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View Full Version : Is it too late in the year to sell my Donzi?



Last Tango
08-19-2009, 07:45 PM
While the war rages over in the Donzi's For Sale section of this forum over whether non-member 3rd party Donzi's should be listed there, I thought I would ask my question here, since I'm a long running member and the question is about my boat.
My life is about to change dramatically. Seems about every 20 years, almost to the day, something changes my life in a major way. That will be happening next Spring. Since I already know about it, I want to make a serious effort to be prepared.

So my question is: Should I go ahead and put my boat up for sale now when I have plenty of time to sell it, or am I just wasting my time and money advertising it now, since most folks north of here are already thinking about where they will be putting up for the winter in about 6 weeks time?

If you are interested in which boat I am selling, see my avatar and then click on my link below in my signature for the full 3 1/2 years history if this boat, discussed in excruxiating detail. If you are truly interested in buying it, please PM me rather than posting.
No, it is not a cheap desperation sale. Otherwise I wouldn't be asking this far out.

Thanks for your helpful thoughts on this.

MOP
08-19-2009, 08:11 PM
IMO having just spent a week with my buddy who is an RV & boat speculator, the market is getting more stable and boats (USED) are selling reasonably well. Not sure how much that helps with your thinking, but at least it is a positive note!

Phil

penbroke
08-19-2009, 09:45 PM
As a northern member that is actively shopping (and selling) I see no harm in putting the word out now. Here, OSO, craigslist, whatever... Don't spend a lot on ads but put the word out there and see what happens. It seems that a lot of boats move off the radar by word of mouth.

I put my cruiser up on craigslist a few weeks back at what I thought was a fair price and had people fighting over it. If it moves now at a good price all the better. If not you can advertise it hard in the spring. Just don't let the ads sit stagnant. Lots of shoppers out there just now...

I hope your impending life change is for the good!


Frank

Ghost
08-19-2009, 10:16 PM
I'd say put it up now for sure if you wish to sell. If it sells, great. If not, you can still try again in the Spring. As for the market then versus now, I'd say that's a clear crapshoot. Could well be worse. The time value of money being what it is, getting the cash now has a clear advantage that the wait winter's would have to compensate. Plus insurance, storage if you have to pay that, etc.

Unless you can get a lot of joy out of the boat for the rest of the year, I'd say sell now.

FWIW,

Mike

Lenny
08-19-2009, 11:46 PM
IMO, "WE" here are seeing incredible deals now in the USA. Seems the latest trend is to throw the keys to the bank for the boat/loan. Used to be (and still is) the home. In 2010, basically 40% of US Mortaqges come due. That will pressurize the market further I think. In the boating world, the Bank does not want to pull it out of the water and be stuck with the "inventory" nor the charges or dry land storage. Nor do they want to be paying moorage every month for a dead liability.

It is better as a buyer now IMO than it was 6-8 months ago. I would wait it out if you are not wholesaling it...

my $.02

CHACHI
08-20-2009, 05:53 AM
Just do it.

I sold my Minx in the late fall to a gentleman in Canada.
You never know.

Ken

Last Tango
08-20-2009, 09:25 AM
Thanks, guys for all of your input.
This is not a pressure or walk-away situation, nor would I be making somebody a ground-shaking deal. I am selling for what I still owe on the boat (which is considerable still, after only 3 1/2 years), and no less. If ther are no takers at that price, then so be it.

The trade off for a higher price is the fact that this is virtually the newest 22ZX anyone can buy. And it is loaded from the factory with options that were generally not available for this model in that model year. And only a handful of 2006's were built in total.

joel3078
08-22-2009, 10:32 AM
Sold both my boats in the winter. One at -10°F and the other at +38°F. Boat show at covention center in Minneapolis is middle of winter just to mess with our frozen heads.

I've heard over and over again that to sell a unique boat like a Donzi can take over a year so the sooner you advertise the sooner you will sell it.

Last Tango
08-22-2009, 06:58 PM
Yes, that is an interesting point about the time it takes to sell a boat like a Donzi. Fortunately, I'm not desperate.

Since I first posed this question, I have been looking at all sorts of ways to reach my financial goal. I can also keep the boat and sell the tow vehicle. There is a very strong case for this based on my immediate proximity (walking distance) to an excellent waterfront dry storage facility. I kept my 16C there when I bought it because it did not have a trailer, and I did not have a tow vehicle at that time. I also kept my 18C there when I traded in the 16C. I also kept my Z3250 Daytona there because they also have deepwater covered slips. So returning to that facility will cost me about $200 per month. That is about $400 per month LESS than the payment/insurance/maintenance on the tow vehicle. I can sell the tow vehicle easily enough and net about $4k in addition after paying off the remaining loan balance.
What about the occasional distant Donzi event? My boating buddy drives a 2008 Mercedes ML350 Bluetek and immediately offered to put this into play should we seek other playgrounds for the boat.

mike o
08-23-2009, 11:33 AM
Unless, they apparently forgot to mention it to somebody as they were walking out of house to got get it. :bonk:

Cuda
08-23-2009, 12:19 PM
If he had any stones he'd make it a "present".. :idea:
Based on personal experience, I'd recommend he does NOT try to make it a Valentines day gift though.. :hangum: :hangum:


I gave my ex wife an anchor once for Valentines Day. Was that wrong?

RickyR
08-23-2009, 03:14 PM
Mark,
Keep the boat, and the tow vehicle..

Sell your trains....
Although they look fastastic, you can't take them anywhere...

Take care,
Ricky

Sweet Cheekz
08-23-2009, 07:11 PM
I have a freind who just bought a 22 last week You never know people's schedules List it

Last Tango
08-23-2009, 07:52 PM
RickyR,

Many of my trains are on the chopping block. Just not the ones you saw on display. Yet. LOL! And several interesting new acquisitions are now on display.
Come pay a visit. We can boat together and you can see the new and improved collection of toy trains and diecast cars. All will be sold eventually. Just not now. The train show circuit dried up a couple years ago, because the expenses outweighed the pleasure of selling and the number of buyers.

Since I am no longer going to be going to work each day, the defense of driving the JEEP and thus saving the Porsche from parking lot door dings is also no longer necessary. It will continue as always to be my daily driver and track weapon.

I'm planning to retire... not die!
This will be my second retirement. The first was 20 years ago. I don't expect this to last very long this time, either. I can't sit around the house all day waiting for Oprah and Ellen to come on TV.

Selling the Donzi is still an option.
But selling the JEEP is sounding better all the time and it is quite a bit more liquid. I'm just looking to shortcut one financial corner. I'm not throwing in the towel completely.
If I sell the Donzi, the JEEP is then surplus to me also. I had been thinking that I couldn't sell the Jeep untill I had first sold the Donzi. But research shows that keeping the Donzi is entirely possible without the JEEP.

BUIZILLA
08-23-2009, 08:06 PM
Mark, my nephew keeps his 243 Everglades at the same marina, he bought it there and is real happy with the people... so far. Keep the boat. It was better for him to rack it there than tow it a few miles to launch hassles. He only lives a couple minutes east from you.. he also just bought a tanning salon somewhere around there.. okay, off topic.. PM me JEEP info and i'll pass it on..

Cuda
08-23-2009, 08:21 PM
Are you talking about Julington (sp) Creek Marina?

Last Tango
08-23-2009, 08:44 PM
Cuda,
Yes.
Buizilla,
Thanks for the excellent info. Sounds like your nephew and I have the same ideas regarding the boat storage concept.
To all,
Here is a pic of the boat in question. I found this picture a few minutes ago while looking through other stuff. Makes the decision to keep it a lot easier. The photo was taken two years ago at the last Donzi HOMETOWN Gathering actually held in Sarasota.

onesubdrvr
08-23-2009, 09:12 PM
To all,
Here is a pic of the boat in question. I found this picture a few minutes ago while looking through other stuff. Makes the decision to keep it a lot easier. The photo was taken two years ago at the last Donzi HOMETOWN Gathering actually held in Sarasota.
Mark,...

I'm pretty sure I've got some more photos to encourage you if 'ya want 'em lol

Wayne

Cuda
08-23-2009, 09:38 PM
That's a nice marina. We did the McDonald's just past it.

LuauLounge
08-23-2009, 09:39 PM
Gotta ask....I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering.

If you put it up for sale, what would be the price?

Cuda
08-24-2009, 04:41 AM
It's never too early, and always too late.

Last Tango
08-24-2009, 02:28 PM
For the curious:

This month, I still owe the bank about $48,750. Whatever/whenever my final selling price, it would be exactly the amount I owe the bank at that moment and no less.

For the hot deal seekers, there is nothing here for you to look at. Keep moving along. LOL!

That price includes the custom aluminum trailer, dual axle, 4-wheel disc brakes, radial tires, plus spare. The boat would include vitually all the required Coast Guard equipment plus Lifeline jackets (one even custom made to match the boat), Donzi docklines, all paperwork since new, that cool DONZI black atttache case filled with all of the original owners manuals and stuff, and a list of stuff too numerous to mention. Why? because if I sell the boat, there is no reason to keep any of that stuff. The buyer rakes in a turn key operation with full documentation and equipment and lots more. Such as? A black Donzi Marine flag, mounted on an adjustable aluminum pole (just like the pole that supports the middle of the cockpit cover) that can be mounted in one of the rear cupholders for running in Donzi events and poker runs.

For example. If you bought it today, it would also include the 5 quarts of Quicksilver synthetic oil and the high performance Quicksilver oil filter I bought yesterday at West Marine and will not put in until next weekend at the earliest. Of course, either way you get the oil and filter since I will eventually do the oil change.

Also, I still have the still-in-the-box VHF radio, mount, and antenna I bought from West Marine Memoral Day Weekend. Just haven't found time to mount it. But you can mount it wherever you like. Maybe even on a different boat. LOL! Included in the sale of boat either way.

You asked, so I shared.

Last Tango
08-29-2009, 08:11 PM
So I carefully read everyone's suggestions and I want to thank everyone who posted and commented because every opinion and recommendation offered was seriously considered. Here is what I did today:

I am planning to keep the boat. I rented a dry storage slot at Julington Creek Marina. $150.00 even per month including sales taxes for the next 12 months. I signed a full year lease.

The resounding quiet after I posted my potential asking price confirmed that despite a more open market, I'm still not in the game to sell at the price I need. So it stays here.

My buddy Greg and I launched the boat together one last time for a while and took it over to JCM to size my rack spot. Third level, center of the building, away from wind, weather, and too high for the stereo burglars to mess with it. Then we went to lunch by boat to Clark's Fish Camp. After a nice lunch we headed out into the St. Johns River and blaster around a bit and then headed back to the Marina to clean up and put the boat in its new home.

I took the trailer home and will use this opportunity to have all four wheel bearings serviced, the 4 disc brakes serviced and all new fluid, and take some time to polish up the aluminum frame to a high luster again. I would have dome all this anyway (yearly thing for me) but it seems just as important to make certain the trailer is in tiptop condition even though it will be sitting a lot more now. I don't want to call it into duty and find it not ready.

Thanks again everyone for your responses.