Hi Guys,
First post, Sorry, I’m not usually this long winded.
Re: Wakeboard Boats – I have had one for the last 6 years. It was given to me to “hold onto” while it’s real owner was off pursuing other interests. I could not justify buying a boat while I took care of it (97 Malibu Sunsetter). It was an awesome boat, 350 fuel injected, started every time, seats 11, mild stereo, etc. It was absolutely USELESS when it came to anything greater than a 6” chop. Any weekend afternoon and you couldn’t get it on plane for fear of getting the s&*t beat of out you.
Re: Kids – My Daughter is 21 and her male friends that she brings home are useless. They are all mama’s boys (I have a 19 year old one of these) who think that the world is going to take care of them. They come over, leave a mess and expect the maid to clean up after them (the maid ain’t coming ). I am dumbfounded at what little they know about the real world, and this is after living by themselves at school.
Re: Use Boat Prices (which is the point of this thread) – I think it depends on the # of engines. Older twin engine boats are a steal, because the people that can afford cheaper aftermarket performance boats can’t afford the gas. Single engines are holding their own if not going up because of this.

BTW - Restoring an old Checkmate, wife wants a pontoon and in the market for something else!

Welcome to OSO- and you hit the nail dead square on the head about the kids part!!! It's a shame

The market for nice used performance boats is strong, and the nice ones still sell quick. They aren't building hardly any new boats these days which means a shortage of used boats. There really is not a lot of inventory out there these days unless it is an "off" brand or has a really far-out there color scheme or weird mural on the side. Merc power will always do better than custom power. As far as I can see the killer deals are long gone, we have been in a recession long enough that anybody who was going to lose their boat to the bank has already lost it and/or fire-saled it cheap. There are plenty of guys out there (like me) who know what they have and will just use the boat and enjoy it before giving it away because there really is nothing out there to replace it with. The boats that tend to sit on the market are the projects or the ones that need an update because most people have smartened up to the fact that 9 out of 10 times those boats are not really a deal.

Ever notice the age of those guys buying all those cars at the Barrett Jackson and other auctions ? Most are not 80's and 90's babies.

Used boat prices can only go up at this point I think. Its been said before" supply and demand". Are there any production boat companies left. All the ones that use to build stock are gone. IE donzi, fountain, Baja, what about Formula?
All the companies left have gone to custom order only, if they weren't doing that already.
When I started reading oso in search of a new to me boat in 09, I was seeing 130-140 Fountains 90-100 cigs and piles of baja's and many, many others. Look now the supply is drying up.
I do agree that there are less gear head types out there these days, but am not sure how that fits in.

Were you buying 40k and up muscle cars in your late 20's and early 30's? Heck even with a much better economy Im sure you werent. What does your comment have to do with any of this? Are you trying to take a jab at 80s and 90s guys?

Oh yea - I used to enjoy the hell out of my 71 Chevelle before I sold it.

Sincerely,
1984 Guy

Except the costs to restore aging boats is also going to be detrimental to "rising values." With lower production numbers, the parts costs are going to rise (economies of scale, fixed overhead for parts manufacturers will cause a rise in per unit costs). Aging boats of certain brands will simply be left to rot like a 1974 Ford LTD after all why restore a Baja when you can restore a Cigarette for the same money.

Sorry, I wasn't picking you or your age group. It just seems a lot of expensive cars and boats are owned by older guys with more available cash and what happens when they leave these sports ? Will the younger guys continue to buy these products or will their money go elsewhere ? If you're 28 and own a t/s top gun you must be successful in business and I admire that.

I was buying those 40K muscle cars when they were new and under $4k out the door, wish I had kept a couple. Except for antiques there wasn't much of a collector business as we have today.
ed

89 baby over here.... Used boat market prices are going up, for the clean ones anyway. You'd be hardpressed to find a clean boat with stock mercury power in it right now for a good price. The only way to pick up a good deal is getting a clean hull with cr4p power in it and doing a full rebuild with either young performance, ron potter, keith eickert, etc and making the engine EFI. At this point you'd be able to get into a used boat with new power and not lose your a22 on it when you go to sell. The only way for younger guys to get in this sport is either a fix me upper or like someone said in another thread, getting into it from their parents. The cost of living is so high these days $h1t I work a good job (accountant), and by the time I pay my cell phone bill, random things breaking at the house, gas, food, insurance, train tickets.... i'm damn near broke.

I was born in 83 and no one in my family prior to me owned any boats, I am now on my 3rd one, 2 fishing boats and now a powerboat. There is a fair amount of stereo typing going on here, I get that alot of the younger generation is into tech stuff and not active outside of that but that isnt everyone. I do all of my own work unless its something that I dont have the ability to do. I will never pay someone to do something that I can do myself even though I could afford to, I do all of my own maintenance on my vehicles, boats and home etc. Hell, I even fixed my own home a few months back when I had Hurricane damage from Isaac. I take alot of pride in doing things on my own and not taking the easy way out. Most of the people that I know are the same way.