Why are SR's so expensive?

[Take Five]

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

So did I...:smt009

That's just wrong

Agreed! :smt013

That's boat abuse. Someone call Protective Services!

Hopefully they will place this boat to better home!!:grin:

No biggee, it's just a boat.

Hey! Unless this boat is crappy like Bayliner, this is quality Sea Ray and it's absolutey unacceptable behavior! Please say Sea Ray prayer 100 times and your sin is clean!:grin:

 

[Chris R]

I'm looking at the cabin slider door, with the snow drift up against it, and thinking about what the interior is going to look like when that all starts melting. I second what Todd said about throwing up.

 

[skibum]

On the bright side, at least they saved all of the rear canvas.

Ya know. I'm tempted to make an offer on that boat. I should stop by and offer him $50K. When he asks if I know that my offer is 1/2 of what his asking price is, I can whip out copies of these pics and tell him, "I know, but she hasn't been well cared for now, has she?".

 

[JV II]

I thought this post was about the high cost of Sea Rays? I just priced out my equivalent 330DA (now the 350DA) on the Sea Ray website. The exact same boat has a MSRP $50,000 more than the sticker on my boat. You would think that would stop the bleeding on my resale, but it doesn't.

 

[330DA]

JV II - It's $50K more because they are now selling a 35 ft boat not a 33 ftr. Ain't marketing great!

 

[Spot]

My wife drives by a poor cat on the side of the road that looks like it needs a home, she wants to adopt it. I see a boat like this and want to take it home to care for it and let sleep in a warm space near my other boat. That is just wrong.

 

[JV II]

Actually, to answer the question, you are buying heritage and security when you buy a Sea Ray. That comes with a reputation for quality, reliability and better resale value. The technology, engineering and design that goes into a Sea Ray is better than all other mass produced boats. You own a boat from a manufacturer that has a long history of customer satisfaction and loyal customer base. Your company and dealer cares about its customers and will support you. They will be around in good times and bad. That's why you pay a premium for a Sea Ray, just like you would if you bought a Harley or a Mercedes.

 

[Bridog]

Actually, to answer the question, you are buying heritage and security when you buy a Sea Ray. That comes with a reputation for quality, reliability and better resale value. The technology, engineering and design that goes into a Sea Ray is better than all other mass produced boats. You own a boat from a manufacturer that has a long history of customer satisfaction and loyal customer base. Your company and dealer cares about its customers and will support you. They will be around in good times and bad. That's why you pay a premium for a Sea Ray, just like you would if you bought a Harley or a Mercedes.

I'll agree with everything except the better resale value part.:smt043

 

[chuck1]

I'll agree with everything except the better resale value part.:smt043

As bad as SR resale value is right, it could worse. Just think if you had one of the other manufactures that have gone under in these interesting time.:smt089 Nothing has keep value:smt009

 

[trit21]

As bad as SR resale value is right, it could worse. Just think if you had one of the other manufactures that have gone under in these interesting time.:smt089 Nothing has keep value:smt009

I know that SeaRays do tend to keep value some, but I think your quote 'nothing has keep value' is a wrong. The problem I am seeing with SeaRay's are there are so damn many of them for sale it is driving the cost way down. Looking at some other boats that are not produced in such high number and the resale of their boat have not nearly dropped as far as SeaRay's. I agree that it could be worse but it could also be better. Other manufacturers boats are still on the high end since there are just not many for sale on the used/brokerage sites anyway.

Currently prices for my boat have plummeted while the boat I am looking for has not. Supply and demand....

 

[JV II]

I know that SeaRays do tend to keep value some, but I think your quote 'nothing has keep value' is a wrong. The problem I am seeing with SeaRay's are there are so damn many of them for sale it is driving the cost way down. Looking at some other boats that are not produced in such high number and the resale of their boat have not nearly dropped as far as SeaRay's. I agree that it could be worse but it could also be better. Other manufacturers boats are still on the high end since there are just not many for sale on the used/brokerage sites anyway.

Currently prices for my boat have plummeted while the boat I am looking for has not. Supply and demand....

I agree and retract my comment about resale. I was comparing the resale of a Sea Ray to a Rinker, Meridian, Bayliner, Four Winns, and Chapparal, not to a Sabre, Nordic Tug, or Hinkley. Despite the supply and demand, I still think that people will pay a premium for a Sea Ray over the used Rinker, Merisian, Bay Liner, Four Winns, and Chapparal.

 

[Carver370]

I agree and retract my comment about resale. I was comparing the resale of a Sea Ray to a Rinker, Meridian, Bayliner, Four Winns, and Chapparal, not to a Sabre, Nordic Tug, or Hinkley. Despite the supply and demand, I still think that people will pay a premium for a Sea Ray over the used Rinker, Merisian, Bay Liner, Four Winns, and Chapparal.

True to some extent.

The statement about fewer boats being produced and their resale being higher right now is a good observation. The problem with Sea Rays values dropping is that since there are so many of them for sale at one time there is ALWAYS somebody willing to drop their pants and sell their boat cheaper than anybody else for a number of reasons. Some of the other manufacturers high end or not may have some higher prices right now because if people want THAT boat they may have a hard time trying to find them since there were not nearly as many produced.

This does a few things;

People hear that the X model boat sold for X amount lower than comparable models, the majority think then every boat should be priced at that or lower which drives the ability to sell those boats at a higher price way down.

Just look at the majority of comments on this site alone when somebody is looking to buy a boat, they are normally to the tune of "low ball the seller" "There are deals to be had" and so on. It was mentioned in an earlier thread that everybodys own advise is whats killing the current resale value of YOUR own boat!

Just my own 2 cents for whatever its worth, and I see this EVERY single day in my occupation so this is not an observation I just made up in my mind.

Also whenever I hear about a particular brand commanding higher resale value I laugh a little bit. Say you have a 2004/5 45 Cruisers and a 2004 42 Sundancer. These are very comparable boats and the cruisers is actually larger inside although to my eyes its ugly on the outside.

Sundancer new - Lets say the owner bought it for around 700K new.
Cruisers new - Lets say the owner bought this boat for around 500K new.

Used prices as of right now do not put these boats very far off of each other right now in the mid to high 200's. Which boat had the better value or higher resale number?

 

[trit21]

And when the prices of used boats drop so quickly they will not recover nearly as quickly if at all until the supply dries up (looking at the amount of SeaRays for sale, that is a long time coming).

This will also tend to drop the prices for new boats. Who is going to buy a new boat when they know the price is dropping so quickly. Now SeaRay is not going to take a bath on new boats, what they will tend to do it reduce the quality of work, cutting corners in areas they 'think' they can and the end product is an inferior product. Look at the thread about the Miami boat show, someone already mentioned they need to do a little better work on the interior of the boats because they were lacking.

So, who is going to be better coming out of this economy once it picks back up. A manufacturer that has to reduce new boat prices because their used market is saturated or the manufacturer that can now start producing new boats because the demand for their product is going up because the used market for their product is limited.

I hope SeaRay can find a way to keep the new boats selling in the near future because that is what will tell us if the company can survive. Looking at the new SeaRay pricing, they are crazy for asking that much.

 

[Carver370]

Watch out Ray, that kind of thinking is not looked upon well 'round these parts here. :grin: I"m still licking my wounds from that one.

http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26766&highlight=pledge

Ill hold my own Scott! I put my flame suit on already in anticipation..

 

[Bridog]

I know that SeaRays do tend to keep value some, but I think your quote 'nothing has keep value' is a wrong. The problem I am seeing with SeaRay's are there are so damn many of them for sale it is driving the cost way down. Looking at some other boats that are not produced in such high number and the resale of their boat have not nearly dropped as far as SeaRay's. I agree that it could be worse but it could also be better. Other manufacturers boats are still on the high end since there are just not many for sale on the used/brokerage sites anyway.

Currently prices for my boat have plummeted while the boat I am looking for has not. Supply and demand....

BINGO! My saving grace is that we found the perfect boat for us and we have no desire to get anything bigger. But, if I was in the market to go bigger, I'd be very upset.