Advertising your boat for sale:please read

[Mariner]

I'd like to encourage anyone listing an Albin for sale to do so here. It is my opinion that this forum offers an extremely good value to potential sellers. You get: Unlimited run time, unlimited text and pictures, an extremely targeted audience, the ability to change or add information at will, and feedback from owners on price, equipment, and condition. For all of this you pay: NOTHING.

This free service is available to any registered member, including, owner-sellers and friends of sellers.

A few guidelines:
1. It's easier if we standardize abbreviations. FS: means "For Sale". WTB: means "Want To Buy". A4T: means "Available For Trade". Start your thread titles with these abbreviations. The following abbreviations should be used for current Albin models: TE: Tournament Express, CB: Command Bridge, ET: Express Trawler, CC: Center Console, FC: Family Cruiser, NSC: North Sea Cutter. Other models and designations should follow generally accepted abbreviations such as, FB: Flybridge, TT: Taiwan Trawler, FC: Full Cabin, AC: Aft Cabin, A/C: Air Conditioning etc....

For example, if you were advertising a 2005 Tournament Expres with a Flybridge you would want to word your title like this: "FS: 2005 35' TE FB, with A/C, $300,000"

If you wanted to trade your 1999 28' Tournament express for a plot of land you would word it "A4T: 1999 28' TE for land in Southern Florida" When it comes to trade, please list what you have available for trade first, followed by what you want. This is often a point of confusion.

2. Post your contact information. Email, phone, whatever you prefer.

3. Include your price. Not including your price is a rookie mistake. Some people think it's a good way to drive more telephone traffic, but it wastes people's time. It will improve the quality of the leads you get.

4. A picture is worth a thousand words. Don't just say your boat is "in excellent condition". Show us its condition. This will increase the number of people who view it. People will look at it just to see the pictures. If they like it, they will then let people who may be more seriously considering a boat, that it is available. There is nothing you can do to improve the effectiveness of your ad more than to include pictures.

NO STOCK PHOTOS. Please do NOT post pictures of a "sistership", or another boat that is similar to the one you are listing for sale. Pictures must be of the actual boat for sale.

5. Details, details, details. Include as much detail about your boat as possible; engine hours, fuel capacity, ground tackle, upgrades, electronics, gear, etc.... describe it all.

6. Delete your thread when the boat sells. Or at least make a post stating that it has been sold. This will free up the top of the page for active listings, as well as ensure you don't receive more calls after the boat has sold. Feel free to leave the listing up and let us know what it eventually sold for. This is helpful to members who are in the market, or considering selling, so they can gauge what is a fair price. Do not "bump" your listing to the top of the list without adding information.

7. List gear or related equipment as well. This forum is not just for boats, it can be for your other boating related equipment as well. But please don't list your car or motorhome for sale here.

8. Links to external personal sites and photo hosting sites are allowed. Links to dealers or brokers will be edited or removed by the moderators.


Thank you,