You are right and well said. A lot of the fall of a dealer is due to the internet. I mean you have E bay and everything else. And face it now you are competiting with the whole country and dont matter how cool a dealer is your not going to pay more and definitly not a whole lot more just to go local. If somebody lives in NY and can buy a boat in Arizona for 10 grand cheaper have it shipped for 3 grand, they are going to do it.

Sadly this is with everything in our economy now, interenet has been great but also has been bad.

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.

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.

I always am looking at boats for sale just to stay current on values and whats out there and I'm always looking for a good deal to to maybe upgrade my boat. But I am seeing the same guys(private not brokers) relisting their boats again, a year older and for the same price. Its your property and your free to sell it for what you want and to get a fair price. But these same guy are 10-15 grand higher than everybody else, and it always i got 20k invested. Its too funny couple guys ive seen that i made offers too last year and were so angry that i offered them that price are now selling for less than I offered. I guess please before you sell your boat look at the market people dont care what you have invested or what you owe