Selling a Regal: Best time to sell? Setting price?

[Asherah]

Job relocation requires us to part with our 2003 Commodore 2860. Great boat, great condition and we'd like to continue enjoying her this summer on Lake Champlain (VT) and sell at the end of the season (Sept/Oct), but realize this may not be the time most buyers will be looking. Would appreciate opinions as to best time to place ad: Now and negotiate availability? Closer to end of season? Anyone have experience with Boattraders.com or other for sale by owner sites? I'm looking at comparables to set asking price but is there a reliable "blue book" value equivalent site for boats as there is for cars? Any advice appreciated.

[ImRich]

IMHO Boats are tough to sell. The best time to sell is now, because as soon as it gets warm in the North East, people think of doing warm water things, like boating. And anyone that buys a boat in the fall/winter will be looking for a deal (just as you would).

If you want to sell, do it now. Waiting until the end of the year may mean getting a lower price, if you sell it at all, and if not, then you end up paying for preparing it for the winter layup, storage, etc. Then next spring, you start all over again. Of course, now there is another year of depreciation on it.

If you are sure you want to sell, do it now, or take the change and possible price hit later. If you do sell it now, I'm sure you have some boating friends, you know the best thing about boating (from a cost point of view) is "knowing someone that owns one"!

Good luck.

[kdubya]

There is a shortage of clean used boats. Demand is high. I think you will be surprised how quick your boat sells.

[Muddy Blues]

If you want to sell, do it now. Waiting until the end of the year may mean getting a lower price, i.

+1

[Muddy Blues]

There is a shortage of clean used boats. Demand is high. I think you will be surprised how quick your boat sells.

+1

The new boats are super expensive and still selling well, which has increased prices and demand for good used boats.

[Chris_in_Texas]

My 35SC is for sale still.. Just in case someone is looking for one...

[Asherah]

Thanks all who have responded

[Seven]

Definitely put it up for sale now. I have been trying to sell my four winns since October which I thought was a "desirable" model combination. We posted it late in fall and got some interest but no bites. Then all winter was dead silent. Luckily storage is free for me on the trailer. Its starting to pick up now but what I have heard from other brokers is mid summer is their busiest time of year. Not sure how true that is because, well they are used vehicle salesmen...
Its disappointing because we sold out previous boat in less than 2 weeks this time of year. It was a small bowrider and to me not as desirable.

[Rob]

To add another perspective, I'd want a sea trial, so selling it after winterized could be really tough. I agree, nice weather, quicker sale. Also, last year, we were looking for a boat and had had good luck with used, but we found such unrealistic pricing on many boats that we were convinced to go new/leftover since most of the used boats we found were priced beyond a reasonable value proposition.

Good luck, whichever way you decide to go.

[Texdoc8953]

Now is the best time to sell, especially in the northeast. Also I doubt that you will be able to sell the boat now and then keep it for the summer and then deliver it to the new buyer. If they are buying a boat they will want to use it.
You can look at www.bucvalu.com and also www.nadaguides.com/Boats for a valuation of what it's worth.
Good luck...
As my broker told me... A boat priced right will sell, if it doesn't sell it's priced too high...

[Bassdeer]

A boat priced right will sell, if it doesn't sell it's priced too high...

This is true, a lot of people price their boat to high,