Valueing a boat? $$$?

[Retired-Coastie]

I understand using NADA or ABOS to come up with a blue book value, but what if the hull is a 50 year old one of a kind? Item in question is a 1964 Colvin 38 being sold on eBay for $26,000. Any ideas, words of encouragement, enlightenment would be appreciated.

[Gelfling]

Ultimately.....anything is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Right? If someone is willing to pay $26k.... then to that person it will be worth it. As far as insurance purposes, I would suppose it is built around the same principles. (??)

[model 10]

The sellers of these kinds of boats really take it in the shorts when selling, you will too when that day comes.

[Paul L]

Use Yachtworld, etc to compare other similar ahe AL boats. In the end you are comparing this boat for your use with other possible boats for the use.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by Gelfling

Ultimately.....anything is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Right? If someone is willing to pay $26k.... then to that person it will be worth it. As far as insurance purposes, I would suppose it is built around the same principles. (??)

This is the right answer. No armchair enthusiast can tell you what your boat or the buyer what the boat is worth. A marine surveyor can come close but all they are looking at are like sales when they value a vessel. If there isn't another like it then you have to decide what to offer.

kind regards,

[muskoka]

I don't think boats sell in large enough volumes to be reliably valued by book values. Maybe the smaller runabouts are, but on the larger boats so much comes down to fitted options, how it was maintained, and whether the previous owner made intelligent decisions regarding "improvements". The values also fluctuate wildly with the state of the economy.

The previous suggestion to check out Yachtworld and comparable boats will probably be the most useful gauge of boat values.