I have been on the phone with many of the big brokers, and watched on eBay as well as done some good inner soul searching. And here is what I have found. Rust, Rot, Sun, Neglect, Salt Water, all combined do less damage than just plain old fear does to your Antique or Classic boat. And we are in a perfect storm of fear right now. Bad economic situation, and an election. As Mitch LaPointe said. ” Boat sales are horrible during elections” You know what, I buy that! Living here in Washington DC and being in the marketing business, it’s not any secret that fear drives votes. So guess what. we are all scared for one reason or another. Now add in my 401K plan, or lack there of, and my home value, and I am in the corner in the fetal position, calling for my mommy. Fear stops us from buying and fixing things that seem silly. Fear is the ultimate trump card for action, or no action. Being scared stiff about a classic boat is a big mistake. Consider this for a second.
1. If you are thinking of buying one. NOW IS THE TIME! Prices are low, sellers are scared, and need cash. They believe that there boat is sinking.
2. If you own a boat and put off that repair. It just gets worse and will wind up in the condition that you found it in, behind the barn in a field under a ratty tarp! This is how it got there in the first place.
3. If you are stalling on a restoration. DON’T! There are a ton of good folks out there that started this as a business, and need the work to eat. And right now, things are slow. So guess what, you might actually get a good deal, and get it done quickly!
4. It’s not about being on the water. It’s about a way of life, it’s about the boat. If it floats, that’s always good. And we all know, great boats float better when we get soaked. And from what I can tell from the news, we are all getting soaked!
5. If you are thinking about how cool a classic boat is and you are fearful of all the maintenance. Think of the value of a fun classic boat vs a fiberglass boat in 3 years. Varnish is easy. Buffing fiberglass sucks! Boats are maintenance. At least a classic boat will look cool after you pamper it. That pontoon boat just looks old…. bell bottom old!
So go and vote next week. And lets get all this crap behind us, and look forward to The Sunnyland Show in the spring! After all it’s only 5 months away ! Ohhh dear, that’s an eternity!
“It’s not about being on the water.
It ia a way of life” I could not agree more. I tell people that
I boat all year long in Buffalo, New York. Six months on the water, six months in the workshop. My wife does not understand the “way of life” issue. O well her loss.
The current Stock Market situation is worse than a DIVORCE! I’ve lost half my net worth and still have a wife!!