rate my for sale ad/price please

[markpierce]

The boat is 40 years old!

J.D. Jerrold Kelly in 1890 said: "a well-found ship costs much to build, more to keep going, and when no longer wanted, sells for a song."

Curious as to the original 1978 purchase price.

 

[alfamike]

Location - Clear Lake ?

Error in Hull type as others have said -- that boat is NOT a full displacement hull. -- Correct the ad to say Semi-Displacement hull or it is false advertising & you lose creditability.

The Twin Engine or single engine argument is something I am not going to get into. Personal preference.

Expect about $ 28 to 30 K will be the offered price .

Good Luck with the sale.

 

[Seevee]

A couple of comments, almost the opposite of what you have gotten. The purpose of an advert is to draw people in as I know you are well aware. I have had quite a bit of training in advertising and I'm a big fan of "sell the sizzle, not the steak." If you list all the details everyone has suggested, you are selling the steak.

Think of going to a boat show and looking at boats. You find one you like, drawn in by the visuals then you ask for a brochure with all the specs. So in your listing start with something like "boat is is great shape, you need to see this boat in person to appreciate all the extras." That sentence would get my attention. I would then list all the basics, but at the end say that a spec sheet will be handed out on "your first visit." Also if you have had a recent survey, include that in the spec sheet.

So under electronics, don't include all the model numbers etc, but do include that in your spec sheet. So I'd say something like, "electronics recently upgraded, includes radar and blue tooth radio." Include some pics in your do it yourself brochure spec sheet.

The one thing that would seriously hold me back from purchasing your boat would be the dark interior, what I don't like about many sailboats as well - too dark inside. So if you are going to spend extra bucks, I'd just add new vinyl plank flooring (but I wouldn't use a wood colour, don't want a competing wood look) over top of what you have, I'd use something in a very light grey. This addition would brighten up the cabins, reflecting more light around inside.

Here is one sample of vinyl planking, but obviously there are many choices: https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...X&ved=0ahUKEwiZ17Lck9rgAhVT654KHd4oDnoQrhIIIQ

Only spend money on items that will visually improve your boat (the "sizzle") and leave the rest to the new owner. Take out the bit about the price might go up if you do improvements. And advertise in the highly populated northern states, Illinois and New York.

rsn48,

You make some good points. Sell the sizzle, but include the steak IN the ad, perhaps a second page or in the details. Nothing hurts an ad more than incomplete information and that's my biggest pet peeve. I hate to call the broker to find out what it really has.

And the line have to see to appreciate is in every ad... so cliche. I can't imagine anyone jumping off their chair and running to see a boat that had that line.

Yes, I've been in advertising, too, owned a few printing companies. Present a good picture, selling the goods, but fill in with the details. Fewer pictures of quality are way better than a lot of marginal ones... but still need enough to show the whole product.

 

[Nopistn]

rsn48,

You make some good points. Sell the sizzle, but include the steak IN the ad, perhaps a second page or in the details. Nothing hurts an ad more than incomplete information and that's my biggest pet peeve. I hate to call the broker to find out what it really has.

And the line have to see to appreciate is in every ad... so cliche. I can't imagine anyone jumping off their chair and running to see a boat that had that line.

Yes, I've been in advertising, too, owned a few printing companies. Present a good picture, selling the goods, but fill in with the details. Fewer pictures of quality are way better than a lot of marginal ones... but still need enough to show the whole product.

I agree with this approach.
Still working on the pictures and deleted the hull type.

 

[Nopistn]

The boat is 40 years old!

J.D. Jerrold Kelly in 1890 said: "a well-found ship costs much to build, more to keep going, and when no longer wanted, sells for a song."

Curious as to the original 1978 purchase price.

And it dosen't look a day over 30, lol.

 

[rsn48]

And the line have to see to appreciate is in every ad... so cliche. I can't imagine anyone jumping off their chair and running to see a boat that had that line.

The problem with cliches is they work. And you don't see this in every advert, I've looked at many hundreds of used boats on the net. So we all know that an item listed at $9.99 is really $10 and yet that practice has been around so long, since Jesus was in diapers. I'm always amazed at how many will state the price to be $9 when talking to friends and family, even my wife has done it.

Think about car adverts, they are exactly what I'm talking about. Almost no car advert discusses the specs of vehicle, instead they have a helicopter flying with a hot looking guy/gal or both having an amazing time. They are selling the "feel" of the car, the sizzle, and not the make up of the car, the steak.

What drew me in was a statement that the boat I eventually bought was given a good review by the surveyor. And the photos, drew me in. The photos are everything in the advert and some of the photos I have seen clearly demonstrates the people have no taste. From photos so blurry you might question your sobriety to areas filled with so much junk and dirt that only a clueless person could possibly think anyone would be attracted to the boat.

Regarding electronics, include those in your pick if they are new excellent items.

I am also a bit of a photographer and am trying to think of how to get more light in your photos on the cheap. So, first get a box that bicycles come in from your local bike dealer. These boxes are ideal as they are so large and bike shops don't mind giving them away. Cut out one large side panel and spray with left over white spray paint or go buy some and spray one side only. If you've ever seen movie sets, they will often have a large white wall to one side to reflect light back onto the set. You can also purchase light reflectors for photography but the larger they get, the more expensive they are. Spray paint the side of the other box panel, but cut it in half so you can slide the smaller panel into tighter spaces.

For a light source, if you own or borrow an LED work light and just put an empty plastic milk container if front of the light to diffuse the light. Think of a cloudy day, no to little shadows, but on a bright day, hard shadows, the light diffuser is your cloudy day maker. With a halogen work light, the area can heat up unpleasantly really fast and it will probably melt the opaque milk container, and that's no fun.

 

[Fletcher500]

Nice cradle you have there for your Fenn Surfski.

 

[timb]

they are 2 moeller 50 gallon off the shelf tanks

thanks , looks like you gained some square footage in the engine room also. did you add a separate fill for the second tank?

 

[Seevee]

And the line have to see to appreciate is in every ad... so cliche. I can't imagine anyone jumping off their chair and running to see a boat that had that line.

The problem with cliches is they work. And you don't see this in every advert, I've looked at many hundreds of used boats on the net. So we all know that an item listed at $9.99 is really $10 and yet that practice has been around so long, since Jesus was in diapers. I'm always amazed at how many will state the price to be $9 when talking to friends and family, even my wife has done it.

Think about car adverts, they are exactly what I'm talking about. Almost no car advert discusses the specs of vehicle, instead they have a helicopter flying with a hot looking guy/gal or both having an amazing time. They are selling the "feel" of the car, the sizzle, and not the make up of the car, the steak.

What drew me in was a statement that the boat I eventually bought was given a good review by the surveyor. And the photos, drew me in. The photos are everything in the advert and some of the photos I have seen clearly demonstrates the people have no taste. From photos so blurry you might question your sobriety to areas filled with so much junk and dirt that only a clueless person could possibly think anyone would be attracted to the boat.

Regarding electronics, include those in your pick if they are new excellent items.

I am also a bit of a photographer and am trying to think of how to get more light in your photos on the cheap. So, first get a box that bicycles come in from your local bike dealer. These boxes are ideal as they are so large and bike shops don't mind giving them away. Cut out one large side panel and spray with left over white spray paint or go buy some and spray one side only. If you've ever seen movie sets, they will often have a large white wall to one side to reflect light back onto the set. You can also purchase light reflectors for photography but the larger they get, the more expensive they are. Spray paint the side of the other box panel, but cut it in half so you can slide the smaller panel into tighter spaces.

For a light source, if you own or borrow an LED work light and just put an empty plastic milk container if front of the light to diffuse the light. Think of a cloudy day, no to little shadows, but on a bright day, hard shadows, the light diffuser is your cloudy day maker. With a halogen work light, the area can heat up unpleasantly really fast and it will probably melt the opaque milk container, and that's no fun.

Good points, but I'd bet that most savvy boat buyers are smart enough to sort thru the BS and want the facts and often do a spread sheet to determine the value. I certainly do!

I like all the facts in the ad, and unfortunately most brokers don't provide that. Seller do, and with one email to a serious seller, I get all the info I need for a purchase. I've given up on numerous brokers that I could have been a buyer if I had the into.

Now, if one is buying a "one of a kind" that doesn't work. But if you're buying a popular boat you can be discriminating.

As for pictures.... a GOOD photographer and Photoshop can do wonders!

 

[alormaria]

The brokerage I worked for would always chide me for including too many specs and pictures of engines and running gear. The prevailing attitude was to show enough to get the mark to call and then reel them in. If you tell them everything in the Ad up front they never call. Most people think they want one thing but will buy what is sold to them. Can't do that if they are not calling.



You can see why I left...

 

[Airstream345]

The prevailing attitude was to show enough to get the mark to call and then reel them in.

You can see why I left...

Yikes! Glad to hear you moved on.

 

[rsn48]

The prevailing attitude was to show enough to get the mark to call and then reel them in.

You can see why I left...

The only thing the broker did wrong was to use colloquial language, the advise given was excellent advise had he re-worded what he said.

1) You want the person to come see your boat.

2) You want the person to go out for a quicky test drive. More boats are sold because the guy looking and riding on it and recalling pics of it on the net, a day or two latter, started fantasizing himself at the helm of said boat. When this fantasizing starts, you've got a winner!