Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

A conversation among Whalers
riverdude
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 12:31 pm

Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby riverdude » Sat Nov 05, 2016 1:11 pm

Hello,
First time poster here. I've been around Whalers pretty much all my life between my family ( two 60's and 70's Montauks and one 80's Outrage I/O) and friends but have not had a real boat, other than an old jon boat, for about 15 years. I now have the time to really enjoy one so I've started the search for an 18-20'. The boat will be used in the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence. I've done a few comparisons of asking prices vs. the NADA values and there seems to be a large difference. Just wondering if the NADA values are realistic or asking prices very highly inflated ( like 50%)? I've seen some early 2000 18 Outrages for low 20's, NADA shows high retail of 13-15? Thanks for any input, this is a great resource.

riverdude
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 12:31 pm

Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby riverdude » Sat Nov 05, 2016 1:28 pm

I looked at the NADA again and it is actually average retail, not high retail. So maybe an asking of low 20's for a boat that NADA says average is 14 is not unreasonable for a boat in exceptional condition? Split the diff and maybe an actual selling price of 17-18 for an early 2000's 18?

jimh
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Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby jimh » Sat Nov 05, 2016 2:07 pm

I just looked up a NADA value for my boat. It came up with a price that was about 60-percent of the price I would ask for the boat if I put it on the market. There is no way I would sell my boat for the price NADA says is its retail value. NADA's pricing in my case is also quite favorable because my boat has been re-powered with a $21,000 engine. I can only imagine what NADA would say it was worth without that engine!

Be prepared to pay more than NADA value for a Boston Whaler boat in excellent condition that has seen limited freshwater use. If you pay NADA value you are stealing the boat.

riverdude
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 12:31 pm

Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby riverdude » Sun Nov 06, 2016 9:37 am

That's the conclusion I came to. I'm going to look at a 2000 Outrage 18 that is supposed to be in excellent condition. Unfortunately it has a 2000 Optimax 200 on it, I may as well just shoot myself in the foot and get it over with before buying a boat with that engine on it. If it's nice I'll make him an offer based on hull value only which he will probably laugh at but I'm not going to pay for a headache, I get plenty of them for free.

jimh
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Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby jimh » Sun Nov 06, 2016 11:26 am

ASIDE re the c.2000 Mercury OptiMax 200-HP engine: you can look at it this way: if the engine is still in good working order after 16-years of use, any latent defect in its original manufacture would most likely already have been revealed. Although there certainly were problems with the early models of Brunswick's engine, there are also anecdotal reports of those engines running for years without any particularly unusual problems. But the early OptiMax engines do seem to be prone to some hard-to-diagnose and expensive-to-fix problems. The biggest problem in owning one is probably to have a local mechanic that loves them and knows all about them and can actually fix them. My local Mercury dealer has more or less shunned them; he wouldn't sell them and doesn't work on them.

contender
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby contender » Sun Nov 06, 2016 8:25 pm

Boat value are due to the condition, how well keep, salt or fresh water use, make of boat, hours on the engine...bottom line a boat is worth what someone will pay...

Jefecinco
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Location: Gulf Shores, AL

Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby Jefecinco » Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:05 am

NADA (National Automotive Dealers Association, I believe) values are meant to help dealers maximize profit by minimizing the trade-in value of items. They do not reflect the true value of anything.
Butch

Jeff
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Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby Jeff » Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:05 am

NADA and Kelly Blue book values for old boats are worthless and not based in true Market Values.

BUCValu.com is the only marine valueation site that offers true to reality vessel pricing that marine Surveyors, Brokers and Insurance Agents use. You are able pretty darn accurate market values for older boats and you're also able to pull sales comps that have been input by real brokers. It is fee based service however.

They do offer a limited free valuation service here.
1993 23 Walkaround Whaler Drive - 1988 190 Grady White Tournament- 1981 15' Striper (under restsoration) - Curator of Everything Boston Whaler on Instagram

RobM
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 2:50 pm

Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby RobM » Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:05 pm

RE. NADA valuation info: I would tend to put a lot more credence in info published by bucvalu.com. BUC is closer to the most active market (Florida) and gets a lot more current input. NADA may be ok for ouboards etc., however I found NADA way off the mark in terms of classic Whaler hulls. Good luck.
Rob M
1989 BWC 22' Outrage Cuddy, 2004 BWC 15' Alert (Classic 15), 1987 BWC 22' Outrage, 1983 BWC 15' Sport, 1980 BWC 11', 1985 Hatteras 61' MY

porthole
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Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby porthole » Sat Nov 12, 2016 2:09 pm

I've always found the "average retail" on the NADA boat website for Whalers to be about 40-50% of what the boats sell for on the open market in reasonably good condition.
Thanks,
Duane
2016 World Cat 230DC
1999 Outrage 21, Yamaha SW Series II 200
1997 Outrage 18, Yamaha 125
1983 15 SS, Honda 50
1980 42 Post
1983 34 Luhrs 340 SF

Buoy
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Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby Buoy » Thu Nov 17, 2016 5:24 pm

The NADA values generally represent the amount that I like to pay for my small Whalers, during the winter months, below [fair market value]. I find that the asking price of many Boston Whalers is unrealistically high and I see the same boats listed for multiple years. This one for example has been on Craigslist for more than two years with no price reduction:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/boa/5874199901.html


You should post links to Boston Whalers that interest you and we can provide feedback on the value.

Jefecinco
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Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 6:35 pm
Location: Gulf Shores, AL

Re: Are the NADA Whaler values realistic?

Postby Jefecinco » Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:46 am

That listing for a 14 foot Rage with a 240 HP engine is a little outrageous. I'm not surprised it has failed to sell for a couple of years. I don't think the price is too out of line if the boat is sound and the engine conversion was done properly.
Butch