Let's talk price a bit

[Bearh]

Looking for some help here. On the one hand, I hate to sell "Snowdon" any time real soon. On the other hand, she deserves to be out more than the occasional afternoon putter.
As folks may have noticed, I priced her out at $36,000 when I put her on the market here a few weeks ago. It's less than we paid for her in 2003, and since then we've added a few things, not the least of which was a $500 tank upgrade to 20-gallon tanks, and real good fuel/water filtering. She is a 1999, with 538 hours on a well-maintained Honda 75, in very good-to-excellent condition (I'd say excellent, but I know how many concours-quality CD care-givers there are out there).
We've had a few nibbles, but so far, folks decided to buy new.
We've had this pricing conversation before, but not too recently, and there seems to be a number of folks scattered around the country looking to sell and move up, so...what do you think might be a fair price range for our baby? Hopefully this discussion will be helpful to me, to other potential sellers, and to potential buyers.

[Papillon]

A few months ago I would have been quick to tell you that you had your boat priced too high for a 99 model with all those hours on the motor....but since becoming a new owner of a vintage (1993 Angler) I want to see the market price of our boat to be mantained at a higher level.

Now the truth of the matter is your priced right...an those wanting to purchase new will find out just how much more they will pay when they get the finial bill. It will be well above your price when it is all said and done.

According to your hour meter you adverage 76.8 hours per year...I do that per month so the your just getting that honda broken in good to my standards. But less experienced boaters or those new to boating may think that is a high number and they want a warranty to go with a new motor. So you might offer to keep your motor and sell it and let them repower new to get what they want in the first place. There are to numerous ways to work a boat deal to go into here, but you may want to get creativate in your sells pitch.

Remember for your local buys, this is the off season....give a few more months and let the snow melt and I believe you will get your price.

[Da Nag]

Since it doesn't sound like you need to sell immediately, I'd stick to your listed price.

First...virtually every boat/car/real estate sale has the expectation that counter-offers can be made. While I think you're a tad high on the price, it's not so high as to scare folks away...serious buyers will make you an offer.

Second, and more importantly...we're coming up on the best time of year to sell. Folks are coming out of the winter doldrums, thinking of spring, and making plans for the better weather. I'm firmly convinced that houses and boats always get top dollar in the spring, so I'd not make any drastic price reductions for a couple more months.

Good luck.

[Sawdust]

Done this so many times my wallet hides every time I look at another boat. My guess - just a tad high - but as Bill Da Wise One says, we are now approaching a boat buyers dream time. Hang in there. You are not too high to frighten folks away, so I'd expect a counter offer. Low hours for that engine!!! Lots of 75/90 series out there with over 4,000 hours.

Good luck,

Dusty

[jdoskoch]

A fellow Marylander has an 02 with 155 hours on a Honda 90 asking $40k. It also has a Wallas. In my opinion you should start lower... I am in the market for used, but am limiting my search to boats with under 200 hours. I'm also stuck on the Wallas, since it's cold up here at the northern end of Lake MI. The other guys are right though, you may get close to your price in April or May.

[Bearh]

Appreciate the feedback so far, and yes, we do entertain reasonable offers--I'll point prospective buyers to this thread because of the very useful information contained. I'm not greedy, but I'm also not in a hurry (I'll probably be out with FEMA for a bit over the next month or so anyway). The problem with springtime (break out the Robert Goulet here, those of you able to remember), is that then it will be even harder to say goodbye to Snowdon.
Keep those comments comin'--gotta be some more good opinions out there. C-Dories are good value for the buck, and frankly, I look at used boats in general, well maintained, as good value. Two points--C-Dories tend to attract people who understand that you get what you care for, and they are built to run real well with reasonable care. You tend to get a lot for your dollar, including items and arrangements you'd have to pay top dollar to get installed, or spend top-dollar time doing yourself in a new boat. The best boats I have ever owned have all been used, to me. How's that for a sales pitch, especially since it is totally sincere, as well. Bruce

[hammerhead]

Well being in the market for a 22 myself I would lean towards priced to high, but hey thats just me, I realize c-dorys sell for above book every time, how much well its hard to say we don't really see the actual sales price here but what I do is check book and add 5 grand to a good used c-dory. I am in the process of closing a deal now, but you have a boat in great shape and you may find that buyer to pay your price any day.
Kinda like playin the stock market

You movin up to a 25 ?

[oldgrowth]

I don’t know if you are a little high on your price or not. It sounds like some of the people that know more than I do, think you may be. However I do know about selling.

From 1969 to 1982, I was an Owner and Real Estate Broker of the largest Land Office in Washington State. One thing I would tell every new sales agent that I hired was “The key to selling is listing the property at the right price”. I would quote a study done in (and I forget the state, but it was in the Northeast).

Over a period of several years, the study compared every listing in the Multiple Listing Service and every sale that was made of those properties. Of the properties that sold, the property that was listed at market value was SEVEN times as likely to sell as the one priced at just 10% over the market value. The higher the price over the market value, the less likely it was to sell, even if the seller indicated he would take less. This did not mean that purchasers did not offer less for those properties priced at market value, but in most cases the seller held firm and got his price.

One advantage you have is, there are more buyers for C-Dorys than sellers and we are just starting to approach the selling season for boats. If you really want the most lookers, contacts and offers think about what I said.

Good luck with the sale of your boat. Someone will have a wonderful boat.

[Bearh]

No, not a bigger boat, just paring down to go bi-coastal for a bit. Our son and daughter-in-law are in the family way, and we're figuring out how we can get out to Port Townsend more often , where they are, so we can be in the way too. . Plus, I want a Miata (like Ken, over at C-Dogs) too. Had one in the '90's and miss it badly. Used ones are cheap, kinda like what I got for mine when I traded it in. Bruce