Best site for boat resale?

SpeedboatHefner

Recruit
Joined
May 10, 2019
Messages
1
Hey guys, long time lurker, first time poster. I finally made an account to ask: what's the best site to sell my boat? I have a 2011 Malibu Wake Setter and I'm looking to get either a Formula Boat or a Donzi.

I strongly dislike the layout of BoatTrader, YachtWorld was alright, and Sell-A-Boat was pretty good (probably the one I'll go back to honestly, especially since I'm on a budget).

Is there anything else I should checkout? Please don't say Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, I'd rather not have my boat buried in a sea of posts. Thank you! :joyous:
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
In my state, all the boats are on CL. If a buyer is serious, they will find your post using the search feature.
 

garbageguy

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
1,531
Full disclosure - I have not sold (or bought) a boat via the interweb, but my son has - using CL. If there's a "sea of posts" doesn't that suggest a lot of traffic, which is what you want if selling something.

I have used CL to see what's out there for boats, searching, and finding, what I want. The sea did not hamper me there
 

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,090
Have it brokered. Let someone else do the work. No muss, no fuss.
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
Craigslist or MalibuCrew - assuming you can come up with a better description than 2011 wakesetter (which describes a line of boats, not a model)

I bought mine off craigslist. Facebook Marketplace limits your audience since a lot of grownups with Malibu money are not on Facebook.

Using a broker is giving money away - older Malibu's are easy to sell with the new ones costing around 100K
 

ziggy

Admiral
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
7,473
they have boats for sale on iboats. a lot of boats.

i bought the boat that i have now off a iboats ad.
the boat was a consignment sale out of rapid city, SD. advertised on iboats.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
While only because of luck that I bought my current boat locally, I was shopping Ebay as well. If you are in an expensive cost of living state, everything is a huge discount when you buy from some other states. Have bought every car except one off of Ebay since the year Ebay motors came online. Would have no issue selling on Ebay.
 

oldjeep

Admiral
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
6,455
While only because of luck that I bought my current boat locally, I was shopping Ebay as well. If you are in an expensive cost of living state, everything is a huge discount when you buy from some other states. Have bought every car except one off of Ebay since the year Ebay motors came online. Would have no issue selling on Ebay.

True - the issue with ebay is that out of state buyers add a whole other level of fun (both real buyers and scammers) when dealing with things that cost 40K+

FWIW, I've had pretty decent luck with cars on CL locally, just bought my wife a topless summer toy a couple weeks ago off CL for a price we couldn't touch anywhere else.
 

Blind Date

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
462
Please don't say Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, I'd rather not have my boat buried in a sea of posts. Thank you!

Why? It's free and like most people it's pretty much the only place I check when looking for a "used" anything. As already noted it has a search function so anyone truly looking for a Malibu boat can easily find your add, just like I easily found this really nice Sunfish sailboat this spring in a sea of adds in the Minneapolis CL.

 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
True - the issue with ebay is that out of state buyers add a whole other level of fun (both real buyers and scammers) when dealing with things that cost 40K+

FWIW, I've had pretty decent luck with cars on CL locally, just bought my wife a topless summer toy a couple weeks ago off CL for a price we couldn't touch anywhere else.

I agree that Ebay can pose some challenges. I just bought my current daily driver off of EBAY which is an Off Lease BMW 750Li. This one was 120k new and so definitely over 40k used. Until the truck came and delivered it, I was a bit nervous even knowing the dealer was a reputable seller. You send a wire transfer for the full amount and rely on their reputation as an EBAY seller and honesty which can seem a bit naive in this day and age. Pretty much everything else I buy off of CL. Toys are the best because people buy them with good intentions and quickly realize they don't have the time they thought they would. I generally buy stuff 2 or 3 years old and most times, they won't have even fully broken them in. My waverunner had two weekends worth of hours plus the boatlift and think my fourwheeler had 20 hours on it. CL is THE place here but I know that some other states have their own more popular than CL marketplaces as I understand.
 

roffey

Commander
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
2,187
Someone correct me as I have never bought any thing big from EBay but I do believe they guarantee the product as advertised. I think the seller is taking the bigger risk as the buyer can reversed the transaction, have the money returned and that is a scam all in it self. If I buy anything big like cars or boats I want to put my hands on it first before I put out any cash. I think that's where CL might be better as it just a place to start the transaction, you still have to meet the seller and look at the product first hand..
 

Starcraft5834

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
1,677
"Please don't say Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, I'd rather not have my boat buried in a sea of posts. Thank you! :joyous:"

that depends on how bad u want to sell it......... unfortunately, Boats arent worth what someone is willing to pay.. they are worth less than that usually :) a sale is a sale
 

TyeeMan

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
849
I'd go CL, , sorry, but you literally get traffic from everywhere. In my opinion, the major key factor for a good CL add is just that, it has to be GOOD! When you write your add you need to paint a picture, use lots of descriptor type words. Don'y lie, be forthright and honest. Give ALL information of the boat in regards to engine, drive, etc.

Once you did that, add lots of GOOD pictures. I think CL will let you post like 15 or more pictures. How many CL adds have you seen where the person is trying to sell something and they have two or three lines that hardly describe what their selling, and then they have a couple crappy pictures.
If you're not good at taking pictures ask a friend, relative or whatever to snap a bunch of pictures for you.

Lastly, if you're not interested in trades you must have in your add, "this item is for sale only, no trades please", or something to that affect.
Very last thing in your add, "This is a cash sale only." Doesn't matter if the buyer shows up with a bank check, it can be fraudulent. If he can get a bank check for $15K, he's got $15K in cash, , or can get it.
Or I suppose if he has a bank check, you and the buyer together can go to your bank to deposit it. I would imagine you bank could verify if the check is good.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
Someone correct me as I have never bought any thing big from EBay but I do believe they guarantee the product as advertised. I think the seller is taking the bigger risk as the buyer can reversed the transaction, have the money returned and that is a scam all in it self. If I buy anything big like cars or boats I want to put my hands on it first before I put out any cash. I think that's where CL might be better as it just a place to start the transaction, you still have to meet the seller and look at the product first hand..

Certainly EBAY Motors has a buyer protection program but it's not just cut and dry. There are a lot of hoops to jump through and a lot of limitations. I think I bought my first car from Ebay Motors the year the Motors section was added. Have bought several since then. Probably a bit of luck but all were as described but all were from dealers. Really not terribly different than opening cars.com or boattrader, etc, and shopping nationwide except for the ebay motors protection.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
EBay and Brokering cost a lot of money - not worth it.

Last year I sold my 35 year old boat on Craigslist. I took new and perfectly posed pictures and posted as many as they would allow. I listed all of the specifications, options and detailed the maintenance history. Before placing the ad I completely detailed the boat and stored it in the garage under cover. It showed like a new boat. I ended up selling it on the 3rd day to the first person that showed up for about 3x the NADA book value, and only a few hundred less than the asking price. They were so taken back that they didn't even ask for me to run the engine or give a sea trial.

Most importantly, I told no lies or exaggerations. After the sale I followed up with the buyer and they couldn't be happier after using it for half the Summer.

I've been using CL almost since its inception, and have yet to have anything I posted there not sell.
 

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,090
With Craigslist and all the other online options, including tossing it out front on your lawn with a for sale sign, you get the joy of dealing with every dreamer, tire kicker, low baller out there. Plus a lot of no shows.

To me, giving the broker a small percentage of the sale so I don't have to deal with that nonsense is a no brainer. Or I'd just trade it in. My time and sanity is worth something too.

But to each their own. If you like going through that and being told how wrong you are on your price, so be it.
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
One of my biggest complaints about CL is that everyone has a different idea of what any particular description actually means to them. Excellent condition for example to me means one thing and to a seller means something different. As one point when I was boat shopping a few years back, when I told the seller I wasn't interested as I was viewing a boat for sale, he wanted me to walk him through exactly what the issues were as compared to what excellent condition should mean.
It reminds me of my son's first experience with damaging the car be bought him for his 16th birthday. He was shocked to learn just how much it cost to replace and repaint the bumper he tore off that nearly new car and the reasons why it cost so much.
 

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,090
Incorrect assumption on my financial position. Boating season is short. Would you rather dicker with every Tom, ****, and Harry about price while the boating season slips away OR be out on the water and let someone else deal with that hassle?

To me, its again a no brainer - out on the water enjoying myself.

Its why I traded mine in instead of listing it. Easy sale, marina even loaned me a dealer plate so I didn't have to re-register my trailer. No hassle. No dickering on price. No lining up a water test. No my wife found out and I need a refund. No I want to buy it will you do payments? Nada. In this day an age, it was worth the little hit I took in value.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
Although the last boat I sold was in pristine condition and had all its maintenance up to date, the trade-in offer I got was so low that I would have sooner donated it to the Sea Scouts. A local broker wouldn't accept it because of the age, even after he saw it. As I said before, it sold on CL in 3 days.

If you have junk, just donate it to a worthy cause and take a tax deduction. If you have something worthwhile to sell, do your homework and place a professional looking ad. make sure yur spilling and gramaer are correct, or you won't look too smart. Sure, there will always be tire kickers and low ballers but if you have a nice product and a nice ad, you'll do just fine.
 
Top