Where do most people go to sell a used aluminum boat these days?

LDUBS said:

Sounds like a nice boat. From what you say, you are eliminating your only option for fresh water. If that isn't an issue, then from your comments it sounds like your comparable without a trailer is in the $2,000 range. I would think it will be harder to sell without a trailer.

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1pc@atime said:

I strongly prefer the CL format over FB, all I ever got here on FB was scammers and "Is this still available" messages that never follow up.
I've never once had anyone respond to me there either as a buyer. Either all the ads are fake of they list for sport.
On CL, I generally google their name or phone number before answering, usually you can tell if their for real or just a scammer collecting phone numbers or email addresses for some mailing list. Lately it seems ever response off CL leads to 30 sales calls from Solar panel companies looking to sign up the next victim.

I own an SF14 myself, its been my electric only boat and my go out by myself days boat. With a 35hp tiller on it it flat out flies and is likely one of the best boats I've ever owned. Mine is still on the original floor and transom wood after 30 years.
I'd take the older models over the newer models any day, the later boats were not as well built and made from thinner metal. I bought mine from a guy who got too old to use it when it was four years old. I gave $800 for it with a junk trailer, I put mine on an older trailer that I had rebuilt for the boat I had before it.

For me, the rule of thumb for anything used is half of new, then minus for any issues. I can't see any step through SF14 selling for less than $2,000 in this economy, it'll take you twice that and then some to replace it and then you still won't have the same quality boat you have now.
I kick myself for selling my 1974 Seafarer 14 but I do like the step through middle bench and the wider transom on the 90's models.

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wmk0002 said:

So as someone who has done this myself on accident many times, what you are getting is someone who looked at your ad and fat thumbed the quick reply option that says "is this still available?". It's a one click thing. Whenever I do it, if I even catch it, I send another message saying it was an accident. It's a poor design by Facebook to not pull up messenger and make you confirm you want to send it.

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barnfinds said:

About 8 years ago I inherited my dad's old boat. I wasn't sure if I was keeping it but its become the only boat I use now.
My 94 Starcraft SF14DLX just sits. I sold the motor last year figuring since i moved here we can only use a trolling motor, i didn't have any use for a gas motor.
I've used it once since I started using my dads old boat.

My question is, where's the best place to sell it?
I'm not letting go of the trailer, I built that myself and had it hot galvanized in 2009, its worth more than the boat.

I was all set to list it for $1,500 then saw several boat dealers selling similar boats for $2,100 with no trailer, or $3,400 with a used trailer.
Mine is nicer than any I've seen listed. Mine is a walk through middle bench with livewell, dual battery tray and a 35hp max hp rating.
(I ran a 1985 15hp Johnson on it back in PA). Gas motors are a no no in fresh water here to I sold the old motor a year ago and have been running my old 3hp Minn Kota, sometimes two of them in the ponds here.

I priced a new boat just like it and the best deal I found was a left over 2022 model 150 miles away for $4,699 on clearance, or a 2020 model for $100 less.
Mine is a 1992, and has never seen saltwater. Its only been wet once since I came here 8 years ago. Since my dad's old boat was still tagged, I just kept using it and transferred my name onto it It was cheaper then a new registration. I did change the title over for the 14ft, so its not an out of state title but it still needs NJ numbers put on it yet but that'll be the next owners task. I was actually just going to hand paint them on after two local sign shops wanted $80 or more for a pair of 3 1/2" tall boat numbers.

I have to say I was bit shocked at what they want for a new boat or even a used boat now, let alone $1,799 for a 14ft boat trailer for the cheapest lightest one they sell. One dealer had complete 14ft boat, 9,9hp motor, and trailer packages on sale for $10,200. I paid $1,999 for mine, boat, motor, and trailer in 1994 as a left over.
One dealer told me he don't sell used boats he scraps them because they're more trouble than their worth paperwork wise. (NJ changed the DMV process so now trailers need to be weighed before you can register them unless you have the original CO, which in the past, the DMV took in lieu of your registration card.
I had never thought I'd sell my 14ft but its not doing me any good sitting under a tarp in the back yard and I can only use one at a time. I'll miss it but I'll likely never use it again so long as I've got a 40hp 16ft boat right next to it that can get me to where the bigger fish are here. I also have gotten to like the side console vs tiller steer on the 16ft too. Not to mention electric start.


What would you ask for a 14ft Starcraft these days?

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mirrocraft16 said:

A buddy has been trying to sell a 20,000 Snapon tool box for $8k cash and has gotten only one $200 offer and a ton of nasty psycho type emails from guys who can't afford it. Probably the same guys who sign their life away for a new box off the Snapon truck for $30k for $10 a week for the rest of their lives.

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barnfinds said:

Most professional shops will not allow a guy to have a cheap box, their insurance won't cover it.
A buddies son has been going through factory training for Ford, the program includes a 10 week on/off schedule between classes and work at the dealer who sponsors you. It costs them $5,800 per 10 week semester and after about four years you come out with a degree in "Automotive Technologies" which is about useless anywhere but there. They pay them the going starting rate for an 'A' rate technician, which is about $19/hr. and they top out at around $22/hr if they stay for enough years.

The program gives them their basic tools but they're responsible for uniforms, union dues, diagnostic equipment, and consumables. (sandpaper, tape, solder, gloves, etc.)

Many shops dictate the type of tool box, generally it has to be a 'truck' bought box, with a known security reputation. Color and size is also sometimes an issue. One neighbor who works at the Toyota dealer just paid $34,000 for a new box, its on a $45/wk payment plan, which is on top of the $51k he already owes Snapon, and the $11k he owes Matco, and the personal loan he took out to update his scan tool software for the current model year.

Those updates run between $5k and $30k depending on whether its brand specific or covering many brands. Next year they were old that they will need to completely update to a new scanner to cover EV's and other brand models that they often see as trade ins despite not selling an EV there themselves.
I think he's 38, and has been doing that for over 10 years.
He had been a truck driver before that but lost his CDL due to being diabetic with some other issues.

Theft of tools and tool boxes is a real issue in some areas, one dealer I worked at out of high school had about 15 tool boxes stolen over the three years I worked there. The mechanics were only there for 5 days a week, but the shop was wide open all weekend and it often went unnoticed if someone pulled in and loaded up a tool box or two. Even then, in the 80's the average guy had $50k or more in tools not counting the box.

I got out of the whole dealership and automotive scene in the 90's because pay wasn't going up any, they were stuck in the 80's at best pay wise. Now 30 years later they're making less. They upped the min. wage to $15/hr, but they dropped all the higher paid guys to make up for it.
Now guys who are sweeping the floor make the same or more than the guys changing oil, tires and doing alignments.We topped out at $28/hr in 1995, today most guys there are maxed out at $21/hr and they have more tools to buy, more electronic diag tools to update and all training is now done off the clock on the employee's time. That makes training on existent.

Training level no longer correlates to pay level because its nothing more than an online video and quiz. Its one of the main reasons I left, they wanted us to do 4hrs of training every week to maintain their dealer rating but they didn't pay for it. You can't learn how to assemble a transmission by watching a video once and consider that 'trained' no more than you can watch a video about flying a jet and consider yourself a pilot.

I feel sorry for anyone these days that gets a new vehicle with real problems because chances are the tech working on it is far from experienced. Most guys who are really good techs don't stay very long, they're smart enough to get out and find a job that don't cost you so much to do.

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