Sell Electronics With Boat or Separately?

minuteman62-64

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Apr 12, 2011
Messages
1,350
Getting ready to put my boat (15'-6" Bayrunner) on the market. I have some modest electronics that I've used with it. Basically a handheld marine radio, fish finder that mounts on the console and a portable Garmin GPS. Wondering what best strategy is: sell as package or sell boat and then sell electronics separately.

I'm not looking to make a bundle on selling. Just want to find the boat a good home at a fair price. A bit concerned if I sell as a package I'll end up effectively giving the electronics away.

Any thoughts?

BTW, not giving up boating, just down-sizing to kayak - which fits my 80 YO lifestyle better these days.
 

dwco5051

Commander
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Sep 14, 2008
Messages
2,410
Older electronics (possibly obsolete) will not fetch a lot of money. For a first time boat buyer who does not have a shelf of older stuff like many of us do it could sweeten the pot to make the deal for the price you want. I would probably keep the handheld stuff and sell the fish finder with the boat. Having recently sold a boat and leaving on the fish finder that would be worth forty bucks at most in today's market meant a lot to the buyer who though he was going to have to shell out $300 or more on one.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
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Nov 20, 2001
Messages
16,077
Unless commercial or high end, used marine electronics are not worth much.

Leave them on the boat as selling points
 

Alumarine

Captain
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Feb 22, 2005
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3,734
As the others have said leaving them on won't necessarily get you a higher price but it could help sell it quicker.
 

Commander_47

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Nov 18, 2016
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If I was going to get a new boat, I'd want to get everything new and up to date.

Selling with the boat is a good bargaining chip.

Electronics, even if perfectly functional, don't age well. Look at perfectly fine old, slow, computers.
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
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Dec 28, 2013
Messages
37,819
A lot of electronics are obsolete shortly after they go into production.----Mind boggling this stuff.----The rotary dial telephone ( did just one thing ) was good enough for 50 years or so.----Today folks get a new phone every year.
 

DeepCMark58A

Commander
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Aug 17, 2015
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2,351
How much do you like dealing with craigs list people? I stop selling is the way I would go.
 
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Messages
956
I haven't sold much boating stuff, but when I upgraded from my old Minnkota 40lb trolling motor with the footpedal, I put it on C-list. This was three years ago and that trolling motor was already 10+yrs old. I was going to list it for $50, saw others listed for more and put it up for $150. I immediately had ten legitimate offers including a kid who drove down 2hrs with his parents to buy it.

I thought obsolete electronics wouldn't sell well but was surprised. You could at least survey the landscape and see what your units are selling for in the secondary market.
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
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Dec 28, 2013
Messages
37,819
An electric trolling motor is not in the same category of a loran-C or fish finder.
 

ahicks

Captain
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Sep 16, 2013
Messages
3,957
If you don't like dealing with people, try e-bay. That about as de-personalized as you can get. Check sold items to see what your item might bring if there's any question...
 

minuteman62-64

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Messages
1,350
Good advice! I bundled everything I had associated with the boat and the repairs and modifications I had made (pulling out a few things I could actually use). Typical Craigslist ad was something like: Boat, motor & trailer. Motor runs good. $XXXXX." My ad had almost a page of add-ons together with about a dozen photos of boat and extras. Posted at 11:00 p.m. Monday night. Had 11 queries by 9:00 a.m. next day. Sold to first person who looked at it at asking price.

Maybe priced too low. But, I searched all SoCal Craigslist posting for similar packages and set a price about in the middle of the range, hoping for a quick sale. I call it a win-win - I think I got a fair price and I believe the buyer thinks he got a good deal.

I am now without a boat for the first time since the early 1970's. I don't feel like I want to go boating, but I feel like I am missing somethin :(
 
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