Looking at new boats

[FuzzyGrub]

The way I see it is if a seller is asking 1,500 he's really looking for $750. If he wants $1,500, he best ask $3k and let the seller bargain the price down. I was taught to NEVER pay anyone's asking price no matter how cheap it is.
I offered him $500 for the boat and he flipped out and said he'll crush it before he'll sell it for less than its worth.
It was a nice boat and likely the best price out there for a rock solid boat but if there's no room to bargain there's no deal. If he had put FIRM in his ad maybe I'd have offered him a bit more.

Yep, that drives people like me that try to price items fairly, crazy! As I have slowly sold my old Mercruiser stuff off on FB marketplace, been holding to just a little adder to make buyer "feel" good. To my surprise, many didn't try to low ball, and paid full price. A couple guys that tried to lowball, quickly realized that their gas and time wasn't worth going home with nothing.

 

[Stevum]

The way I see it is if a seller is asking 1,500 he's really looking for $750. If he wants $1,500, he best ask $3k and let the seller bargain the price down. I was taught to NEVER pay anyone's asking price no matter how cheap it is.
I offered him $500 for the boat and he flipped out and said he'll crush it before he'll sell it for less than its worth.
It was a nice boat and likely the best price out there for a rock solid boat but if there's no room to bargain there's no deal. If he had put FIRM in his ad maybe I'd have offered him a bit more.

Loose screw,
So do you expect to have the Supermarket knock 50% off the items in your cart @ checkout? That's basically what you're saying. When I offer any item for sale I determine what I would feel comfortable paying for it as a buyer. If the person is sincere & respectful I may drop the price 3-5 % but no way in hell am I knocking off 50%. Sounds like you would be one of the type that I would physically remove from my property after advising you that the negotiations are over. Just saying....

 

[OldSailor85]

Price your crap fairly and state it is firm.

Reduces the tire-kicker traffic.

 

[gillhunter]

The way I see it is if a seller is asking 1,500 he's really looking for $750. If he wants $1,500, he best ask $3k and let the seller bargain the price down. I was taught to NEVER pay anyone's asking price no matter how cheap it is.
I offered him $500 for the boat and he flipped out and said he'll crush it before he'll sell it for less than its worth.
It was a nice boat and likely the best price out there for a rock solid boat but if there's no room to bargain there's no deal. If he had put FIRM in his ad maybe I'd have offered him a bit more.

You must have some relatives in Georgia. We usually show them the door. LOL

 

[Stevum]

Price your crap fairly and state it is firm.

Reduces the tire-kicker traffic.

Amen to that OldSailor85 !!

 

[airshot]

I have always priced my stuff fairly and make sure things are running and in good condition or I tell them otherwise upfront ! Usually sell to first buyer once they see I am being honest. Low ballers that make ridiculous offers get my usual comback...I will gladly take more, but not less. The other thing is regular sellers...people learn quickly who constantly has things for sale just to turn over a few bucks and tend to stay away from those folks.

 

[outboard]

I have always priced my stuff fairly and make sure things are running and in good condition or I tell them otherwise upfront ! Usually sell to first buyer once they see I am being honest. Low ballers that make ridiculous offers get my usual comback...I will gladly take more, but not less. The other thing is regular sellers...people learn quickly who constantly has things for sale just to turn over a few bucks and tend to stay away from those folks.

Pricing things for the actual price doesn't work here. Adding 'Firm' to your ad just guarantees no one will respond here. I've bought nearly all of my boats and motors from regular sellers, if it wasn't for a few of them many of my best finds would have never seen the light of day to be resold.

As someone who has been in and around the boating and fishing tackle business to some degree for most of my life I've watched the market change and its changed over the last 10 years more than ever. For the most part we've lost the type of buyer who buys a boat, a motor, and a trailer and puts together a boat they always wanted. For a bit it was a shift to those with no ability to build or fix anything and they simply bought new boats ready to run. Those owners tend to be short time owners or they realize the expense of owning a boat is not for them. Those boats either got abandoned or parked in some garage until someone stumbles on it and by that time the original owner has lost all interest and sells it cheap. There are thousands of such boat sitting in garages out there and anyone with a job or a life simply will never find them as many don't surface until the estate sale.

The next generation saw their parents loose interest in those boats and either would never own one or can't afford one at any price these days.
That leaves the next generation who has had no boating influence or mechanical experience. That's what we're seeing now. Its a mix of older folks who have a bit of money but no ability to build or fix anything and a generation that wants instant gratification and doesn't mine five digit credit card balances. Neither of those will buy a 'good used boat' they either buy a new boat, gamble on a turn key boat because its cheap enough to hide it from the wife, of they never get past simply the thought alone and go buy a video game instead.