C-Dory prices

J

jrmccastle

New member
Wondering if there has been seen a decrease in C-Dory prices like other boats and homes? I am trying to sell a home in Missouri, already $35,000 below comps and no offers. I will be looking to purchase a C-Dory when the house sells.
 
Look on the lower right side of the C-Brats home page and you will see many C-Dorys for sale. That is probably the best place to see generally realistic prices. Lake Union Sea Ray in Seattle is apparently selling all of their on-hand new C-Dorys at quite a discount, maybe enough to make it worthwhile to come all the way out here for the deal.
 
Being new to this group and not quite an owner, I'll dare to jump in. My wife and I have been looking and wanting a C-Dory for six years now, having settled for a lesser boat some years ago. We've always found the prices reflected here to be reasonably accurate. Of course there's often some wiggle room, but the ones we have looked into are pretty close to NADA, once the engine and trailer are added. Hope to see everyone soon out on the water! We'll try to make the Oriental, NC event!
 
I would doubt that used C Dories have de-valued significantly. If they have, it may be because of flooding the market with more boats...but not because of the economy. The C Dory is one of the most economical boats to run available--with the facilities which it has.

When times are bad, boats which retain their resale value, and are economical to run are the best sellers. But all boat sales are down at this point. The 26 to 35 footers are probably the market which is most depressed. Also the C Dory is a trailerable boat--and that cuts the overall cost of ownership very significantly.

Look at the total cost of operation of a boat, including resale, when you make a purchase. Some boats may cost more in the beginning, but in the long run, cost less to run and own. C Dories are this type of boat.
 
Bob, I must respectfully disagree.

This wannabe has been watching C-Dory prices very closely. There is a definite down trend, "deal of the year" is now a monthly occurrence. Many sweet 22's for under $30K now, and a few under $20-22K. People are selling their boats, despite the GREAT value of the CD's, they aren't immune. In the last few weeks I've seen many steals.

Just got back from BC, Sunshine Coast. Marinas are empty, boats aren't out; many, many for sale.
 
C-Dory's probably hold their value better than most for he reasons Bob mentions, but they're definitely losing value compared to past years. We both bought and sold last year so I was very familiar with prices and marketing conditions before the banking mess. Today's market is much softer. Prices are lower, boats are taking longer to sell, and there's a lot more inventory. This is an excellent time to buy if you've been dreaming of owning one and have saved up the cash. Best, Mike.
 
RJD Wannabe":18sazfiv said:
Bob, I must respectfully disagree.

This wannabe has been watching C-Dory prices very closely. There is a definite down trend, "deal of the year" is now a monthly occurrence. ...
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Seems that anything that uses fuel has been soft recently. People are watching their bucks, credit is tight... all that adds up for lower prices and fewer sales for big ticket items.

While no one can say what the state of boating will be in the future, I'll go out on a limb here regarding this topic: the current dip in C-Dory prices will be temporary. There aren't many boats out there that can do what our boats can and still be reasonably economical. People may be doing "stay-cations" this summer (staying close to home, not spending money), but if/when fuel prices stabilize, you'll see budgets being worked out so people can find a way to be out on the water again. Then, the gas guzzling boats will continue to tank, and boats like the C-Dory will become even more sought-after.

The former factory folks picked the wrong time to try to expand and misjudged the market. It will take a while for the demand to swallow up that supply, but when it does, you will see prices rise.

Fuel prices are a big factor. But, people will find a way to afford what they want. I think the fear of continually rising gas prices has stopped more spending than the actual price of gas. This may not be a popular opinion, and I certainly don't mean this to sound elitist... those of us who own these boats are not the "rich" who can toss a couple million bucks at a boat and aren't affected by the price of... well, anything. But, most of us are not so tightly budgeted that we can't enjoy some time on the water. We may go slower, not stay out as long, and spend more time in one place... but there has to be some discretionary income to be able to afford one of these boats (and some have more than one :wink: ). There is a certain price of admission.

If you find "the deal of the year", it just might be the time to make the move.
 
Jim, I agree with you 100 %, we have been watching the RV and Boat used Market. I don't think that C-Dorys are down as much as other brands of boats.
We had been looking at Used RVs for several months (Diesel Pusher a certain year model, a certain brand. We purchased what we had been looking for two weeks ago, it is 4 years old and the Owner lost about 40,000 a year by the book price.
I think that people get scared and don't wait for things to level out. It is a buyers market now on anything that uses Gas, Diesel, or LP
Jim
 
This thread caught my eye as I was opening drawers and poking about. It lost steam in the summer of 2008, but makes for interesting reflection now more than a decade later. That was a period when gas here in north Seattle hit $4.65 a gallon in places, and many believed that a foreteller of a new normal. Certainly prices wouldn't go down, many thought; Could $5 a gallon be on the horizon?

Dr. Bob and Steady Eddy Mike, as usual, you two offered educated opinion and well-informed experience on the topic. But it was Texas James, fellow friend of cats, who really nailed it. It seems to me, Jim, that what you forecast about boating and C-Dory, almost 11 years ago around the time of the great recession, was pretty darn prescient. See anything up ahead?
:clock
 
Wow, I was reading along in this thread, and only when I encountered an old reply of my own did I realize it was from 2008! All the talk of empty marinas and fire-sale prices on unsold C-Dories was jarring, as I normally have a good ear to the ground of the economy and didn't see things being quite that bleak at present. If you hang around long enough and pay some attention you begin to see patterns emerge!

Cheers! Mike
 
Brock, I have heard the term psychotic used to describe me... pretty much the same as psychic, right? :wink:

A lot of the same names and faces here since that 2008 post; a few have moved away from boating; and some have moved on to bigger boats.

I live in Texas... when gas prices go up, they pump more oil out of the ground and the offshore platforms... which ultimately brings the prices down. With the prices down, those wells are definitely pumping slower.

Some of us just need to have some water time. Times and prices change, but I still think the C-Dorys are a smart way to get that water time, depending on how you will use the boat.

If I were better at telling the future, I would be buying lottery tickets. :mrgreen: But, what do I know - right now, we are in the dry ol' desert ('cause it is where our kid lives). Best wishes to you, Catman.
 
Generally C Dory prices have been inching up--but many are still not too far off of actually being close to used 10 or more years later than when new. Probably the older boats are profiting more than newer boats.

There are still some great bargains and some boats which are overpriced. I probably sold my 22 a bit low this year. But I got back all that I had in it, including the upgrades to pretty much new electronics, plus a lot of upgrades.

I paid a little more than I originally planed for my 25, but it was an exceptional boat, with a lot of very nice upgrades and improvements. I have improved it more, and doubt that I will get the $$ out. I just went to 200 amp hours of LiFePO4 batteries, DC to DC charger for the LI batteries, and a Victron 2000 watt/80/50 amp charger, with remote. That will give us battery power to run the microwave and induction burners, plus freezer/refrigerator much of the time, only using the engine alternator.

I can say it has been a bad year for corn and soy farmers--and Chapter 12's are way up. The stock market is in a bubble. Government spending/debt is out of control. New boats are outlandishly expensive, and many have waiting lists of over a year.

Not sure when the bubble is going to burst---it has last longer than I thought. It may not be this year--may be next year. Different dynamics than 2007, which was mostly due to housing mortgages/government/ Banking leading directly to 2008.

Oil price dynamics are most interesting--Russia aligning with OPEC and the Venezuela situation are both very interesting and need to be watched. The fracking, is volatile because of costs, but it is a bit more efficient. What if we are mandated to be 100% non fossil fuel in 10 years?

Politics are going to enter in more strongly than in last few years. I still feel the C Dory is the "smartest" boat to own in these or any times.

Don't down play the 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day. Many want an economical

As for C Dory, compare the situation in 2007, with today. The company run by the
Reynolds was already becoming over extended. Today's situation is entirely different. Experienced builders are making boats to order.

Since life expectancy has actually fallen slightly in the last few years--buy your C dory sooner, rather than later! To paraphrase the Ancient Greek Physician, Hippocrates: : Ars longa, vita brevis Life is short--boating art is long. :?
 
ssobol":3l1gx26e said:
tsargent":3l1gx26e said:
... We'll try to make the Oriental, NC event!
Click to expand...

What event is that?
Click to expand...

Well, Might have to go back into the archives to find your answer. I'll leave that to you if you are really interested.

Check the date of the post.

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:26 am
Post subject: RE: Prices

Being new to this group and not quite an owner, I'll dare to jump in. My wife and I have been looking and wanting a C-Dory for six years now, having settled for a lesser boat some years ago. We've always found the prices reflected here to be reasonably accurate. Of course there's often some wiggle room, but the ones we have looked into are pretty close to NADA, once the engine and trailer are added. Hope to see everyone soon out on the water! We'll try to make the Oriental, NC event!
Click to expand...

Not the first time someone has been caught off guard by an old thread being brought out of retirement. And Won't be the last. BTDT :oops:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

IMGP2086.thumb.jpg
 
Prices of c-dory boats have been the only thing steady since I started watching these little boats. My 401k has whip sawed back and forth, Real estate prices, gas prices, if I could have guessed I'd be retired now.

These little boats have remained. The one thing I see less of now is older boats in need of freshening. in those days, there was a lot of "deals" on boats with old electronics, chalky exteriors, ratty interiors and older outboards and priced accordingly. We all know those aren't deals once the upgrades are bought and paid for, but was a lower entry fee. Most of these have been renovated and turned into great boats again.

In my opinion there's been a just a small increase on the whole range of used cdory's but I've mostly been following along with 22s. Asking prices have inched up maybe 1%, or 1.5% give or take, in my estimation. We bought our first one, a 2003 that was nicely outfitted from a well known dealer for what would probably be considered a bargain today. It would be an older, dated boat now, needing upgraded electronics but would still fetch at least what we paid.

When a new boat costs what they do, its all about supply and demand. That's pretty much it. They are a neat boat, and if you think they get a lot of attention from onlookers in the PNW, they get even more attention in the Southeast where many people have never seen one before!
 
I am reading this thread somewhat in disbelief because the conditions being described dealing with slow home sales and empty marinas certainly does not describe what we’re seeing here in Ohio.

Marinas on Lake Erie are full and our marina (750 slips) has been at capacity for the last five years. Also, the housing market is extremely strong. In June, we sold our home in a solid, middle class neighborhood in less than 24 hours for $15,000 over appraised market price. Six people were waiting for a month or more for it to come onto the market.

I also don’t see an increase of boats for sale or dropping prices.

Nick
Valkyrie II
C-Dory 25
 
Hey, Nick,

It's an old thread, from 2008, when homes and most big ticket items went into the crapper.

We're in Phoenix currently, and it seems their home market is also once again thriving. While certainly not the 2007 building-boom era, I think the days of using one's house as an ATM (taking additional loans against the rising property value to finance cars and boats) isn't happening.
 
Hi Jim,

Good to hear from you! Give our best to Joan.

RE: your reply to my comment.....my turn to feel foolish and unobservant.
Oops!

Nick
Valkyrie II
C-Dory 25
 
Well, I read this for a bit before I realized that Brock had revived an 11 year old thread!

We are in a situation where we have a 14 year old 2005 CD25 with a 14 year old Honda 150 with about 2000 hours on it. The CD25, with a little attention from Bitter End Boat Works, can be made to look as good as new. But that engine...West Coast Marine tells us it still runs great, but we are now adding Techron to every fill up and changing the oil at 50 hours! So, we are faced with the question - run it until it dies, or go for a new Suzuki 200 while we can still get a few bucks out of the Honda? Patty has one view, I have a different view. Can you guess who is for what?
 
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