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Selling my '02 Sunsetter LXi


RTS

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After much soul searching, I have reluctantly made the decision to sell my 2002 Sunsetter LXi. Too many summers without getting much use out of the boat (less than 200 hours on the engine) combined with some recent financial setbacks and future uncertainty have led me to this decison.

Can you all please share with me where to begin? Craigslist? Boat Trader? Only Inboards . com? What avenues are the most effective? Which ones should I avoid? It is not time critical. Summer is approaching and I feel like thisi would be a good time to try to sell it.

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Several options to choose from.

Used the boats for sale here in forums.

Craigslist, Ebay (auction or do the classifieds which I think is viewable up to 200-250 miles from you).

I have used Craigslist and Ebay in the past and had good success. I also have set it out at a local business on weekends and had people interested that way too.

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After much soul searching, I have reluctantly made the decision to sell my 2002 Sunsetter LXi. Too many summers without getting much use out of the boat (less than 200 hours on the engine) combined with some recent financial setbacks and future uncertainty have led me to this decison.

Can you all please share with me where to begin? Craigslist? Boat Trader? Only Inboards . com? What avenues are the most effective? Which ones should I avoid? It is not time critical. Summer is approaching and I feel like thisi would be a good time to try to sell it.

Start here, post up a few photos and details.

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Not real sure about the hours....in the 190 range. S/A Boatmate trailer. Thinking of the $23K range. Condition is easily 9 out of 10 all around. Yes...Orlando.

Edited by RTS
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I looked for two years before buying. I had looked thru EVERY avenue, ebay, onlyinboards, craigslist, boattraderonlilne, etc.

I went and looked at a whole lot of them. Finally, on craigslist only 2 hours away, there she was. When the owners wife started crying, in fear that they were going to drive away without her, I bought the boat.

Sounds like someone will get a great boat in yours, just like I did. Good luck,

Steve B.

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RTS, you won't have any trouble selling her. Sorry you have to. I miss the room of my '01. It's the best family ski boat ever made!! Best of luck to you. Peter's a good guy. Give him first dibs!! :clap:

Edited by billb
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  • 3 weeks later...

Listing on here is obviously free and enthusiast based, so that's a no-brainer.

Craigslist is a hit or miss. I actually got my boat from Craigslist, but through a want-to-buy ad I put up. I was contacted by several sellers, and looked at two off my WTB ad. I would make sure to look for those (both in the boats and WTB section) and contact any of those posts. As for listing it for sale, you will get the typical scammers, low-ballers, idiots that just want to know if it was still for sale (I guess so that if they ever have that kind of money they know that items is still available), and people who are no-shows. But I've also bought and sold a lot on there too (just dumped my lawn mower for 1k very easily on there).

I used Boattrader a lot and liked their listing format. Ebay is another avenue, but I would honestly go other routes first and I Ebay a lot. Too many dead-beat bidders with no real punishment from Ebay for being that way. I never checked Onlyinboards, but wish I had when I was purchasing.

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Thanks for the advice. I am actually leaning towards letting my local Malibu dealer consign it. I am in no mood to list it on craigslist and then have to demostrate it to every one who wants a boat ride. Plus, I am extremely gun shy when it comes to getting scammed. If I sell it locally, someone is going to have to let me escort them to their bank and let me watch the teller print the cashiers check before I sign my title over. I will not even consider taking that much cash. I will take a check from a dealer.

But the thought of my boat sitting on a dealers lot bugs me for some reason. Kind of like leaving a pet outside all night in the cold, when they are used to being warm and cozy in my house (or stored in an inside valet storage area, in the case of my boat). I know the dealer will take good care of the boat while they have it, and I have to get over the emotional attachment I have for the boat if I am going to sell it.

Here's a picture..

post-58-0-28714700-1334415420_thumb.jpg

Edited by RTS
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That is a gorgeous boat. I wish I had room for another! Sorry you have to sell. If you don't really want to deal with possible buyers and take them for rides then it sounds like consignment is the only option.

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Selling it yourself may not be as bad as you think. My last boat I sold last summer, two people looked at it. First couple figured out it wasn't for them, no boat ride. Second said "sold" while we were on the water, and I had cash in hand and title transfered over within the next hour. Very easy transaction.

Remember, if the dealer sells it for you, the dealer gets a cut of the cash. Sounds like you are selling it because you need the money...I bet if you average your per-hour average income, multiply that by the hours you will have invested selling the boat, you will be at less money than what the dealer will have for his take.

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RTS, selling on craigslist is really not that bad, and it is free! I have sold several things on there, and most of the people I met to sell something has been extremely nice, and usually pretty informed on what they were buying. I think when I sold my last boat, I had two different "joy rides" (liked the boat and everything about it, but had never owned a boat and it intimidated them when handling it - all the things inboards do if you are not used to it), and the third one drove 4 hours away from home, test drove for 30 minutes and paid cash when we went to my bank. I had the bank verify that their cashier's check was good, so best to set up a time when you know your bank will be open for the test drive and to verify the funds. Usually on CL you will get a few spam or fhishing emails within the first couple of days, usually sound like: "Is it still for sale?" (do not even take the time to put what "it" is), or a few other variations, sometimes get the emails that say I am fine with the asking price, please email me your address and information so I can make arrangements to pay thru (insert paypal or other means here) and have a shipping company pic it up. You may also get some junk email, but you will be able to tell the Real emails by people asking specific questions about your boat or requesting more pics or contact info (I don't give my phone number in the add due to telemarketers in the past).

Here is a link to my add (copy and tweek it if you want): http://monroe.craigslist.org/boa/2909042757.html

You could always give it a try to see if you get any bites before taking it to the dealer for consignment. It would at least be worth a shot. Also, leave yourself some room in price for negotiations, just incase they ask.

Good luck, and as nice as your boat is, it should sell really fast!

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Remember, if the dealer sells it for you, the dealer gets a cut of the cash. Sounds like you are selling it because you need the money

The dealer has a flat fee to market the boat. It is very reasonable. Using your example of my hourly wage, I would have to have less than 8.33 hours invested in the marketing, demonstrating, answering questions on the phone, etc to break even. Throw in the fact that I would be accepting a check from a Malibu dealership vs cash or a check from a private individual, the consignment will be the better route for me take, I think. Notwithstanding my emotional attachment to the boat and the fact that I do not want to watch someone drive away with it.

The boat has been paid for since 2005 and cost me about $200/month for storage/insurance/registration/club memberships/maintenance.etc. That is not a significant percentage of my monthly budget. But when you use the boat only a couple times a year, that equates to $1200/day. My kids are at an age where our weekend schedules are full of activities, usually in different places, and it is a struggle to find time on the lake. I spend more time cruising by myself than I do with others.

I do appreciate your thoughts, though. Thanks

Edited by RTS
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Ouch, your monthly costs are high. I pay $290/year for full coverage insurance. I keep it at home, so that's free. Registration is I think $60 every 3 years (so $20/year), trailer tags are another $35/year. So those costs add up to about $29/month. I've sunk a few repair bucks into her, but mostly new toys for the boat. I'm guessing my yearly maintenance costs at $300 (fluids, repairs, filters, etc), though mine last year were less than that (I do my own maintenance, which makes a big difference in cost). But I'll even round up and say I have a $60/month total operating cost + fuel each month. I can see where $200/month for not using it much can be pretty hard to swallow, as we use ours 1-3 times a week in the summer.

I can be the devil's advocate and say pull the kids out of some activities and have them spend more time on the boat. :)

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