I have two 16’ sea kayaks that I want to sell along with 2 Werner paddles. I don’t know how much to ask for them either as a pair or individually.
Kayak 1: 16’ perception captiva with rudder & dry storage in both front & back.
Kayak 2: 16’ chinook aqua terra with rudder & dry storage in front & back.
Have been gently used & stored inside. I just want to sell them because they are too difficult for me to transport.
search google for what others
are asking on craigslist. for example:
“perception captiva site:craigslist.com”
also search ended auctions on ebay.
pricing
That’s so subjective that it’s not an exact science. Depends on demand in your area for that type of kayak and how much competition you may have for similar models. I have bought and sold many touring kayaks. My first action before listing one on Craigslist is to thoroughly check what boats are currently posted in my area and what might be comparable. I watch the listings for at least a week and see what seems to be selling and what is not. If there are boats similar to what I plan to post that have obviously been listed for many weeks without a sale that gives me a good notion of what could be too high a price or a type of kayak that is not going to find much local demand.
Since Perception stopped making the Aquaterra line in the 1990’s your Chinook is pretty old, even if it has been well cared for. I’ve bought (or helped others buy) 3 vintage Aquaterra’s over the years, a battered Chinook (with broken seat and some oil canning for $75), a nearly mint Scimitar for $325 and a Sea Lion in pretty good shape for $400. These were decent bargains for the price. I would not have paid $500 for the Scimitar or the Sea Lion, though. Newer boats are usually obtainable once you hit that price point.
SInce the Captiva is newer than the Chinook (from my understanding they are very similar and the Captiva replaced the Chinook when Perception restored their touring kayaks to the Perception line) it might command a somewhat higher price. In my neck of the woods you might get $350 for the Chinook and $400 for the Captiva, boats only. If the paddles are basic, like a Skagit which runs around $120, you could add $50 to $75 for the paddles. When I have a pair of kayaks for sale I will usually discount the pair by $100 off the separate prices. It’s a time-consuming pain to show kayaks to buyers so it’s worth it to have one buyer take them both. One drawback selling them as a pair is that both are fairly high volume and whenever I have sold a pair it has been to a man/woman couple who needed a smaller boat for the woman. But for a couple or some friends looking for kayaks for overnight tripping I think they would be a desirable package.
In my inland area there is less demand for touring kayaks than for whitewater and rec boat so you might get a better price if you are in a coastal area or near the Great Lakes.
What it comes down to is whatever somebody who wants that kind of boat is willing to pay. It’s what THEY think the boat is worth, not what you hope to get for it. I try to remember that when I price anything. Hitting the sweet spot in selling stuff is tricky. If you go too low to enable a quick turnaround you can get swamped with people in a sort of “bidding war” that makes arranging appointments a real headache. I’ve had prospective buyers scream obscenities at me on the phone for refusing to “hold” an item for sale that I have posted for a bargain price because they can’t get off work right away (or whatever excuse they have). First to come with the cash and a car to haul it away gets the goods has to be your operating principle.
And be prepared for scam responses from supposed “buyers” who are allegedly “out of town” but will have their “agent” or “friend” come by with a certified check to “arrange shipping.” I get one or more of these scams targeting me any time I post anything on CL over $100.