Selling Boats

[oceandawn]

Has anyone had experience of selling a boat through Apollo Duck? Any  advice regarding the most efficient and cost effective way of selling would be appreciated.

 

Many Thanks

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, oceandawn said:

Has anyone had experience of selling a boat through Apollo Duck? Any  advice regarding the most efficient and cost effective way of selling would be appreciated.

 

Many Thanks

Placing an ad there will be similar to using Autotrader to sell a car, all enquires are directed to you. Could be a load of hassle, could be fine, you wont know until you try it, also depends on how far you live from the boat and how available you are to give viewings etc. Bear in mind most marinas will charge a fee (around 1%) if you sell a boat from their moorings.

[Wildfuzz]

Somehow my last vessel turned up on Apollo Duck, I assume by the broker, we were still getting enquires 2 years after it sold as the ad could not be removed or deleted, worth advertising on all the local "selling sites" surprising at the audience size.

[Smoggy]

I used apolloduck to advertise my last boat and found it very good and cheap for the number of piccies and length of description I could have.

Had a fair few contacts too.

[CambridgeCabby]

You can always also place an ad on here (donation to forum funds of course)

[grendel]

or just give Robin a shout....

[JohnK]

Last boat I sold ....

I put it first on a dedicated boat sale site.
Expensive and zero response (to be fair one person phoned me and spent 30 mins explaining why it wasn’t the boat for him)

I then put a classified ad on eBay.
Cheap and loads of response.

[MrPlant]

1 hour ago, JohnK said:

Last boat I sold ....

I put it first on a dedicated boat sale site.
Expensive and zero response (to be fair one person phoned me and spent 30 mins explaining why it wasn’t the boat for him)

I then put a classified ad on eBay.
Cheap and loads of response.

 

Second That!

 

Our last boat was for sale for a long time with a broker, with zero - minimal interest, took it off the broker and added it to ebay and forums like this. Sold within 1 week of being on ebay and for more than I was happy to let her go for. Had her on a 10 day auction, was sold and ad removed before 10 days were up, think it cost us less than a fiver after we added subtitle, and picture gallery etc... Worth a try.

Just have a calm head and patience with some ebayers (or tryers)

[Guest]

2 hours ago, grendel said:

or just give Robin a shout....

He doesn't sell he just buys , then again that could change I guess 

[grendel]

I  was sort of thinking he might want a few more 

[dnks34]

Dont forget if you would believe much of what is posted on forums about selling boats expect to be knocked down so drastically you will be paying someone to do you the favour of taking it off your hands!

 

[Simondo]

I've had a different experience to others as mine went the other way in that; initially I put it on Find A Fishing Boat then Ebay and then Appollo Duck all to no avail! I then thought sod it and stuck it with a broker who sold it within a couple of months for more than what I would have accepted from the others. I thought that Appollo Duck was very reasonable and easy to use with good feedback however in the end it didn't sell! Ebay was a bit of a joke with idiots (tryers as previously stated) asking for silly prices and stupid questions. So I did end up paying more to sell it but but the uplift in my sale price meant that whilst I did fair worse off the boat was gone!

If I had to sell again I would use Apollo Duck and test the water! and go to a broker sooner if it didnt sell. I suppose another variable is the price bracket as some markets are better at different ranges? e.g. Ebay may be better at low(ish) price bracket.

[ranworthbreeze]

5 hours ago, oceandawn said:

Has anyone had experience of selling a boat through Apollo Duck? Any  advice regarding the most efficient and cost effective way of selling would be appreciated.

 

Many Thanks

You could try boats&outboards as an alternative, Ebay classified is also an option,

Regards

Alan

[oceandawn]

It is difficult to know which is the best route to take.We live a fair way away so viewing may be difficult.The broker's commission is really extortionate.In theory it should sell.We have spent a fortune on it .It has never been hired and all works professionally done but it  is the luck of the drawer

[Liberty]

Very happy with NYA.  Yes it cost a bit, but worth it for taking the hassle and grief, tourists and weirdos out of the equation. 

[Selsie]

I would totally agree NYA are superb, we have bought from them and not sold through them but their service I can say is above anything you could wish for.

[Liberty]

Worth bearing in mind that brokers, particularly the big, well-known ones will have buyers on their books who are looking for suitable boats.  I have sold one through a broker straight away without it even being advertised, as it was what someone was after and they were on the look-out.

[Lastdraft]

Recently sold a boat through Boatshed Norfolk, Gary Travis nice bloke took all the hassle out of selling, arranged viewings etc. I had tried Apollo Duck, cheap decent website etc but after several time wasters and an offer of a swap for an apartment in Greece, gave the job to Gary sold within a few weeks. 

[Guest]

I see you are moored at Brundall so no harm getting NYA to take a look and let you know what they think it will fetch, you might find that even with their % you end up with what you want for the boat

[MrPlant]

54 minutes ago, oceandawn said:

It is difficult to know which is the best route to take.We live a fair way away so viewing may be difficult.The broker's commission is really extortionate.In theory it should sell.We have spent a fortune on it .It has never been hired and all works professionally done but it  is the luck of the drawer

Is the boat an ocean 30 (from what I can see in your profile pic)?

We sold our old ocean 30 with John at waterside marine in potter, their commission at the time was lower than other brokerage companies on the broads. However he did admit ocean 30's were getting harder to move due to their aging looks (and that was a good 7+ years ago...), saying that some people love the older style. And tbh our old ocean30 was the best boat we owned...!

Do you have any photos? info? price in mind?

[oceandawn]

Hi.Yes it is an Ocean.Came from Cambridge original gelcoat never been hired.virtually rebuilt. Everything really from galle y, heads stainless work ,canopy.The list is endless somewhere in the region of 45k spent.Wasted money really. The ,bow thruster makes it really easy to handle.It has been out of the water every year since 2012.in fact out now having the galley with new  cooker granite top.No osmosis at all.As for price.Valued last year at 28k .But as you say an old boat!

[MrPlant]

5 minutes ago, oceandawn said:

Hi.Yes it is an Ocean.Came from Cambridge original gelcoat never been hired.virtually rebuilt. Everything really from galle y, heads stainless work ,canopy.The list is endless somewhere in the region of 45k spent.Wasted money really. The ,bow thruster makes it really easy to handle.It has been out of the water every year since 2012.in fact out now having the galley with new  cooker granite top.No osmosis at all.As for price.Valued last year at 28k .But as you say an old boat!

Sounds lovely, any recent photos? Valued v Getting a sale is 2 different things unfortunately. Best to test the water at a price you'd be 'happy' for her, but keeping in mind what the lowest price you would take. Also depends on how quick you need to sell.

However for an original gel coat etc on an ocean 30, you may be surprised and a decent broker maybe able to achieve the best possible price, even after their commission with no hassle to you, a broker maybe you best bet... For a nice boat NYA all the way.

Whats peoples thoughts on future classic/collectable grp boats? will they exist or just disappear...

[oceandawn]

I appear to have lost the last two conversations.A member asked me for details but I have lost it .Not good at this!

[LondonRascal]

Wished I had know you were in the market for selling, would have taken it off your hands having just bought a smaller (albeit newer) boat for more than you may be asking for.

If it was me I would go down the route of selling it myself (or at least trying to) after all, many Brokers will place adverts on classified websites as well as their own website and then talk about how well they market someone's boat and this all is part of their service (costs.

What I like to see is plenty of good quality photos - the dinette, don't just take a single photo we want to imagine, see around, picture how it is if we were there type thing so photos are crucial. Present it as clutter free as possible, clean and tidy it makes all the difference (to me anyway) engine, outside etc all ned to be shown and plenty fo descriptions - technical things from engine type, horsepower to extras like the bow thruster and so on. Take your time to drawer up things before you post an advert and picture yourself buying and how you would feel reading and looking at it.

Not everyone is going to be really interested, they may want a style of boat, and just go trying as many people selling aft cockpit boats as they can to see how desperate they are to sell. Some will waste time, put in silly offers you name it. For me with the Sheerline she was up for £29,950 - I put in an offer of £26,500 which was rejected and we agreed on £28,500. Thing is it had only ben on the market for 5 days - the owner had paid over £30,000 in 2014 and put in a lot of money to the boat since and was not in the mood to loose out too much now. If it was on the market for longer, had some time wasters and silly offers I recon he would have gone for my first offer - but it is how you see it when the time comes. I still think I paid over the odds to a degree as there are things I feel it needs to - I would have spend out on an Inverter and new fridge rather than a bow thruster being installed and electric winch and remote spotlight but everyone has their preferences.

Keep us informed whatever route you go down be it brokerage or private.

[MauriceMynah]

Buy it anyway Robin, you know you really want to. :-)

Seriously though, I agree with Robin's observations and his advice, further, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that the Ocean 30 was a much sought after boat. It seems ageless to me, a design that just hasn't dated. It's a boat that looks like a boat and to be honest, look at far more recent Brooms and you can still see the '30' in their design.

Oh if only it would go under Potter I'd be tempted myself (and of course if I had the money :-) )

Oh and one other thing.....   I thought that "Selling Boats" were things one watched when sipping ones pink gin.