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Post by cadman on Jun 16, 2024 7:36:15 GMT -5
interest rates are the biggest issue, consumers are waiting for rates to fall before making big-ticket luxury purchases. Plus, for RVs there was a huge sales volume in 2021 with a record 600,000 RVs sold up. 2022 was another great year with 493,000 sold, third best ever. 2023 had a 37% decline after those two years and rising interest rates. www.wsj.com/articles/winnebago-faces-forecasting-challenge-as-rv-sales-drop-from-pandemic-highs-8451a018The same was true for boat sales, 2020 and 2021 saw record sales of new boats. 2022 saw sales start to slide back to the pre-covid numbers and 2023 saw further declines as interest rates increased. www.axios.com/local/miami/2023/03/01/boat-buying-in-the-us-subsiding-back-to-normalI think as interest rates start to fall over the year or so, you will see sales start to increase again. Looking at consumer spending numbers, the American consumer isn't close to being tapped out yet. Consumer spending is still strong and consumer confidence is over 100.
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Post by Captj on Jun 16, 2024 11:58:00 GMT -5
Down here in the Keys the boat dealers seem to be doing quite well. Every time I drive by one their inventory has changed. Couple of new ones have opened here recently. Beautiful facilities I might add.
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cortr
Junior Member
Posts: 23
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Post by cortr on Jun 17, 2024 4:56:12 GMT -5
Mercury might be having problems, but it is still the most reliable motor on the market. You might save a little money on a Suzuki, but any mechanic will tell you what brand they work on less, and it is always Mercury. Mercury’s are more expensive on the front end, but as with most things, you get what you pay for, and Mercury will save you money in the long run due to reduced maintenance and longer life.
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Post by Captj on Jun 18, 2024 10:49:35 GMT -5
Mercury unfortunately doesn't make the most reliable engines. Japan has the current best sellers for a reason. I would rather buy American, but after owning 4 Mercury engines I switched to Yamaha and since 1997 have owned 6 of them with never a breakdown or major issue. Put 25 years on my two strokes and currently 6 years on my Four strokes with only routine maintenance. I use my boats a lot and care for them regularly.
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Post by PolarsStepdad on Jun 18, 2024 11:38:29 GMT -5
Mercury was being put on everything the last dew years. Hard to imagine they have fallen on tough times this fast. But like it was said folks are tapped out and boats a4e currently running 10%+ interest rates. When rates were 4-5% Mercury Finance was charging 8.8-10.99% for new motors. I can only imagine what it is now. When I was down I. Foley/Orange Beach a couple of weeks ago I drove by a bunch of Boat dealers and A camping world that had literally hundreds in not close one thousand RVs out front and I asked is there really that many people buying boats and RVs? Nobody wants to build a 24-27 semi economical fishing boat anymore. Everybody is building 35'+ mega CCs.. Yellowfin and other high end builders will always have customers but I think a LOT of builders are fixing to go belly up just like the mid 2000s again. Everybody that can afford one already has one. He'll I'm just trying to find a decent set of used motors for my 30 year old hull 😁 Seen the prices on a new Carolina Skiff? That kind of money for a bathtub with an outboard strapped to the back of it? Some of them need to fail.
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Post by meateater on Jun 18, 2024 14:40:05 GMT -5
well off people , mostly democrat leaning always say everything is fine, boats are flying off the lots down in the keys one of our friends says on here, total bullshit i know plenty of people in the boat building industry from grady white to bayliner and all of them sales are down. rvs and boats sales are down and anyone who tells you different is a lying dog faced pony soldier supporter.
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Post by tonyroma on Jun 18, 2024 14:45:05 GMT -5
Who in the hell is buying a Bayliner?
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Post by conchydong on Jun 18, 2024 14:47:11 GMT -5
Unless you bought property in the Keys a long time ago the only people that can afford it now are the very wealthy and buying a new boat isn’t a big problem for them. The average Joe is SOL. Key West is now down to only 16% Conchs now it decreases exponentially every year. Even if you inherited property you still can’t afford to live there. The exodus began in the late ‘70s and continues today.
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Post by meateater on Jun 18, 2024 14:49:47 GMT -5
Who in the hell is buying a Bayliner? same people who buy pontoon boats.
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Post by richm on Jun 18, 2024 14:50:31 GMT -5
Anyone check the prices of a new boat lately?😳😳😳 If I were to replace my 22’ Pathfinder the way it is with a new one I would be shelling out close to $120K. I paid $51 in 2013. It came with a T-top with a second station too. Bingo! The guys selling used 2015 boats want $30-$40K for it. The moron who buys it doesn't know the motor is well loved and likely to fail within 5 yrs cause he runs it diff from old owner. And then new owner gets to dump $15k-$20k into a 150-200 hp for the boat. Guy thinks Suzuki is as good as Mercury. Maybe it is. Not likely but so much is made in China these days. The massive increase on toy prices, and that mad rush to buy stuff during Covid, set us up with high prices and many folks not being able to afford them.
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Post by meateater on Jun 18, 2024 14:58:07 GMT -5
Who in the hell is buying a Bayliner? bayliner and about 15 other boats are owned by brunswick, sales are down 25% across the board. i got no dog in the fight just cant let straight up bullshit go unchecked.
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Post by meateater on Jun 18, 2024 15:05:42 GMT -5
Anyone check the prices of a new boat lately?😳😳😳 If I were to replace my 22’ Pathfinder the way it is with a new one I would be shelling out close to $120K. I paid $51 in 2013. It came with a T-top with a second station too. Bingo! The guys selling used 2015 boats want $30-$40K for it. The moron who buys it doesn't know the motor is well loved and likely to fail within 5 yrs cause he runs it diff from old owner. And then new owner gets to dump $15k-$20k into a 150-200 hp for the boat. Guy thinks Suzuki is as good as Mercury. Maybe it is. Not likely but so much is made in China these days. The massive increase on toy prices, and that mad rush to buy stuff during Covid, set us up with high prices and many folks not being able to afford them. i had to repower my j16 last year, i went with suzuki for the 5 year warranty and i know the owners and the shop is close by. motor cost more then the boat and motor cost me 6 years ago.
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Post by richm on Jun 18, 2024 15:35:36 GMT -5
Bingo! The guys selling used 2015 boats want $30-$40K for it. The moron who buys it doesn't know the motor is well loved and likely to fail within 5 yrs cause he runs it diff from old owner. And then new owner gets to dump $15k-$20k into a 150-200 hp for the boat. Guy thinks Suzuki is as good as Mercury. Maybe it is. Not likely but so much is made in China these days. The massive increase on toy prices, and that mad rush to buy stuff during Covid, set us up with high prices and many folks not being able to afford them. i had to repower my j16 last year, i went with suzuki for the 5 year warranty and i know the owners and the shop is close by. motor cost more then the boat and motor cost me 6 years ago. I had a 98 25 Merc 2 stroke on a 98 J-16 and loved it - took a guy duck hunting and let him run it - he dropped the motor int he middle of the Indian River. Insurance replaced it with 25 hp 4 stroke and couldn't get up in skinny water no more. Sold it. Motors are expensive now.
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Post by Captj on Jun 18, 2024 16:49:03 GMT -5
Unless you bought property in the Keys a long time ago the only people that can afford it now are the very wealthy and buying a new boat isn’t a big problem for them. The average Joe is SOL. Key West is now down to only 16% Conchs now it decreases exponentially every year. Even if you inherited property you still can’t afford to live there. The exodus began in the late ‘70s and continues today. Home prices in the Keys are ridiculous, but that's true for most of Florida particularly Miami. Average home price in Monroe county is at two million dollars. We got lucky when we bought long ago and see most of our friends and neighbors cashing in on the hot real estate mkt. there. Friday afternoon sees a caravan of high dollar mostly brand new boats trailering down for the weekend. As regards Mercury engines, you will see very few Mercury engines on those boats. In the caribbean all you see are Yamahas. For a reason. Mercury is a midwest/northern favorite, but they need to step up their salt water game. And as relates to the economy, do you think that those people buying houses/apartments in Miami for a million plus worry about spending for their new Freeman, Contender, or Seavee?
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Post by meateater on Jun 19, 2024 15:33:15 GMT -5
how many of those people buying million dollar plus apartments in miami are white,black or latino american citizens. mostly foreign money.
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