Dana = 1969 Camero?

[terminalcitygrl]

In short, someone made what I took to be a sarcastic comment about the recent pricing of a 1988 Dana on yachtworld at $35k. I replied that I thought this list price to be a better reflection of reality than most of the other current list prices for Dana's. A broker chimed in with the old "market is set by demand" and compared the Dana to a 1969 Chev Camero.

Personally I think that argument bogus - different buyer motivation, use and risk in use specifically. But it made me curious what other people thought of such a comparison... Can you compare buying and owning a classic sailboat (assuming that say a 1988 Dana is a classic) to buying and owning a 1969 Camero? What say you?

[SailingwithSoul]

That may be a good deal. I checked just checked on yachtworld and sailboat listings and the cheapest pacific seacraft dana I found was $56K.

How would it be similar to a camaro??? Will the Dana also sink to the bottom as soon as it touches water??? In that case, you should have low-balled him with a $5k offer and a good laugh

[sailorboy1]

Which 1969 Camero, the mint condition one or the one that was driven? And which market is it being sold in; the car nuts market or the junkyard scrap metal market?

[terminalcitygrl]

Just to clarify, I'm not asking about trading a Camaro for a Dana but just the argument that classic cars and classic boats can be valued in the same way.

I would totally trade an average Camaro for an average Dana but I'm not a car person.

[SailingwithSoul]

I don't think they can be compared, at least objectively. They are just too different in their designs, construction and purpose to be fairly judged against each other.

I used to be a big car guy, but even then, cars were either a mode of transportation or mechanical art (I know that's a stretch, but I was a BIG car guy)

Boats on the other hand can be used not only for transportation, but also as a homestead, in additional to the artistic aspect of their design, detail and construction (I have become a BIG boat guy)

In that way, one would more accurately be able to compare a boat to a motor home. In which case the boat would win every time

It seems the broker was just trying to be clever in making the comparison between the Dana and the Camaro.

[muskoka]

People collect classic cars and classic speedboats (like Riva's). Some of the classic cars which command huge premiums weren't even exotic in their day - like the VW Combi Van, split window Beetle or an original Mini. And they sell for sums far in excess of their original price.

What's interesting is that before they become valuable, a lot of marques are often sold at almost scrap rates. Look at the value of Jaguar E-types in the 80's versus today.

So who knows? Maybe there is a burgeoning classic sailboat market similar to the car market. I guess the telling point will be when some rich guy has a private marina with about 20 various classics in mint condition bobbing around....

[callmecrazy]

I think if a person views a boat as a "classic" then they have the right to ask a higher price. There certainly is a historical value on boats, just the same as cars.
It's just not as culturally accepted with boats as it is with cars.... It's all in the eye of the beholder....

Whether the buyer views it the same way or not is a different story.

Basically, the old addage "a boat is only worth what you're willing to pay for it" is almost always true.