should I sell my kayak

I am considering selling my newly purchased QCC 400. I will admit it was an impulse buy and a very expensive one…$2500.



I have only used it once and am now realizing that I dont have the luxury of solo time with this boat as I have 3 small children at home. I do have a 17 foot Old Town which I use quite often with the kids and this affords me the ability to get out and enjoy the water.



So right now my nice QCC is hoisted up in my garage out of the way so not a storage issue, but I hate having such an expensive toy that I probably wont be able to use. So, my question is should I sell it or keep it “just in case”. And if selling what do I ask for it?



thanks

if you have the space…

– Last Updated: Dec-12-07 2:31 PM EST –

If you have the space, I suggest keeping it. Small kids have a habit of becoming big kids, and at some point you will either need that extra seating space in boats or will have the opportunity to paddle on your own because they are off some place else.

Sell it for $1900
trying to sell it for anything close to retail isn’t likely. Unless you have a buyer who wants THAT kayak and doesn’t want to wait for delivery

you’re like any other person trying to sell something used. If you need the money take a loss and sell it. If you hold out for retail minus 10% I’m pretty sure you’ll still have it in a years time.



Selling it for wholesale +10% is a reasonable expectation for a near new used product since a smart shopper can usually find a deal like that for a new product with enough patience. Likewise the price of the demos makes a near retail price unlikely



http://www.qcckayaks.com/demosale.asp



I’d expect to sell it for around $1800 with lots of photographs hyping it’s primo untouched conditions.

excellent point

Kids grow up really fast and you can
start them soloing. Then buy them rec boats .

It Doesn’t Eat…
And things have of way of changing… I wouldn’t be too hasty in selling it.

I’m tax exempt
You can donate to me and then write it off.



Keep it, the kids grow fast and you may find an opportunity every once in a while to go off on your own. It’s called a sanity break.



Andy

Keep it
Unless you really need the money or the storage space, I’d hang on to it. As others have said, things change, and faster/sooner than we usually expect. As far as the money goes, you’ll get more bang for the buck in the long run if it’s used in the future than if you sell it now, only to decide later that it would sure be nice to have a boat like that.

If you sell it then…

– Last Updated: Dec-12-07 1:44 PM EST –

everytime there is a remote chance you could use it...you'll regret the sale.

Better to have and not use
than to want and not have.

Call QCC
They might be willing to line you up with someone that wants that boat.

Call QCC?
“They might be willing to line you up with someone that wants that boat.”



Uh… wouldn’t QCC want to sell them a boat then?

QCC would turn down a sale for chance to play middle-man?



I wouldn’t count on it…

not necessarily
They’ve got quite a rep. They may source you to someone who cannot muster up the funds for a new qcc. Free advertising for them, and it doesn’t cost you a cent either.

Sell it
You are obviously not as obsessive about kayaking as most folks here. Sell the boat and invest it in stuff to use with your family (say camping gear) and then use it with them every minute that you can afford to (and even some of the time you can not). Ten years from now you are likely to have more cash on hand as well as three teenagers. That will give you the chance to get the whole gang into paddleing in a big way. The question will be - do they want to hang out with you guys or not. That will be determined by you investment in them in the next decade. Invest your time and money on family now.



It seems like I spend half my life with kids in a boat or a tent and only wonder why I wasted the other half.



Old father with a soap box,

David

List it here on P.Net
Why not just list it for free on the Paddling.Net classified section? If it sells for a fair price then so be it. If it does not sell then you continue to use it when you get a spare moment.



I’ve sold two kayaks through the Paddling.net classifieds in the last few months. They work. If their ad leads to a sale you are asked to donate what you think is fair.

This is not the best group
to ask. There are a lot of obsessive canoe and kayakers here. A lot of us hate to sell our boats, “just in case”. I have 6 at the moment and 3 of those are seldom used.

Hello, my name is John, and I’m a kayakaholic.

Sell and Invest the Proceeds
Assuming you don’t need the money to eat or keep the heat on, why not sell the boat and put the proceeds into some sort of stable investment for each of the three kids. Once they are old enough to understand a bit of it, you can review the statements and help them understand some basic financing priniples.



When they’re old enough to decide what they want to paddle they’ll have resources available to them.

If you enjoy the 400
then keep it. But if paddling that boat is not something you’ll want to do long term then convert it into cash. I’ve always looked at the money I spend on kayaks as truly disposable income so I tend to sell them cheap. That way they sell fast and I can soon throw that money into another boat. Works for me. John

Impulse buy?
Hang it on the wall over the fireplace as a daily reminder to not make impulse buys.

sell it
when the kids get older and further down the road, if you think that you may want to try to kayak again - then find a good used kayak … and take your time with the purchase… meanwhile find some good used kid friendly kayaks that can be a fun water toy that they and you can sink or float in or paddle - and keep it fun.

give it to me.