Is my boat price to high?

S

seabeagle

New member
Anybody have any idea if my boat is priced to high? It's the 16 cruiser for $18,000 in Farmington in the for sale section. Can't seem to get beyond the first email. I think I'm in the range but I've never sold any boat this expensive or knew anyone close with anything similar.
 
Since you asked, I do not think your boat is overpriced. I think $18,000 is really a quite fair price for all that is included in that newer boat with a low hour honda 50hp motor. My suggestion would be to forget about the large screen tv and the gas, and instead include a gps/fishfinder and a VHF radio. Also, if it were my boat, I'd probably take off that stainless rack and try to sell it separately. I don't know if you've been putting the boat on Craigslist, but I'd make sure it was posted on the Seattle Craigslist as well as bringing back up on C-Brats every so often. It will sell, just be patient. Good luck
 
I know what you're saying about the TV. It might have to go to Salvation army soon, I can't give it away. I was also thinking about the fish finder as well.
 
Beagle, I've thought from the moment I discovered the Cdorys that you have the nicest 16 out there...period. After taking nearly a year to sell my 16-angler though, I can say that the 16s aren't easy to find homes for, and since yours is so nice, and a bit more than most as a result, it's going to be a hard one to sell IMHO.

Also, coming from a fellow upper midwesterner, Cdorys aren't as popular here as out in the PNW (I know you already know that, just a reminder) maybe you could list it out there with an offer to deliver? Heck, I head out often and might be able to help with that.

I'm still waiting to peak at some pics of the replacement :)

Hope to see you this summer at some point too.

Brenton
 
I'm sure the stainless rack serves a good purpose, but I wouldn't be surprised if some potential buyers see it as a negative. When they think of the hassle and/or expense of removing it, your boat becomes less attractive.
 
I just spoke with a guy who is interested in the boat a moment ago. He also does not need the stainless rack. It can be removed as a single piece. Are there any other 16 cruisers that would be interested in buying it? It's a bit large to ship and local pickup would be preferred.
 
Boats don't sell quickly in the middle of the winter in your area. You have to be patient. I agree; the rack may not be wanted or appreciated by some buyers. On the other hand taking gear off the boat usually hurts the sale.

Buy new equipment with the new boat-- leave it equipped
.
 
18,000 bucks is a lot for a 16 foot boat. But, it aint squat for a high quality and well made boat like a c-dory. It will sell in time. I don't think lowering the price will motivate the potential buyer into buying. Quality sells too.
 
A couple thoughts. I think the price is right. We have sold many boats, the last was a CD 16. Posting a Video was the clincher with the last few boats and cars. Buyers drove from CA and MN to purchase last 2 boats. You can see the 16 video, it gets a lot of visitors http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0bLpkUY4kg. Tow it out into an area with good light, shoot 3 minutes of video and then link to it from the CL listing and CB listing. I would remove the rack and camper back for the video.

I don’t believe your CL listing is getting picked up by search engines like it should. I would edit the ad content and repeat the word C-Dory several more times in the text and this will help your indexing. I am not seeing it at http://claz.org/classifieds.html?q=c-dory. Key words are important, wrong words can have a negative impact. You could also link to your photo album on this site. I would consider editing out the last 2 sentences of your CL ad. Spammers are going to spam you regardless of what you say, you can tell them from the real deal. This text might be working against you in the search engines and timid shoppers.

Like Dr. Bob said, summer is going to help too. Good luck.
Kevin
 
I don't mind weeding out the timid ones. I was getting 5 emails a day of B.S. and people that I would not like to sell the boat to (take over your payments, trade for a 1979 SeaRay from Louisianna, barter for home repair ....). Not just my boat, but any C-Dory deserves a good home. I sold a classic Yamaha 250 enduro to a goofball years ago. In a month he destroyed the bike. Sure I got my money and made a good profit but, it can't forget all the time spent restoring and riding it. I want the next owner to be just as excited about this boat as I still am. One thing I've noticed about C-dory owners is that they are a special breed. If someone is interested enough to see the boat, they'll probably buy the boat
 
Hang in there Sea Beagle. I wouldn't part with my 2006 Angler for less. My last boat Sat for over a year before the right guy saw it and paid cash on the spot. There's someone out there looking for a great C-Dory that will find your boat eventually. P.S. I'd be tempted to remove the back rack also. Good Luck!
 
Your price is too high, in my opinion. My wife and I sold our very well maintained, CD 16 Cruiser last year complete with 4HP/4S Kicker and various gear. Our 2006 model year boat was purchased new in 2008. We used it for 3 full years. While we would have loved to have received $18,000 for it, we did not get anywhere near that price. We worked with a very reputable broker, who performed a market analysis for what boats of our year and rigging actually sold for, and these boats sold lower than what you are asking. Your boat is 5 year's old -- boats are like cars with respect to the original owners taking a huge depreciation hit. However, I think that people realize the excellent quality inherent in C-Dory's, and will pay a premium for these used boats. We certainly received what we think was a very fair price for our boat, even after paying the hefty commission to our broker. Some might question why we went through a broker. We did so because we did not want to be bugged by low-ball bids. We actually had one person who offered the broker a price of $5,000. We would first take a sledge hammer to the boat before giving it away at that price. The broker weeded out these jokers, and narrowed it down to people who were serious about owning a quality, used boat.

Out of fairness to the group, if you want to talk about details, please drop me a private message so we can discuss it off-line.

P.S. Through the years, we really have enjoyed your photos and movies on You Tube, which accurately conveys, in my opinion, what it "feels" like to travel in a CD 16 in a variety of conditions -- including one's that are adverse.

Thanks!

Rich
 
seabeagle-

Your boat is worth the asking price, but regardless of that consideration, most folks looking for a CD-16 will want to spend less, and a 16 (with far less equipment, etc.) can be had for half or less than the price, so only a few of those shopping for one will be interested in yours.

What is more, for $18,000, one can buy an older, less well equipped, CD-22, which is a much more weather capable boat, and twice as big inside.

Thus it will probably appeal to someone who is very familiar with the CD-16 model, who doesn't want to have to make improvements on a lesser boat, and who is comfortable with the extra cost.

Finally, you'll just either have to be very patient, or negotiate some on the price.

Good Luck!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I sold real estate for years, sucessfully, and know from experience that the factors are -price,condition,location, financing, and exposure.

To make the sale you need to adjust those factors until all conditions line up with a buyer. Location is pretty fixed unless you deliver, so see what you can do with the other factors. Price is the easiest to adjust ,but mentally the most difficult and also the most influential in completing the sale.

We were fortunate to sell our 22 cruiser ourselves this winter here in Seattle. Of course, winter here is still boating season.

Good luck and good selling.
 
I'm glad to see this particular thread. I have been the proud owner of a 16' Cruiser, the 19', as well as a 22' cruiser. We are actually in the market now for a used 16' cruiser and have taken the time to look over your listing numerous times in the past week. I'm happy to share my feelings on what brings me back to the ad, but has kept me away from looking to negotiate an offer.

First, as a serious buyer in the market right now for a used 16' Cruiser, I know exactly what the boat offers on the water and have no reservations to purchase another.

I was put off by the big stainless rack off the back. That is something that personally, I would not use so it has kept me away from talking more about the boat. If the rack were removed... I would be interested in knowing what damage or scarring would remain on the hull. It's a large piece of equipment and may be better served left on for the right buyer as opposed to the holes remaining from removal of the bolts, etc.

As for the price...it was too high for me to bite. Engine warranty time remaining, hull warranty time, etc.

Distance was not an issue as I would have found a way to retrieve the boat.

Including the electronics is always a nice thought depending on if they were brands/models that I would enjoy using. I'm sure we all agree that electronics are a personal decision and while some may enjoy Raymarine, others are die hard Garmin or Lorwrance folks.

As of today, we are still shopping hard for a used 16' cruiser of any color that is priced and equipped in a manner that we are ok with.

That's my 2 cents...

Best Regards to All and It's Wonderful being back at Fort Lewis again...

Gary
 
Sea Wolf":3iu7wpvf said:
seabeagle-

.

What is more, for $18,000, one can buy an older, less well equipped, CD-22, which is a much more weather capable boat, and twice as big inside.


Good Luck!

Joe. :teeth :thup
Click to expand...

Well Joe, I would counter that one's perspective is important too. Older and bigger, and less well equipped and twice as big inside, can just as well be negatives as positives. Lots of people don't see a 16 as a low rung on the ladder up to a Tomcat, but rather as an economical, enjoyable, easy to tow, easy to launch and retrieve (and park in the garage) and weather capable vessel. (not to mention cute, of course). As for the price, I can only go by what I sold a 2004 for not too long ago and what I paid for a '93 with two brand new motors and a new trailer just a couple of months ago. Based on that anecdotal personal exoerience, I do think the asking price is a fair one.
 
dotnmarty":2nuv57q0 said:
Sea Wolf":2nuv57q0 said:
seabeagle-

.

What is more, for $18,000, one can buy an older, less well equipped, CD-22, which is a much more weather capable boat, and twice as big inside.


Good Luck!

Joe. :teeth :thup
Click to expand...

Well Joe, I would counter that one's perspective is important too. Older and bigger, and less well equipped and twice as big inside, can just as well be negatives as positives. Lots of people don't see a 16 as a low rung on the ladder up to a Tomcat, but rather as an economical, enjoyable, easy to tow, easy to launch and retrieve (and park in the garage) and weather capable vessel. (not to mention cute, of course). As for the price, I can only go by what I sold a 2004 for not too long ago and what I paid for a '93 with two brand new motors and a new trailer just a couple of months ago. Based on that anecdotal personal exoerience, I do think the asking price is a fair one.
Click to expand...

Marty-

No offense intended!

However, some of us who have had different models will feel more positive toward them, having discovered their virtues, and, not being as familiar with the virtues of the models we're less familiar with, our evaluation of the alternatives will be colored thusly. Simply put, we'll feel differently about the various alternatives.

Also, some of us like to work on boats as much as use them, and an older boat in need of some TLC and modifications can be seen as a real opportunity to have some fun!

Not wanting to turn this into a debate about the virtues of the 16's vs. the 22's, I'll just leave well enough alone, I hope!

And I did not say that the asking price was unreasonable or unfair, just perhaps more than some shoppers were prepared to spend.

Thanks!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Marty-

No offense taken, I just assumed kind of a defensive posture, w/o thinking it through!

Next time, I'll try to be a little more diplomatic:

1. Read a post.

2. Yell "incoming!"

3. Wait 30 minutes, do something to cool off.

4. Write out a response, but don't send it yet.

5. Wait another 30 minutes.

6. Read it over, tone it down, and send it off with Best Wishes! :rose :rose :rose

Joe. :lol: :thup
 
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