For anyone considering selling or buying a boat it is essential that you know how to determine its true value. Without this information you would not know how much to sell or pay for the vessel or where to start in negotiating a price. There are several online resources that can be very helpful in determining a fair market price for any boat on the market.
NADA Guides:
One of the first places you can look for used boat values online is the NADA Guides website. This contains comprehensive vehicle listings in much the same way as the Kelley Blue Book does with cars and can help to pinpoint the market value of any boat you may be considering. It is also very useful as a research tool giving you specifications and pricing information on all sorts of personal watercraft.
NADA can also provide you with a complete boat history report, and supply the marketing information to banks and other financial institutions to help a buyer get a loan for the boat they want. By referring to the NADA boat price guides, you'll have the most accurate and up to date pricing guidelines to help you to determine the true value of any boat.
Bucvalu.com:
Another great site to find used boat values online is the Bucvalu.com. In order to use this site you may have to register with them but there is no registration fee and they have a very reasonable privacy policy. In addition to giving you the estimated market value for a specific boat they can also help to answer any questions you might have relating to purchasing a used boat.
ABOS Marine Blue Books:
ABOS is also a very practical online guide to use. However, if you want detailed reports about boat values you may be required to buy a subscription from them, which could come with a pretty hefty price tag. A 12-month subscription for the online guide will set you back approximately $150 but the reports you get on the boats you're considering can be very detailed. If you're a one-time boat buyer this may not be the best option to consider but if you plan on buying and selling boats as part of your business it could be a pretty small price to pay for the information you get.
Tips On Buying Used Boats:
Not all boat guides are the same. Some will feature a few different aspects of the boating business while others may focus on something else entirely. Just as you need to exercise caution anytime you buy a used boat, when it comes to finding used boat values online it is necessary to identify the type of information you need and search for sites that can help you along those lines. Unlike cars, boat values do not have a universal standard of measuring value so you might find quite a few differences between the various sites. It pays to know exactly what you want and to look at all your resources to determine the best market value for any boat you're considering taking home.
