I am thinking about getting a new kayak and will need to let a canoe go to generate the space and some of the funding needed. The boat I use least is a wonderful old Blue Hole model MGA but this is a fairly unusual boat and I do not have any good idea about its value (other than a generic whatever the market will bear).
Back in the 1970s the Blue Hole Canoe Co. of Sunbright, Tennessee was one of the true innovators working with this new product Royalex/ABS. They were best known for their unique white water boats the OCA (Open Canoe Model A) and the 17A. In the middle 70s they teamed up with Mike Galt, one of the premier designers of the day, and produced the MGA (Mike Galt model A) – their “all purpose river canoe”. The canoe was one of the first with an asymmetrical design and a modified V hull. It also ha the then novel idea of an adjustable bow seat that can be moved forward or back to trim the load. The boat is completely built of ABS and aluminum (including ABS seats) except for the brass signature plate. The boat is for everything from flat water up to class III. This is not subtle boat. It is 17.5’ long with a 36” beam that weights 85 pounds. It has a capacity of over 1000 lbs and we have used it for week long camping trips with 2 adults and 2 kids (later 2 teenagers). The boat is quite fast. When we got it from NRS the salesman told us we could water ski behind it as long as we did not want to slalom (he may have exaggerated just a bit).
When you could buy a new VW Rabbit for $3,500 this canoe cost an astonishing $770 – the most expensive ride in the Blue Hole fleet. It is in very good condition for a 30 year old boat that has paddled most of the rivers in Idaho over the years. So what do you think is a reasonable price to ask for it?
Thanks,
David
That depends on your running into
a customer who really wants that boat, for its historical significance. There are now faster ABS boats, and lighter.
A buyer might also be concerned that really old Royalex may be brittle. This would be of concern if the buyer is going to use the boat on rocky rivers.
Maybe you will get what you paid for it, maybe more if you get a couple of history buffs bidding against one another.
Two hundred dollars
if it is in decent shape.
Cheers,
JackL
Jack, you old cynic. I sold a Tripper,
20 years old, for $350, and I’m sure I’d have gotten $500 if I had been patient.
I paid $300 for a nice 17A
How long do you want to take to sell it? Days, weeks, months? How many people do you want to deal with and maybe come visit your home?
$200
if it's in decent shape ;-). It's not what it's worth to you, it's what it's worth to the buyer, and what else in for sale in the area. Owned sailboats all my adult life, trust me, you need to get a good deal buying because when it comes to selling you sometimes need to give them away.
Last 2 canoes I bought were Dagger encore $200 outfitted with cages, pegs, bags and saddle, and a Whitesell Pirhana(ran the Himalayas on the Niagara river/talk about famous designs) for $90, a bit beat up but with saddle and cages and my son Aaron is in absolute love with it.Getting a never used originally $190 Perception saddle for it for free tomorrow(well a 6 hour round trip and a nice paddle with some friends in between.)
Thanks gang
Thanks gang:
You are right about where I expected. It was fun searching out the history of this old boat
I just met a family with 3 little kids and very little money. I may just make a long term loan. If they take it I will likely be back seeking some opinions on upgrading a kayak.
David
that’s cool
Very nice of you to let someone get into paddling at reasonable cost, and also let your canoe get appreciated. The last 2 I mentioned were being “neglected” by owners, and they were happy that the canoes were getting used again. I make sure I divide my paddling/poling between the 4 canoes I have so they don’t feel neglected ;-).