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used boat market, what will happen in the next 4 months?


Lance B. Johnson

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It has been awhile (2008) since I have shopped for a boat. If I were interested in buying right now I would have 4 potential boats to pick from. I am happy with that and could probably own any of the four. I am not in a hurry, this purchase is for next season.

If I happen to wait 4-5 months or so do you think my selection of potentials will decrease, or increase?

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The number of boats available goes down in the winter, but that is your chance for a rocket deal. Dec, Jan, Feb... that is when folks have a boat they will not use for a while. If someone is in financial jam, they are forced down on price.

Buyers are not in a hurry during the winter, so price pressure is reduced from the buying side.

"Demo boats" outside of the sales area obligation can plummet in price as they are trying to move them off the lot before fiscal year end.

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The number of boats available goes down in the winter, but that is your chance for a rocket deal. Dec, Jan, Feb... that is when folks have a boat they will not use for a while. If someone is in financial jam, they are forced down on price.

Buyers are not in a hurry during the winter, so price pressure is reduced from the buying side.

"Demo boats" outside of the sales area obligation can plummet in price as they are trying to move them off the lot before fiscal year end.

When is the fiscal year end for boat dealers usually? Is it another one of those things that vary dealer to dealer? Accounting is not my specialty so I have no clue about these kind of things!

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I usually notice less & less boats on the market starting in the fall. And anything that was on the market in the summer and hasn't sold, prices start dropping. I bought mine in October of 07 for $11k less than it had been listed for in July.

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The time for a "deal" IMHO is pretty much right now. Sure there's the story of someone who "needs to sell" in December, but for the most part boats go off the market when they get winterized and come back on around boat show season. Right now is when there are still quite a few boats on the market and their sellers are looking at moving them along before winterization/storage/off-season debt service kicks in.

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True on people waiting to sell. I thought about selling mine at the end of summer, but I'm shelving the idea until Boat Show season. Anyone buying a boat right now wants a crazy deal and I don't really need to sell it.

Edited by tjklein
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The time for a "deal" IMHO is pretty much right now. Sure there's the story of someone who "needs to sell" in December, but for the most part boats go off the market when they get winterized and come back on around boat show season. Right now is when there are still quite a few boats on the market and their sellers are looking at moving them along before winterization/storage/off-season debt service kicks in.

This.

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True on people waiting to sell. I thought about selling mine at the end of summer, but I'm shelving the idea until Boat Show season. Anyone buying a boat right now wants a crazy deal and I don't really need to sell it.

I just sold mine and I didn't give it away. Purchased for 31K in august of 08 and sold for 29.5K last week. I think if I were you I would keep it listed and just not negotiate if someone low balls you. I had a few of those myself and I just said, No thanks.

Edited by Lance B. Johnson
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True on people waiting to sell. I thought about selling mine at the end of summer, but I'm shelving the idea until Boat Show season. Anyone buying a boat right now wants a crazy deal and I don't really need to sell it.

Be sure to factor in all your maintenance & storage costs into that bottom dollar price that you will accept.

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The time for a "deal" IMHO is pretty much right now. Sure there's the story of someone who "needs to sell" in December, but for the most part boats go off the market when they get winterized and come back on around boat show season. Right now is when there are still quite a few boats on the market and their sellers are looking at moving them along before winterization/storage/off-season debt service kicks in.

Does this apply to dealers? All four boats that I have found are dealer boats.

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Does this apply to dealers? All four boats that I have found are dealer boats.

I don't know, but I sorta *think* it does apply. When I spoke to my local dealer about taking my boat on trade, they gave me the very honest feedback that that probably wouldn't be in my best interest right now because they were trying to get rid of inventory at this time of the year, not take new stuff on. Granted, this is also coming from a drought impacted dealer whose new and used inventory might be higher than usual this time of year.

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I agree with Shawn and WakeGirl--now thru Thanksgiving is best for buyers depending on your winter climate. We pushed ice away from the boat ramp to water test mine when I bought it. The day after Thanksgiving and the only open water was the river. Beautiful 36* day, no clouds, no wind, lined up just perfect for me. If it were one week later everything would have been solid and water testing would not have been an option. Boat probably would have sat unsold over winter and came back out for a much higher price in spring.

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I looked all winter last year, but was looking specifically for diamond hull VTX, Moomba outback-V and Nautique Sport 200. Pretty much the same few boats all winter in that case, but they are all kind of odd specialty boats that don't seem to come up for sale as often as the bigger wake boats. I wound up buying a couple weeks before the boat show because I knew the prices would go up after everyone got all excited at the show and not so excited by the 2014 prices.

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The reason I ask:

My wife and I came up with the idea that waiting until February might be better. A friend suggested the same thing. And then I ask here and get different opinions which I like.

I see both sides, winter sales are slow, prices more competitive, however no one wants to store a boat that can be sold, dealers try to get rid of inventory etc.....

Maybe I should just start now and try to find the deal I want for the boat I want and not compromise because I do have time and more boats will eventually be on the market.

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The reason I ask:

My wife and I came up with the idea that waiting until February might be better. A friend suggested the same thing. And then I ask here and get different opinions which I like.

I see both sides, winter sales are slow, prices more competitive, however no one wants to store a boat that can be sold, dealers try to get rid of inventory etc.....

Maybe I should just start now and try to find the deal I want for the boat I want and not compromise because I do have time and more boats will eventually be on the market.

Where are you located?

Around here boats will be winterized and in storage in February. Good luck finding a boat for sale, much less getting in to see it or even test drive it. Not to mentioned test riding could be a bit chilly.

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Based on past searches for myself and others the boats that are listed in Feb. are the same ones that have been listed all winter. Because nobody wants them. They come out of storage and the For Sale sections light up in April/May.

Unless a dealer has been sitting on it all winter, of course. Above pertains to private party sales.

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