What’s it worth

[Dianicho1959]

Selling the boat and need a value. Johnson 115. Walk around trailer. Ran great when last used. Needs interior restoration. Solid.

 

[Texasmark]

Ran great when last used means nothing. That boat (Lone Star brand) was probably build in the mid 1950's (back when tail fins on cars were the thing) with a late 1970's-1980's engine.
Restoration on the boat is usually transom and deck ( floor), neither expensive tasks $250. probably new steering cable and maybe steering wheel andd maybe control box...$350-$450 there, may have to tighten up some rivets. Trailer would be tires and bearings $250 . Engine would need at a minimum servicing lower unit, carbs, replacing all rubber hoses, new fuel filter, maybe some wiring, new plugs hoping the compression is over 100, 120 preferred...tested properly. Another $300.

$250+450+250+300= $1250. $2000-1250= $750 Cash! if you don't do any decorative things including new seats.

 

[GA_Boater]

A boat in Texas with portholes and fins on a trailer with a 115 Johnson that "Ran great when last used." PS - All sellers say that.

$27.50 for starters until you give us enough information to form a estimate.

• What year is your Texas Maid?
• Length and beam?
• Do you have the 3 titles?
• Interior pictures.

 

[briangcc]

To be brutally honest...its worth whatever someone will pay for it. That's what it really comes down to.

Someone may be eagerly looking for that very model to relive their childhood and be willing to pay top dollar to do so.

Another person may have a budget in mind and be aware of what its going to cost to get it to their satisfaction - factoring in the issues that they can currently see with the boat.

To increase your odds of selling the boat....

1. Does it actually run on muffs?
2. Interior pics?
3. As mentioned above, paperwork? If not...can you get it in your name? This is a deal breaker for some (me) if you can't/won't put forth the effort.
4. When was "last used"? Yesterday? Last year? Sometime this past decade?
5. Why has it sat unused? Issues?

 

[JimS123]

I've been a "collector" for umpteen years. I belong to all the collector clubs and go to meets frequently. So, I know a little bit about the market.

For some sad but specific reasons I had to thin the herd a bit over the past few months. Nobody wanted anything old. I couldn't even give them away. I ended up with the Salvation Army and even that was a hassle.

If anyone gives you any half reasonable cash offer, take it. Its a different kind of market these days.

 

[Commander_47]

If anyone gives you any half reasonable cash offer, take it. Its a different kind of market these days.

I have to agree. It's a grim realization: once acknowledged and accepted becomes a boon.

Older items used to be valued for their craftsmanship, attention to detail and timeless quality.

Not so much anymore. Progress moves on so fast.

If you try to get "what it's worth", you may have it for sale a long time. It finally occurred to me that having the cash in hand to pursue other projects was worth more than "storing" something in my yard for the high price.

You have to ask, 'What is worth to me now? Sitting in my yard doing nothing?"

This post reminded me that I still have several old, but pristine, expensive reflex cameras, a perfectly grand VHS camera, and some old computers that work perfectly for what they were 20 years ago.

I'm loading those into the car and flea market bound as I need to get some disc brake parts for my boat trailer.

 

[Scott Danforth]

cool looking boat

ran great when last used is a red flag. this could be it was last used tuesday of this week, or last used in 1985

interior needs restoration is a red flag, sirens and lights. why does it need restoration. is it because the vinyl is just cracked from age, foam is still intact and the wood is good, or has it been stored outside, a 6 foot oak tree was growing thru the seats and there is a hole in the floor big enough to hide jimmy hoffa

the good, its an aluminum boat
the bad, it needs work
the cool, it has fins
the issue, as stated above, it need to have clear paperwork
the value - depends on buyer, nostalgia and how much work it will take.

to do an interior today will cost you 2.5X what it would have cost you 18 months ago. so what was $2k is now $5k. because everything has gone up. starboard and pro board for substrates, foam, and marine vinyl have gone up 120% staples and tee nuts are most likely back ordered

to do a floor and transom today will cost you 3-4x what it would have cost you 18 months ago. so what was $500-$1000 is now between $1500 and $3000

if the motor was just running, however needs typical maintenance and tune up, that is ~ $200 if you do it your self

if the motor hasnt run since 1985 and critters have built a condo in the motor over the past 37 years, then the motor needs a full rebuild or replacement. that is between $1800 and $15000

if you bought the boat to flip. you need to make sure the paperwork is in your name. is the boat in Texas as the registration decals would indicate, or the mid west, north west, east coast, west coast, canada, mexico? different geographic locals have different pricing tiers

for value, we need background, location, etc. more than a dozen words and 4 pictures