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I have a boat that I have decided to sell. It is a 1963 Nauset. I am the second registered owner, it is a freshwater boat. The hull is solid and looks great with some spider cracks in the aft in the interior. . Here are the details:
*New console that was built by a cabinetmaker in mahogany from the original plans..
*The trailer is a Holsclaw, also original, with spare.
*The console has not been installed, drilled or otherwise compromised. I finished it.
*The bench seat has been refinished, but is not assembled.
*I have the front and side rails with new brackets for the front rail as well as the old ones..
*I also have a Morse MT-2 that was re-chromed by Browns in Kentucky (a Harley chrome place)
*I have some spectrum gelcoat in the white and blue for addressing the gelcoat spider cracks.
*Original forward enclosure and bimini tops. Fair condition with white fiberglass supports. The forward enclosure could use some of the newer clear material for viewing.
Is it realistic to expect to get $4500 without a motor for this package? I have toyed around with buying an OMC 85-100 HP motor and selling it for more, but I would like some thoughts. The boat is in Michigan and I will try to post some pictures in the next few days. Thanks.
I am by no means an expert on that model or what price it will fetch. However, having in the past sold 2 cars and 3 boats that I no longer needed, I will give you my 2 cents.
If you list it on Boattraderonlone or Craigs list, start at a figure that you feel is "a little" on the high end. Not a ridiculously high number, just a little on the high end and see what gives. You can always put the old standby "O.B.O" in the ad.
You can always drop your asking price after a week or two if it sits, but you can't go up. What I mean by that is if you ask for $4K for example and a guy calls you and buys it within 24 hours, you will be kicking yourself thinking that you started too low. The market determines what a fair price is, you just have to list the boat to find out.
Example, I recently sold an 83 B.W. 13 Sport. It was not in good condition. I had listed it for $5k and I knew that was high. I had purchased the boat several years before and paid $2,500. It sat for a while, I reduced the price a little at a time until it sold for $2,300.00. I could have sold it right away for the 2300.00, but I was in no hurry. I had to start high just to see if someone jumped on it.
I think a Whaler enthusiast will appreciate the boat, console and condition more than a non-Whaler person. When listing on non-whaler sites, highlight heritage of the boat and console etc.
Pictures are important. Build a personal page here and use it as a link from your ad.
Keep in mind, the market is soft and the boat is not turn-key. If you want a fast sale, price aggressively.
Bear in mind that as described, your boat will appeal to a very narrow slice of the market. As CBO suggests, you are offering a hobby builder the raw materials for a project. That's just fine, but as such, my opinion is that the market will not bear selling a project grade boat at the same price as a waterworthy ready to use boat.
That said, rest assured that narrow market does in fact exist, and you will find someone who will buy your boat. Your buyer will probably be a somewhat seasoned restorer who recognizes the fact that a certain amount of money will be required to capitalize the completion of the project, and as such, may not be willing to pay a big number.
This will come down to a decision by you as to whether you want to invest time and sweat equity preparing the boat to compete with the rigged and ready contingent, or whether your goal is to just tag it and bag it so to speak, and just move it out of inventory. As described in your post, the boat should carry a "or best offer" contingency, and you should be ready to accept a smaller than hoped for, but market driven final sale price. Sorry to be frank about this, but the market is saturated with stock now and nobody's banging the doors down to buy.
We all sincerely wish the best of luck to you and we will help you as much as we can.
Grady
Thanks guys. I think I will but a little time in and sell her when she is put together. One more question: Should I spend some money on a 70s-80s OMC 70 to make her turn key? I could do so for under $1000. What would be a fair asking price at that point? What if I just skipped the O/B and put the boat together, leaving the new owner to decide what motor to buy?
If you put a motor on the boat you could only ask what you paid for it, so what is the point. chances are the prospective buyer will want a newer motor than `70`s or 80`s, and will not get much of anything on a trade in, and could be a headache for him to sell, so he might pass on your boat. If you want to put a motor on it , it should be a late `90s or early `00s, and still you would only get back your investment. I would sell it motorless. If its a nice boat the new owner might go for a new motor.
