When to sell whaler - Moderated Discussion Areas

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Whaler Marketplace
  When to sell whaler

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   When to sell whaler

1boatguyxx posted 01-04-2008 08:46 AM ET (US)
I have decided to sell a couple of my Whaler fleet and I am wondering when would be the best time. Do I list them now or wait till the spring or early summer. I considered listing them on e-bay now and then locally later if they don't sell. I can't imagine anyone buying a boat in the middle of the winter but who knows. I also don't want to tie the boat up with an offer dependant on a sea trial 4 months from now.So do I start the process or wait for spring?
friend99 posted 01-04-2008 09:27 AM ET (US)
I assume your boats are winterized and covered for the winter (i.e. not kept in a heated garage). If that is the case, I would wait for spring which is a better time to sell than early summer. A potential buyer may not want a sea trial, but they will want to run the motor and it makes no sense to unwinterize the boat for prosective buyers and risk a freeze that could damage the motor.
I would start by listing the boats on Craig's List for your area and within 150 miles of your area. If you have no success with Craig's list (which is free), I would then list them on boats.com and boattraderonline. I generally do not use ebay, but some nice Whalers have sold for high prices recently, so you may want to consider it. The one good thing ebay gives you is a wide exposure and you may want to consider putting your phone number in the auction ad to facilitate a discussion with potential buyers while the auction is ongoing so they will bid higher.
It does not hurt to list your boat here on CW, but my experience has been you can sell it for more elsewhere. This primarily occurs because most people on this sight already have BW's.
In any event, best of luck to you and please tell me what boats you will be selling. Since you are in the Northeast, I may be able to help.
BlueMax posted 01-04-2008 09:51 AM ET (US)
I agree with Friend's assessment that potential buyers would want a look-see and run the motor, so if they are winterized it would be best to wait. Additionally, folks buying boats in the winter are likely looking for deals since it off season.
As with anything, when the season comes and the fever hits, you would likely be able to get a few more dollars for the product and would have a lot more potential customers (i.e. cast a wider net over a bigger school of fish). Most likely, off-season buyers are a lot more savvy and will haggle on price and detailed minutia more so than a "fever-induced" purchaser.
I don't know where you love but here in the Carolinas, the "season" (while pretty much year round) will be kicking back in around March (though some may be looking for "early-bird" specials) and hitting stride by April if you can wait just 2 more months to list.
BlueMax posted 01-04-2008 09:53 AM ET (US)
uhhhh........ where you "LIVE" - live that is, "love" is where you can find it - Ha!
Sorry about that.
friend99 posted 01-04-2008 10:05 AM ET (US)
BlueMax.......what a great phrase...."fever induced purchaser". I will certainly use that one in the future! Happy New Year!

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: When to sell whaler
1boatguyxx	posted 01-04-2008 08:46 AM ET (US) I have decided to sell a couple of my Whaler fleet and I am wondering when would be the best time. Do I list them now or wait till the spring or early summer. I considered listing them on e-bay now and then locally later if they don't sell. I can't imagine anyone buying a boat in the middle of the winter but who knows. I also don't want to tie the boat up with an offer dependant on a sea trial 4 months from now.So do I start the process or wait for spring?
friend99	posted 01-04-2008 09:27 AM ET (US) I assume your boats are winterized and covered for the winter (i.e. not kept in a heated garage). If that is the case, I would wait for spring which is a better time to sell than early summer. A potential buyer may not want a sea trial, but they will want to run the motor and it makes no sense to unwinterize the boat for prosective buyers and risk a freeze that could damage the motor. I would start by listing the boats on Craig's List for your area and within 150 miles of your area. If you have no success with Craig's list (which is free), I would then list them on boats.com and boattraderonline. I generally do not use ebay, but some nice Whalers have sold for high prices recently, so you may want to consider it. The one good thing ebay gives you is a wide exposure and you may want to consider putting your phone number in the auction ad to facilitate a discussion with potential buyers while the auction is ongoing so they will bid higher. It does not hurt to list your boat here on CW, but my experience has been you can sell it for more elsewhere. This primarily occurs because most people on this sight already have BW's. In any event, best of luck to you and please tell me what boats you will be selling. Since you are in the Northeast, I may be able to help.
BlueMax	posted 01-04-2008 09:51 AM ET (US) I agree with Friend's assessment that potential buyers would want a look-see and run the motor, so if they are winterized it would be best to wait. Additionally, folks buying boats in the winter are likely looking for deals since it off season. As with anything, when the season comes and the fever hits, you would likely be able to get a few more dollars for the product and would have a lot more potential customers (i.e. cast a wider net over a bigger school of fish). Most likely, off-season buyers are a lot more savvy and will haggle on price and detailed minutia more so than a "fever-induced" purchaser. I don't know where you love but here in the Carolinas, the "season" (while pretty much year round) will be kicking back in around March (though some may be looking for "early-bird" specials) and hitting stride by April if you can wait just 2 more months to list.
BlueMax	posted 01-04-2008 09:53 AM ET (US) uhhhh........ where you "LIVE" - live that is, "love" is where you can find it - Ha! Sorry about that.
friend99	posted 01-04-2008 10:05 AM ET (US) BlueMax.......what a great phrase...."fever induced purchaser". I will certainly use that one in the future! Happy New Year!