Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

Since someone mentioned the Seattle show in another thread I thought I would ask what people think of actually buying boats at a boat show. <br /><br />I bought an inflatable once at a boat show about 2 hrs before the show closed and the guy was deparate to get rid of it. It was a real buy. I've heard similar stories from other people - buy at the end of the show.<br /><br />On the other hard, the boats are all specially prepared, they all look perfect, they are loaded with demo dollies waiting to show you around. Every slick boat salesperson is there. They prey on impulse buyers. Every deal is the lowest price you will ever see, etc, etc. Oh yeah and if you can't afford it they will find you credit no matter how bad off you are ($10 down, $200/month for the next 72 years with a mere 19.2% APR).

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

IMHO a boat show (or two) should be part of your shopping experience. Just not the entire experience!!! I luv to attend the shows, but have never bought anything at one.<br /><br />Kelly Cook

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

It was a real buy. <br />thats the key, if its the boat you actually want, you can get a good deal at or after the boat show from the dealer, i bought the boat show boat from the trophy dealer after the show for five thousand dollars less.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

I go just to get a free key chain that floats if you drop it in the water ... and I don’t mind paying the $20 cost of admission to get one.<br /> <br /><br />Ok, seriously, I attend for the marketing. It is a chance to meet and talk with factory reps eyeball to eyeball, and play with some gizmos, and to see things that I have only read about. I don’t really look at the boats much because overall, looking at boats gets boring real fast. To me they all start to look alike. I have never bought anything (except beer) at a boat show.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

Kelly, I think for the first time ever, we agree 100%. Good summation, I couldn't say it any better.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

I like the idea of not driving all over the countryside. I bought one boat at the boat show. It was a good boat, at a better price than they had offered two weeks before.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

Boat Shows have been a positive experience for me and something I will always look forward to each year. Prior to purchasing my boat last spring, I attended boat shows for a few years to understand what manufacturers had to offer. Sure beats picking one out of a catalog! Ready to buy and before attending the following years boat show, I gave a fairly local dealer the first opportunity to put me in the boat I was interested in by bringing the info from the previous years show. Although I paid $1000 more than the previous year show price, I got the newer year model. I am also confident I invested in a relationship with my dealer rather than a high volume operation that cashed my check and forgot about me.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

PAkev hit it dead on..boat show is a good option to shop a boat but is also useful to shop out a dealer I'll be attending the Toronto boat show this week without the wife (hee haw look out bank account) My findings up here is you can usally make a better deal starting around the end of July. than you can in January at the show, but if you don't mind buying last years model your bound to find dealer with new 2003/2004 they have in stock still but of course you then will need to settle for what they have not what you want. <br /><br /> I love the smell of fresh fiberglass in the morning.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

I usually check out the dealers before the show, then I know if I'm getting a good price AT the show. I figure the dealers will always be there, but the show price is something you'd have to be prepared to move on quickly.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

I bought my Rinker Captiva 212, at the Fort Wayne Boat Show in 2001. We had it down to a Sea Ray and the Rinker before we went. The show bonus was a 3 year add on to the Mfg. warantee, and a trailer spare tire. Not much in freebies but the show price was $2100.00 less than the local dealer. Went to the Chicago show last year. Wow, never seen so much gel coat. One could get very confused if not sure of what they wanted.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

I would highly recommend a boat show to somebody shopping for a boat who needs to learn what's available at what price ranges.<br /><br />But only those with more money than they have sense would buy a boat on impulse!

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

For what it's worth, I purchased a boat from a dealership about a month prior to the Providence Boat Show. I ended up getting a better deal by about $600 at the dealership then I could at the boat show. This is not to say that boat shows are bad places to shop. Personally, I think boat shows are the perfect place to "shop" and if you find what you "really want", it's a great place to buy. On another note, I purchased all new electronics at the boat show (chartplotter, sonar, vhf, antennas, hardware) for the new boat and saved about 35% from what I would have spent at the store, and maybe 15% over internet. The real savings is in smaller cheaper hardware like antenna mounts, transducers, gps antennas, etc. Just know what you want before you go. Let the boat show challenge what you really want by seeing so much. Then you'll know for sure. I hope I was helpful.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

The Portland boat show comes the 2nd week of January, the Seattle show usually the following week. Portland has more jet, river, guide boats, Seattle more big 'uns. Like everyone else, I've used the shows twice to really narrow down to what I wanted, then followed up afterwards to get the "Today Only Special Price"....and then even more of a discount.<br />A friend of mine says he did get a fairly good deal at a show when a dealer, who was located quite a distance from the show, gave him an additional discount for hauling it away on the last day, supposedly to save the dealer the trip. I dunno...this friend always claims he got a better deal than you did.... <br /><br />I've still had the best deals at the end of the season, but Northern is right...your selection may be limited.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

I think the boat show is the way to go. First you can look at more models in two hours than you could in 3 weeks of shopping. <br />We bought our last boat at the Boat show. We had been to a couple of local boat shows and did not find what we wanted. So we went to a boat show in San Francisco on the first weekend and saw the perfect boat for us. Ask about the package price with a trailer. Read up on the boat and decided we would see what kind of a deal we could get. Went back to the show on the second weekend but the dealer we had worked with the first weekend was not there so talked to another dealer. Turned out his price was much better for the same boat. We went over the options we wanted and did not want. <br /><br />Next I told him I wanted a roller trailer so he said this is the EZ loader roller trailer for this boat. Then I told him I want it 2 feet longer and a lot more rollers. He said would not fit right, so I went over to the EZ Loader dealer.<br /><br />Told EZ Loader dealer this is boat we are buying and I want a trailer with a longer tongue so I can open my truck doors with out them hitting the tongue jack or wench stand. I also told him I wanted to double the number of rollers for better hull support. He checked a couple of things and said a roller set with double the number of rollers would fit but he did not think I need them. I said I want them anyway. Then the last thing I said is boat weighs 2800 pounds dry and with 34 gallons of fuel and 500 pounds of gear hear is my expected weight. I would like the springs for that weight. Since this was a aluminum boat the standard springs were much to heavy but the lighter sets fit fine and were much cheaper. So I would end up with a Saltwater water Galvinized tandem axel trailer with brakes, double the normal number of rollers, lighter springs, and a longer tongue and it only cost me $80 dollers more than the trailer the dealer said was standard. It did help that this guy was the owner of the EZ Loader factory where they build all the EZ loader trailers. Now I ask Him how do I tell the boat Dealer to order this trailer. He grabed a order form and wrote it up went back to the boat dealer with me and gave him a copy and me a copy.<br /><br />Next I went to my Banks booth and ask about a Loan. He gave me a good rate and pre approved it. <br /><br />Went back to the dealed and finished the deal. All total took about 2 hours. I could not get every thing I wanted if I bought from a local dealer but at the show no big deal.<br /><br />One thing I will say is options that are dealer installed you may be better off to buy seperate and install your self. I think can get cheaper and installed just like your want it. I had a nice 6 inch compass installed by the dealer. It looked great but he installed with-in 3 inches of the windshield wiper motor and did not swing the boat at all. Was able to adjust ok but when turn on the Windsield wiper compass is 30 degrees off. I would have never installed it there but since I have a 6 inch hole in the deck I will live with it.<br /><br />Anyway boat show the only way to go to find the boat you want, Motor you want and trailer your want.

Re: Boat Shows - Good Idea or not?

Boat shows are great for playing one dealer off against another. I bought my Quintrex 475 Spirit at the Sydney boat show... there were three dealers who had Quintrex franchises so I simply got a quote from one... walked over to the next and asked him for a quote and then went to my local dealer and asked him to beat the lowest. He did! Job done... although I was tempted to do the merry-go-round again to try for an even lower price. Bonus was that when the boat arrived it was the following year model. Love it when things like that happen.