Used boat prices/short supply looming?
#32
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It's easy to understand because no one can afford to trade every 2-3 years any more, auto, boat, or whatever. I managed a powersports dealership back in the early-mid 90s and you could easily flip year to year for $1,000 at most. But back then, used unit prices held a higher % compared to new and new units were still within the average guy's reach. Nowadays you take a 50% hit in 2-3 years on trade in for your toy that costs twice as much new to begin with.
Cars & trucks are even worse. Just went through this last year needing to upgrade my truck and surely couldn't afford 45k+ for a new rig, but couldn't see much sense in paying $25K for one with over 80k on the odometer either. Between a rock and a hard place. Find something 10+ years old for say $15k that's rusting out and needs $5k worth of work or bite the bullet and buy new? Wife averages 20-22k per year on her mini-van, so we had no choice but to buy new and make it last ('06 Sienna 201k miles and going strong) until there is nothing left. Couldn't imagine dropping huge $$$ for a new or left-over boat and then hoping to get 70% of the purchase price back in 3 years.
Then factor in who is buying higher ticket items these days and it's not the guys that grew up wrenching with their dad in the driveway, rebuilding carb's for the 6-pack 440, or stuffing a big inch engine into their softail sleeper drag bike. I could probably count on one hand the number of people I work with that even own a screwdriver, let alone an engine hoist or air compressor tool set. But I digress.....
+1 on the kids comments too. I'd have given my left arm if my parents could have afforded to buy me a dirtbike, snowmobile, atv, or had their own boat. Spent my youth stealing rides on on my friends stuff whenever I could. You couldn't pry my off it any of it. Motor head from the beginning, bought my first street bike before my first car- paid for it myself too. Surely thought my son would be the same way, he was until around 6 years old when he started school and all the neighborhood kids wanted Playstation's and XBox's. His brand new XR-50 sat in the garage and got more use from me blasting around the neighborhood. Bought him quads, snowmobiles, etc. All of it just sat. My daughters came along and it was mostly the same way. One summer I sold their 90cc quad after it sat unused for months and about 4 months after that, one of them finally noticed it was gone!
The only thing that they have all liked and ask about has been the boat. But even that, after say 4 straight weekends on the water, they'll start complaining to do something different. It's not just the phones and social media occupying their time, it's the distractions from what they are doing and instant ability to do something else or even get information that has really changed things. 20 years ago, you'd hear a rumor about some bad new Donzi so-n-so saw one weekend in Miami with some secret sauce sprinkled inside the engine and you'd have to wait until you actually saw it yourself or maybe a month or two later it popped up in a magazine article just to confirm its existence. The mystery of anything doesn't exist. Surf your phone and within seconds you can see a 1950 Merc race boat just as easily as the new Merc 400 outboard.
These times, they are a changin........
Cars & trucks are even worse. Just went through this last year needing to upgrade my truck and surely couldn't afford 45k+ for a new rig, but couldn't see much sense in paying $25K for one with over 80k on the odometer either. Between a rock and a hard place. Find something 10+ years old for say $15k that's rusting out and needs $5k worth of work or bite the bullet and buy new? Wife averages 20-22k per year on her mini-van, so we had no choice but to buy new and make it last ('06 Sienna 201k miles and going strong) until there is nothing left. Couldn't imagine dropping huge $$$ for a new or left-over boat and then hoping to get 70% of the purchase price back in 3 years.
Then factor in who is buying higher ticket items these days and it's not the guys that grew up wrenching with their dad in the driveway, rebuilding carb's for the 6-pack 440, or stuffing a big inch engine into their softail sleeper drag bike. I could probably count on one hand the number of people I work with that even own a screwdriver, let alone an engine hoist or air compressor tool set. But I digress.....
+1 on the kids comments too. I'd have given my left arm if my parents could have afforded to buy me a dirtbike, snowmobile, atv, or had their own boat. Spent my youth stealing rides on on my friends stuff whenever I could. You couldn't pry my off it any of it. Motor head from the beginning, bought my first street bike before my first car- paid for it myself too. Surely thought my son would be the same way, he was until around 6 years old when he started school and all the neighborhood kids wanted Playstation's and XBox's. His brand new XR-50 sat in the garage and got more use from me blasting around the neighborhood. Bought him quads, snowmobiles, etc. All of it just sat. My daughters came along and it was mostly the same way. One summer I sold their 90cc quad after it sat unused for months and about 4 months after that, one of them finally noticed it was gone!
The only thing that they have all liked and ask about has been the boat. But even that, after say 4 straight weekends on the water, they'll start complaining to do something different. It's not just the phones and social media occupying their time, it's the distractions from what they are doing and instant ability to do something else or even get information that has really changed things. 20 years ago, you'd hear a rumor about some bad new Donzi so-n-so saw one weekend in Miami with some secret sauce sprinkled inside the engine and you'd have to wait until you actually saw it yourself or maybe a month or two later it popped up in a magazine article just to confirm its existence. The mystery of anything doesn't exist. Surf your phone and within seconds you can see a 1950 Merc race boat just as easily as the new Merc 400 outboard.
These times, they are a changin........
#33
Hell, they can just go on Tinder and get laid just about any time they want. If I had that at my disposal when I was their age, my pecker would have probably fallen off.
#34
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I can tell you of one REALLY clean used boat with all stock power that just sits for sale.
I do agree that most of the younger crowd just doesn't care anymore. I am 33 and even most of my friends and peers my age feel my hobby in boats is stupid and a LARGE waste. The even younger crowd of 20 some odd year olds is even worse and hardly care about driving let alone boating.
I do agree that most of the younger crowd just doesn't care anymore. I am 33 and even most of my friends and peers my age feel my hobby in boats is stupid and a LARGE waste. The even younger crowd of 20 some odd year olds is even worse and hardly care about driving let alone boating.
#35
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Well that is true but even the skiff, CC, fishing guys of youth are still smaller than the days of the past.
Most don't want to spend the money on owning a boat and see it as a waste. I hear it ALL the time for my GF's friends about our boat.
#36
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Location: SW CT & Long Island Sound
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Either the water holds something special for a person or it doesn't. Some people would rather live in the mountains, some on the coast. For those who see nothing special with being on the water then our hobby is just a waste to them, fine...stay home. Personally the water puts the zap on my head, it's like a new world that's looking to be explored, an instant escape, a perfect getaway. Being on the water is my #1 priority, I happen to like offshore boats but I can honestly say that any of the other types I've owned made me just as happy...in the end they all got me out there.
So if your GF's friends don't dig it, fine, but they should expect us to like what they're into either (which is probably something stupid anyway )
So if your GF's friends don't dig it, fine, but they should expect us to like what they're into either (which is probably something stupid anyway )
#37
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Either the water holds something special for a person or it doesn't. Some people would rather live in the mountains, some on the coast. For those who see nothing special with being on the water then our hobby is just a waste to them, fine...stay home. Personally the water puts the zap on my head, it's like a new world that's looking to be explored, an instant escape, a perfect getaway. Being on the water is my #1 priority, I happen to like offshore boats but I can honestly say that any of the other types I've owned made me just as happy...in the end they all got me out there.
So if your GF's friends don't dig it, fine, but they should expect us to like what they're into either (which is probably something stupid anyway )
So if your GF's friends don't dig it, fine, but they should expect us to like what they're into either (which is probably something stupid anyway )
They are typical girly girls but my GF is nothing like that and LOVES being on the water like myself. We are just very very ready to down size and get something we can use much more often
#38
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People stopped buying them due to the economy but things have come back in a big way in New England.
Lack of good used boats means more money for used ones
As for the younger crowd, they usually can't afford the go fasts due to the cost of the boat, insurance, dock fees, maintenance and $400 bucks for the day in fuel.
$400 in fuel x 4 days a month = $1,600 that's a lot of disposable cash for most people to come up with.
#39
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