dock vs consignment
I've bought and sold both at the dock and on consignment.
At the dock: You get to use the boat, but you're at the mercy of tire kickers who want to see/demo only when you tied up with something else. For me, the eventual buyer showed up for the demo with a just bought used or borrowed trailer. Doesn't matter the price: any buyer will say, no commission and immediately knock 10% off your asking price.
Consignment: There is a professional salesman who is not swayed by emotional attachment to the boat. He may have a buyer for the other guy's old boat. He may be able to match up a trailer, or provide dockage that you don't have and this may make the sale. As part of the consignment, I gave the dealer the ability to do minor repairs (capped at $500, say) So the buyer does a demo and says "I like it, but..." and the salesman says "If my guy can fix that right now, will you take it?" You can't do that. The dealer may have the ability to take credit cards, and other payment for a down payment to "seal the deal".
For a few thousand dollars, selling yourself is probably fine. As you get into bigger boats, I see advantages to consignment. Time tested contracts, ability to register to the new owner, and if something goes wrong in ten days the buyer calls the dealer, not you.
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