I think the combination of less factories out there making boats and the public being more wise about there decisions the second time around is driving the used market up!! A lot of people have stepped down or went back in years to have a boat myself included I no longer will finance anything just pay cash for it!! Speaking of that purchased a different boat to run this year I'll let the cat out of the bag soon!!

That's exactly the decision I made this year... Cheaper to Keep her!!

Engines out on the way to Potter Performance for fresh up, Paint getting touched up as we speak and new upholstery ... should be good as new when i get it all back together!!

Pat

I was just at Pier57 a few weeks ago. I was having a discusion with if I remember Eric? I told him as a consumer this "used" boat dealer has now become a "new" boat dealer. The simple fact that very few people can afford to purchase a new boat now. The 2004 292 that I just picked up I priced on the Formula site and with the "discounts" is still just shy of $200,000 with out a trailer!!!! I paid less than 1/4 that with a trailer. I like nice things and it took 6 months of hard looking to find one that was taken care of.

They are out there but you need to be willing to travel and walk away from alot that sound good on paper and pictures. I have was in 6 different states looking for the right one. Pier57 is a great place but you are going to pay for the convience of one place to look at several nice boats.

I am looking to move up as well. Even though "BOOK" value is a joke, mine isn't listed. There were only 5 built when the factory was destroyed in a storm, but a lot of people want a brand name. I bought it based on its merits (27 foot, stepped hull ,cabin,, 502mpi) but when I looked at trading, the dealer said "it would be tough to sell"...because there is no way for a bank to value it and most folks finance. He did say it was worth 25, roughly the same as a comparable Fountain but that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee.... So I am either gonna take a hit if I trade or sell it outright and move up. But then I will need to buy another boat....LOL!

It isn't just convenience either... Think about what it takes to run a business like Pier57 and it is tens of thousands of dollars a month in costs to have the property and employees and transport and insurance and advertising and etc... Boat dealers are in the business to make money and they don't just do it for practice. Anyone who runs a business knows at the end of the day there has to be something left.

I have done business with them and I can say they are honest and fair to the end and that is all you can ask for really because they make an offer that they can live with and if it isn't one you can, walk away! It isn't personal it is just business. Scott and his entire staff are top notch!!

Tell ya the truth I like seeing the older boats come back around kinda brings us back to our younger days!! Plus the projects that have been posted start to finish is really cool to see it gives everybody different ideas

When I bought mine a couple of years ago I had the same issue. NADA or Buck is a joke. I wanted a really nice used boat but the banks would not loan all of the value on a used boat. If a boat is really taken care of then I think it should sell for more than NADA but the bank will not allow that so off I went thinking I would have to save more money or just be happy with what I already had. I found that I could buy new no problem. The bank was happy to lend me on a new boat. In fact the same boat used with 40 hours would cost me more to finance percentage rate and more of a down payment. I ended up buying new in 2010. The banks are really scared of the used boat market especially go fast. They got too many back with no motors or drives. Try and recoupe your money back on a boat that has no motors or drives. It really is the fault of the people that bought too much house and too much boat and now need a bailout.

Don't get me wrong. It would be worth every penny to purchase a boat from them if its the one your looking for. They are putting there name behind every boat they sell. I saw nothing that I would be concerned owning. He was very honest in even showing me the issues with each one.

Having bought a boat from Pier 57/Shogrens, from my experience "honesty" is not a word I would use to describe them. But that is a subject for another thread. Too many people think that they will make money on all the work put into a boat when it comes time to sell. The truth is, they are pleasure boats not investment boats. The true value is in the pleasure you get out of it and the market will determine what it sells for.

I just sold my Velocity 260 for well under book value. There isn't anything my boat needs either. Everything is spotless and mechanically sound. SO there are deals to be had. The guy that bought mine got one hell of a deal.. Me on the other hand, not so much....