Dart 15 Forums

Bob Carter wrote:

I would just like to pass a comment on some of the second hand boat prices on our web site. As we have had a shortage of secondhand boats to sell during the summer some people seem to be putting their boats up for sale at rediculous prices. Boats in the 1300 - 1500 sail number ranges were built in the years 1989 - 1990. During that period the Laser Centre were selling new boats for ?2995 - ?3295. Today our special offer is for new boats in 2000 at ?4000 which is graet value if you compare it to other new boats of any type. How people expect to sell 10-11 year old boats for ?2000 - ?3000 irrespective of condition defeats me. I compiled the buyers guide (which is included on this web site) a couple of years ago and the reallistic prices have increased by approx ?200 since then. Some of the boats on our web site are priced more than ?1000 over the odds - I can only envision that they will be there for some time to come!
I advise potential buyers to consult the buyers guide if they want to avoid being ripped off!

Paul replied:

Bob, I've worked it out. These guys are under some pressure to sell the boat by their wives. Truth is they don't really want to sell it, so what better solution than put it up at a very high price? Sorry luv no one wants to buy my Dart 15 so I might as well keep sailing it!
Q.E.D.

Mark Aldridge replied:

Good point Bob! Methinks that if secondhand boats are optimistically priced and new boats are exceptional value (As indeed they are!) the secondhand market will no doubt dwindle as new boat sales increase.

The only spanner in the works is that if an older boat is particularly well maintained or has had money recently spent on it then this may warrant a SLIGHTLY higher price than 'book'.

We have the 'Parkers Guide' for cars, how about a 'Carters Guide' for Dart 15's?

An interesting debate, that will no doubt be fuelled by a decreased price on say the mainsail?

Bob Carter replied:

Hey, Paul, that's true. Jim Jeffery did that about 5 years ago. He put 1664 up for some high sum to convince his wife he was going to give up. He still has it today.
Nice one, Jim!

Bob Carter replied:

Hi Mark, I did a buyers gude sometime ago. It is on the top of the buy and sell web page. Is that what you meant or were you suggesting a third axis to represent condition?
Cheers
Bob