1 Thanked 10 Times in 6 Posts	Selling Thru a Local Marina Most local marina's post their boats on their local web sites as well as on national data bases. I sold my boat last fall through Shep Brown's in Meredith. Most of the serious inquiries were made from out of state locations. The eventual buyer was from NJ and the boat will be taken there this spring to be used on the Delaware River. I wasn't pleased with the 12% commission but from my perspective and circumstances it was the correct way to go.

04-01-2013, 09:30 AM	#16
Cub Run Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Fl and NH Posts: 16 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Boat Sale I sold a whaler through Shep Browns a few years ago and then purchased a larger used whaler and a new trailer from Sheps. Both very positive transactions . Mike

03-30-2013, 08:12 AM	#6
Rich Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Derry / Gilford Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 68 Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts	Thanks for all the suggestions, and I'm aware of Craigs list and eBay, etc. However my dilema is that I have is that if I purchase a 'newer' boat, I have no place to store the boat while waiting for it to be sold.

03-30-2013, 09:15 AM	#8
Rich Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Derry / Gilford Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 68 Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts	Thanks again for your input, I do appreciated it and agree with all that you have to say. I just wanted to ask here to see if I was missing any options. I'm thinking of using Irwin for the consignment, if I can work out some details of the whole deal.

03-30-2013, 09:31 AM	#9
codeman671 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,360 Thanks: 210 Thanked 764 Times in 448 Posts	I have had huge success with buying and selling boats on ebay, in fact I have a whaler being delivered to me next week that is coming out of Florida. I have sold many boats ranging from $5k to $90k on ebay and have purchased many as well. My rule of thumb is that you typically have to go through 3 listing cycles before they sell. I have used the buyer protection once, when I bought a bought with a trailer that was not titleable due to paperwork issues from the seller. After a long battle ebay paid me $4k for the trailer, and I got to keep it. Their protection is for title issues or mechanical issues over a certain dollar value, but for boats that are no more than 10 years old. The boat had issues but was outside the 10 year window. Craigslist is great too, although I recommend putting in your ad that responders provide a complete name, phone number and location otherwise their responses will be deleted. Responses without this info get deleted.

03-30-2013, 09:48 AM	#10
robmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Nashua,Meredith Posts: 951 Thanks: 213 Thanked 106 Times in 81 Posts	If space is an issue you'd have to pay somewhere so consignment is the most plausible way out. I know about the consignment fee and have dealt with Shep Browns with great results also. They deal with the tire kickers,they deal with finance if needed,they market and best of all they sell. You simply collect,no email and or after exchange of info 100 calls no haggling just collect. Just my 2 cents.

03-30-2013, 01:01 PM	#11
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	If possible I would make a deal with the dealer selling you the newer boat. He obviously wants to sell you the boat he has, why wouldn't he deal on selling your current boat for you? Summer storage shouldn't be an issue. Dry summer storage is dirt cheap for the dealer. Once the boats are in the water, those big fields sit empty. If you set the price too high and you end up storing over the winter, then expect to pay a fee. If you set your price right and the dealer see a quick turn around, he should be willing to bend on the percentage. The other choice is find a cheap summer storage option. Then sell it yourself. If you sell it quick enough, you can get away without storage. Discount the storage fee and consignment fee, then post it for a quick sale.

03-31-2013, 06:58 AM	#14
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	Right BR, I would not expect a dealer to take a trade on a consignment boat. And if you are going to put a boat up for consignment, you have the most leverage to get a good rate with the guy selling you a consignment boat. Good luck Rich, hope to see you back at the club.

05-06-2013, 01:08 PM	#18
Rich Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Derry / Gilford Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 68 Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts	I just thought I would give a final report here. On Friday (a week ago) I posted a Craig's list ad. Saturday I had two different parties come and view the boat. On Sunday I was in negotiations for a final price. By Wednesday the boat was delivered and paid for. It was pretty painless for me, I hope the new owner has a much good luck as I did with her. Now, if I could only say the same thing for my dealings with a local salesman/brokerage on the replacement boat. Grrrr! LOL

05-06-2013, 03:23 PM	#20
Rich Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Derry / Gilford Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 68 Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts	No, the buyer didn't ask to have the boat surveyed. And to be completely honest, when I purchased this boat less than a year ago, neither did I. At the time (which was at the start of June of last year), all the surveyers were booked and I would have had to wait a month to get an appointment with one. So considering the relatively low cost of the boat, I was willing to take a chance with it vs. including the cost of a survey to the cost of purchasing the boat. Luckily, I didn't have any problems nor issues while I owned it and I hope the new owner will have the same luck that I did.

05-06-2013, 04:00 PM	#21
jazzman Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Mont Vernon NH & Big Barndoor Island Posts: 320 Thanks: 4 Thanked 184 Times in 62 Posts	I sold a 20k boat on Craigslist last fall... You do get lots of replies from places wanting to place your boat with them for consignment. The most important thing is to make a realistic price. With NADA boats readily available online, it's hard to sell for more then the "book" One issue is you will have perspective buyers wanting a test drive, which can be a real pain. A few years ago, I also sold a boat on consignment with Fay's. It was pretty painless (other than the 10% commission), and they sold it quickly for close to my asking price.

05-07-2013, 06:12 AM	#22
Rich Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Derry / Gilford Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 68 Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts	My original plan was to consign it with another of the large brokerage companies on the lake. But now that I'm working on buying one of their brokerage boats, I'm glad I didn't end up consigning my old boat with them. Not only to save the fee, but just in the way they seem to treat their brokerage customer's and boat sales.