Why won't my boat sell?

[RicM]

I hear you, and know your pain. I recently unloaded my first boat, a 1995 Proline walk around. I had paid 25K for it in '03 and got 16K a few weks ago. I bought a 28TE last January, and while not stretched finacially, I just wanted to move on. Similar boats to my Proline were listed on the internet from 18 to 22K, making mine the lowest priced example. I thought it would go quickly. Instead, it took 6 mo to find a buyer and that's before the credit mess! I fielded about 60 calls from all over the country. About 15% were out and out fraudsters ("I will send you a check for 10K more, ship the boat to England and wire me the difference"). 50% were just tire kickers, a surprising per centage of them were shit faced drunk and amusing themselves by wasting my time. 10% were brokers and flippers ("your boat is worth 12K, I will give you 10K") that probably had a buyer with 15K in hand that were trying to make a quick turn around.

Nobody NEEDS an Albin 31, it's a discretionary purchase of the highest order. Keep it out there, advertise, and eventually the right buyer will come along. There are not a lot of people with the ways and means to spend 130K on something they want (not need) in spite of the "lifestles of the Rich & Famous" culture the media promotes we who can afford such an indulgence are probably less than 4% of the total population.

[Pitou]

I as well feel your pain. Try to stay detached and I know that is never easy. As sellers we want the best for our side of the table and have an emotional attachment to our boats as we know the fit and finish of our boats. As buyers we want the best and most for our side of the table and will embelish any defect to negotiate a better deal. That's reality. As a real estate broker that's my world. When buying my Albin I wouldn't have wanted to have been the Seller. I eventually landed where I wanted the deal to go with the hull I wanted, but played the walk away game and waited for the call. It came and I was happy to re-enter.

Money is tighter and interest rates are pushing 6.75 to 7% on boat loans which translates to lower purchasing power. An Albin dealer up my way is still trying to unload left over '06's at huge savings to buyers. You're in good company.

For my father in-law, I just sold a boat for 72% of its BUC Book value. The Buyer got a deal on a low, low houred boat in A+ condition. He had been looking for 6 months and could not believe how clean she was. Most Buyers were exactly as RICM describes / they were the internet respondants. Don't take it personal. I placed a large photo ad in Soundings for the last 2 boats sold and the caliber of Buyer was significantly improved. Give it a try.

Again, I feel your pain, but keep any qualified Buyer on the hook and work with them no matter how much they get under your skin. Best of Luck.

[jcollins]

Schutzee,
All good thoughts here. Don't be disouraged. It's the buyers job to tear things apart and find any little problem. Put yourself in his position. You may be like me. When I decided on an Albin...I found it, made an offer, and closed the deal within 30 days. Most folks aren't like that. Some search and research for up to a year before making a purchase like that. It took me a year to sell my last boat. I knew what I put into it and how I took care of it but that didn't matter. It's all part of the game. Finally I tried Ebay and although I was nervous as hell dealing with someone in Eastern Europe it all worked out well. The Euro was strong at that time. Might still be.

[Mariner]

Yeah, it's the buyer's job to exaggerate every imperfection. Don't take it personally. When buying my house, I made a huge stink out of things that didn't really bother me very much, and ended up getting the house for a lot less because of it. In the end, I'm glad I did because the problems turned out to be bigger than I thought, but they just as easily could have been nothing. Don't be bothered by buyers who play hardball. Just stay in the game and throw heat right there with 'em.