What's my Boat Worth?

[Mr. Osprey]

Keep in mind I won't be selling till middle of summer and not till all my jobs are done.

I will be putting a door an the console.
I will be giving it two coats of blue bottom paint in the spring.
It will get a huge cleaning spree when done with 2-3 coats of wax.
Possibly a new impeller for the Merc.
VHF will be relocated in glove compartment in console.
New Teleflex NFB system will be installed with stainless steel wheel.
Battery will be relocated under the console.

With all of this in mind, what could I get for my 1984 170 Osprey, 1984 Mercury 75hp, and it's 1994 galvanized EZ Loader trailer with brand new tires used once? Pictures are in my gallery.

[JimCt]

Keep an eye on Boat Trader Online & eBay.  That will give you a very rough estimate of the market.  Watch the classifieds in your local paper.  You can get the NADA Blue Book values here:

http://www.nadaguides.com/MarineHome.as ... 4&it=27052

The sale value of the outfit will ultimately be determined between you and the seller.  When I bought my 170 this past spring, I paid toward the top end of the value range because of the worth I perceived the boat/motor/trailer had to me.  My motivating factor to buy the boat was a) the boat was nearby, b) the boat had been well cared for & was in great condition c) the motor was basically brand new.  Another buyer looking at the same boat might see greater or lesser value than I did.  The market value of the boat, or anything for that matter, is not pre-determined.  It is the mix of the needs, preconceptions, biases and circumstances which the particular buyer and seller at that point in time bring to the negotiation. Heck, even the weather can be a big factor.


An example; how I got my boat:

My boat started off as an eBay auction.  It was on for 7 days and ended with no bidders.  In fact, the hit counter for the auction was less than 15 by the time the auction ended & most of the hits were from me nervously checking in to see if there were others snooping around.  Clearly the seller must have been seriously worried about what the boat was really worth based on the total lack of bids and so few hits on the auction.  Well, to coin a phrase "the devil's in the details".  Problem with the auction had nothing to do with the boat whatsoever.  It had to do with him; he didn't know how to spell Aquasport.  He listed it as Aqua Sport.  As a result his auction was buried in amongst swimwear, scuba gear, wristwatches, ladies underwear and God knows what else.
I found it only by using deliberate mis-spellings.  I was hot after a 170 and was trying every trick I could think of to locate a boat.  It worked.

I contacted the seller after the auction closed and went up to see the boat.  Bought it on the spot for nearly the auction reserve.  He was a great guy and we hit it off well.  We came to terms under the circumstances of him worrying about if the boat had any value at all and me knowing this was the boat of my dreams.  I peeled $100's into his hand and the deal was done.  He was relieved.  I was ecstatic.

So, what's your boat worth?  No one knows... yet.

[RickK]

I've put 7k+ in my boat in the last 4 months.  What's it worth?  Whatever someone is willing to pay for it.  :cry: