Nephalim

We all share the love of the look, and definitely the sound and speed… else we wouldn’t have them, other than just to piss off Greta Thunberg
But when it comes to worth of a 20-30 year old boat… Cigarette, Fountain, Donzi, Scarab, Baja…
what we all look at is motors, gauges, vinyl, & paint. I’ve literally seen every single one rot a transom or stringer…

Am I right or just picking a scab? So what is the thing that determines what the best price is for each?

resurrected

Interesting first post, welcome to OSO. How I view an old all original boat for value is basically the sum of the parts. If it has been repaired/restored it's worth what someone is willing to pay, which will rarely be equal to what has been invested. Just my 2 cents.

boostbros

Old school seems to be catching on theres many older hulls being restored and i can tell you a restored old school boat is way cooler than the new stuff go price a new ride then price out a cool older boat that just clicks for you and make it happen

Helmwurst

As many of you know, not everyone takes care of a boat. Look how many sit out in the storage lot with bad covers etc, etc. I've have kept my old Fountain on a lift, covered, dry and clean. Motors and transom housings were off this past Winter and there were no issues with it being wet. There were a couple places that needed attention, but no major work or re-construction. Seen simular older boats around here that have been miticulously maintained and found that they have held up well. Seen some other boats that have been rode hard and put away wet and over time they develop the cancer and start to rot away. Most if not all have a future unlessit was not worth having in the first place. If you have the place, the time, the patience and money you can fix'em up. Resurrected, ^^^ hit it on the nail head, whatever someone else is willing to pay. Same as with old hot rods, bikes and boats.

hblair

Of course the main thing that kills these older boats is being kept outside and the big reason for that is most folks just don't have the room under roof to keep them inside. Classic cars and bikes require much less space of course. And for that reason and many others these boats have a much smaller group of people who would be potential owners. And an even smaller group as mentally ill as me who would spend the time and resources to restore one. But who knows maybe that will change. One thing that's cool about the relative obscurity of our hobby is when people do see a nice old "cigarette boat" (or cigaaaaaar boat as they're called here in Alabama ) they really dig them. So what determines the value? Good question. I wish I had the answer.

bajaman

Much like a "classic" car, there are boats and there are boats. As noted in above posts, a boat that has had TLC and has been maintained well, especially if kept inside nice and cozy will be worth a lot more and be far more desirable than one that has issues. It took me four years to find my latest boat because I had some very high standards/expectations for the purchase. I wasn't in a hurry, had a boat already so...it gave me time to do what I wanted to do.
This forum and others are rife with stories of "project boats" that ended up being disasters. On the other hand, some boats have literally been brought back from the grave and restored to like or better-than-new condition.

Much along the same lines, for several decades I had a sickness of the mind that made me collect and restore British sports cars, lol. Some projects worked out, some I should never have started, some I walked away from and some I wish I HADN'T walked away from. But one thing for sure is the older boats have far more heart/soul that many of the newer ones. Take Baja for example...the Bucyrus-built boats were far better, IMHO, than the later 'Baja by Fountain' and other newer iterations. Several recent threads on Cigarette boats, Fountain, and others seem to have the same message.

Nephalim

Thanks for the welcome! I’m not new to the game, but I’ve recently gotten more addicted! I’ve just found it interesting how each person has a different opinion about value. Some say oh it’s 30years old though. To which there’s the infamous “yes,but…” I just thought I’d get some other folks opinions. Hope all are enjoying some nice weather to kick off the season!

Wildman_grafix

When it comes to performance I/O V hulls really the majority are old.

After 2009 very few have been built compared to the 90’s- 2009.

Helmwurst

Well said, but for me, when I see the price on a new Mastercraft ski boat, for $300K+, I am thinking you REALLY want to water ski or board or surf. When I see some off these older boats get ripped apart and restored, it really makes me glad to see the dedication. Wish I would have done something like that a few years ago. New boats are cool and nice, but the $$$ is rediculous. The fun factor with all the costs figured in is pretty pricey.

JetJock

I just did a major refit on a 38' AVS Scarab.......I did the stringers and transom (composite) so when I go to sell it that is one last thing a potential buyer will have to worry about. I put Fresh rebuilds ATECO 540's and its nearly perfect, I am not planning on selling her anytime soon but if I ever did it will be way in the the $100,000.00 mark I probably have 130-50K invested but IT IS MY BOAT! I love her!

Just went ahead and busted out another GRAND and had her compounded and waxed, something I usually do myself but having some pros do it made that boat sparkle like new! Plus it gets addicting seeing all these restorations, its pain but the sweet taste of victory and reward is awesome!

Now I am considering a 43' AVS......I must be insane!