Trade value vs NADA values
 

Before going to a dealer to talk prices on a used boat, what would you expect to get for your current boat vs what it lists for on NADA???

I have a 26' boat that has a low nada of 31k. That's with options which are few and a trailer. The high value is about 28k. The boat is in excellent condition, always garaged and 135hrs. 95% freshwater use.

From everyones experience, is it possible to get the low nada value from a dealer toward a trade?

On the other end, how much do you think a dealer would come down on a used boat that has an asking price of 100k? Take off 5k? 10k?

Working with a dealer is a new experience for me and I'd like to understand what is realistic before talking to them.

It depends on which HP boats you are looking at. I dont think there is enough volume in some of the builders to get accurate averages. What is standard in an offshore boat? There are also allot of pricey mods out there that I would never want or pay for. Kinda the way some home buyers see a swimming pool as a hazard, not a 60K+ add on like the seller.
I would narrow your search to 2 or 3 boats and figure out what is the best value to you.
Thats about the only way Ive been able to figure it.

First thing you need to get out of your head is that dealers care what NADA says. They primarily use BUCnet and ABOS and then work down from there. The sad part is that NADA is always higher than the ther two. Best thing I can say is that buying from a dealer and using a trade is an excersise in financial damage control......

I wish someone would believe BUC. They are 3+ times what NADA lists. I think the problem is non of them have a clue on older boats.

-Greg

normally this is how it works.. most dealers will want to go at least 20% back of the book.. and you ask why so low.. everyone that trades in a boat will tell you that the motors and divers have been serviced every 20hrs and the boat has never been let in the water.. but if you talk to people though out the years of owning there boat they will tell you that they forgot to do the 100hrs service.. not that anyone here would every do that.. so it comes down to how much the deal is going to have to spend to get hte boat back into the market to sell the unit.. any paint, gel coat, drive work. etc etc etc.. plus floorplan, running ads, cleaning the boat while it is on the yard etc etc etc.. then after all that you might get a buyer on the boat in 6 month they will never believe anything you tell them about the person that owned the boat before.. so now the dealer is back to ALWAYS selling a piece of **** boat that isn't worth as much as super low book..

best thing i can tell you bro if you like the boat and it looks like it something you can live with.. go look at the numbers and if you can get within 5-8% of there first number .. buy it and be happy...

Thanks everyone!!! As I was digging for more information on comparable boats.. I happen to come across the original ad the owner of the boat had posted on a web sales site... his price was 86,500... maybe it was traded to dealer or dealer bought it to make a few bucks... I'm going to keep looking...

Boat Values
 

I can attest to what CustomRigger101 said as I am in the marine business. In all my years of doing trades, no one ever told me that they had a P.O.S. However, when we checked the boat out before the final deal, we found all kinds of things...bellows, gimbals, u-joints....etc. The point is, we have to fix those things prior to selling...that is if we want to stay in business. Since we sell a lot of used boats, we want to make sure they run and stay running to the best of our ability. As CustomRigger101 said, then other cost are incurred, such as cleaning, advertising, etc.

I always get a kick when someone says that they could sell it for x-amount....but this is when they are trying to trade it in. :confused:

The internet can be a powerful tool if used correctly. Some novice owners see other boats that are advertised for a lot more money, however, what they fail to realize is that is an asking price, not selling. Combine that with the fact that a boat has been advertised online for the past 6-months also will tell you something about the asking price.

Unfortunately, there is no magical formula for trade in value as it depends on what you are trading and buying. Also it depends on the market and your region as well. I would try to sell out right first.

Todd