Matt Trulio

Scott Shogren's complete blog on used boats for Powerboatmag.com posted this afternoon, http://powerboatmag.com/scott-shogren-s-blog/. It may answer a lot of questiions that were raised in my blog and thread on this site, "Shogren on Used Boats: Be prepared for reality."

The complete blog is called, "Behind the Hunt for Used Boats and Consignment Boats." If you open the link above, you'll go right to it.

Regardless of anyone's take, he does come to the discussion with a well-informed opinion.

TeamShogren.com

The blog was written weeks ago and prior to the thread starting which is why blurbs were taken out of it and posted in initial thread.

Appreciate your input and comments though.

Regards,

Scott Shogren

www.teamshogren.com

Matt Trulio

Not at all. As Scott said, the blog was written weeks ago. I caught up with him when he was writing it and wrote about it myself.

I write daily. Scott writes monthly, or twice a month if he's so inclined. I am always looking for good topics and interesting perspectives, and they come from all over.

There's nothing to "legitimize." In no way is Shogren hiding that he's a boat dealer and broker. In no way is he hiding that he has a point of view. On the contrary, he's giving his take on it, and I found that take to be interesting. Let's face it, the subject remains a hot one.

If you look at the thread, the overwhelming majority of comments were positive. Some were not—and that doesn't invalidate them.Not at all. It just means that intelligent people can have differences of opinion.

In the end, no one puts a gun to anyone's head and says, "Sell me your boat!" Shogren was merely giving his take as a dealer and broker.

offshoredrillin

no offense, but you seem bitter. As a dealer Scott is offering a service, like anyone you can say yes or no to any deal. As both my accountant and attorney told me not all business is good business. That being said for a dealer to take in a trade, he is taking on quite a bit, usually it's a boat of lesser value and more hours, there is considerable risk involved, but taking a trade is a convenience for the buyer. no business can stay solvent by buying at retail and selling at wholesale, not greed just reality.

I don't get why people take it personal, it's just business if the numbers don't add up, there is usually a good reason, broker commissions are paid by the seller so it has nothing to do with the buyer.

Knot 4 Me

+1. There will always be a need for brokers. Some folks are unwilling to buy through an individual. Others simply don't have the time or do not want to take the time to deal with the marketing of a boat. A good full-service dealer is priceless and unfortunately all too rare these days.

On Time

Absolutely.

Tim G.

You are all making a good point... These are things that have driven our company to sell Factory Direct. We sell direct, AND TAKE TRADES. These are elements that dealers took care of in the past.
But due to the economic "issues" over the last years, dealers are becoming a thing of the past.
Why?
The customers are much more price driven now, and there is simply not room for another hand in the deal.

In the end, it can work out fine. But the customer must realize that customer service, no matter how prompt someone answers the phone, is difficult over long distances... Having a "local" dealer eliminates that problem. Dealers were always a benefit to the customer and to the builder.....but will there be enough $ to pay for them???

SDFever

On the flip side -
There are an endless number of ways one can view this. For the guys that say it's nuts to consign a boat.... I agree with you only because I have enjoyed a fair amount of success when selling things on my own.
However, consider the following:

1. Lots of guys don't have time to sell something. It takes a lot more time to produce a successful sale than most owners think. That's if you want to do it "effectively". ANYONE can throw up a Craig's list ad and pray.

2. Most boats are not in "ship shape" as the owners tend to think or propose. Some owners are not as involved with maintenance as others. It's very easy to overlook or not consider a small action item that needs attention because you as the owner are used to it. But an experienced mechanic and a good sales guy will not miss the details. In today's market, you can not explain away for the little short comings like you used to. Today's buyer has all the power and if your boat is not in ship shape it's sometimes just enough to send the buyer in another direction. This applies particularly to the limited high-performance market.

3. Even experienced owners who are on top of their game regarding the condition of the boat sometimes need a "faster sale". Having 2 - 6 sales people pushing your offering is more powerful, more effective and can typically attract a larger buying audience when compared to a single owner doing everything while trying to work his day job simultaneously.

4. Speaking of having a job, it's tougher to keep the boat spotless and presentable when the boss calls you in for something unexpected.. Family responsibilities etc. Having a dealership like Shogren inspect, store, clean and market your boat is a superior idea for a lot of sellers. Let Shogren deal with all the tire kickers and low price offerings. Often times, a good selling dealer is better equipped to handle low ball offers. I’ve seen some deals that were almost done but fell apart due to lack of quality communication or maybe the seller gave up on the buyer out of simple frustration.

5. It may or may not be huge on the list but a bank will almost always prefer to loan money on a boat that comes from a reputable dealer vs. a private party. Again, having Scott in the mix will help insure an expeditious sale.

6. Some buyers like making purchases from a known dealer. Having a “place” to call or return to if there is a problem is another good selling point. Don’t forget about the TITLE !! Lots of issues can show up when transferring from a private party. This would be the case on a consignment as well but the difference is having the dealer involved as the broker. He will have quicker, better access to resources like title searches etc.

I think forming a portal for used and consigned boats was a very forward thinking idea on behalf of Scott. He's positioned himself and his team to succeed in a less-than-favorable market. I think it's a great idea.

I think his business prowess speaks for itself.

VtSteve

I think the differences in opinion also come from people's locations. I don;t know how many dealers there are in the country that could provide the level of service and sales that Shogren does, but I can tell you it isn't going to happen in my neighborhood.

There are huge advantages for sure to parking the boat with a broker and say Sell It. Far more traffic, ability to finance, handling the title paperwork and all that.

A brand new boat that I, unwisely didn't persue in 2009 (a model year 2008 boat), was sold for cost in 2009. It's now for being brokered for $10k more used than it sold for new 2 years ago.