[C320-list] Sell YourSelf or Broker

[Brad Kuether]

I too sold my prior boat to buy my C320.

I put the boat on Craigslist and used their "alias" service.  Worked great.

Oh, if you want to sell it quick, lower the price...  :)

Another thing about selling yourself is the possibility of developing some 
type of social relationship with the person that you sold it to, and they 
MIGHT let you back on for memory sake.

The guy I sold my C&C to did exactly that.  I miss that boat when the wind 
is light and variable.....  But boy I sure love the bigger boat when the 
wind kicks up.....

-Brad, Mary, Monica, and Jarod
"Independence"
2004 Catalina 320 Hull 1006
Middle River, MD


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry & Melissa" <theleibmans at verizon.net>
To: "Catalina320.com" <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 9:19 PM
Subject: [C320-list] Sell YourSelf or Broker


Joe,

We recently sold our previous boat (a 1988 Cal 28) to buy our current C-320. 
We weren't in a particular rush and decided that since it was the end of the 
season (this was Sept 08, not the greatest time to sell a boat) we would 
spend the fall/winter trying to sell ourselves. We used a variety of 
advertising means with minimal investment including craigslist, Boat/US, a 
local sailing rag (SpinSheet), all with references to a simple website 
(http://mysite.verizon.net/cal28forsale if it is still up). We had a few 
leads within a month or two, one very promising. Ultimately none panned out 
and we went with a broker in the spring of '09. Even then the boat didn't 
sell until August '09. I felt the boat was priced fairly but it was (and I 
imagine still is) a tough market.

I think if I were to do it again, I might still try myself first for a 
period of time before going with a broker. If you don't mind dealing with 
the hassle of showing the boat and aren't in a rush, you don't really have 
anything to lose but have several thousand to gain. Perhaps the best thing 
you get with a broker is the exposure through YachtWorld which has become 
sort of a standard for boat listings.

Good luck whichever way you go.

Larry