Selling home-builts

I have a clc kit Millcreek 13 I want to sell, but I'm not sure how much to ask for it. I don't want to ask too much, nor too little and short-change myself.

Is right now a good time to sell one, in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida? Aren't plastic or inflatable kayaks in much greater demand? I see lots of those for sale but extremely few wooden kayaks on the market.

My Dad built it and originally paid $720 for the kit. I personally don't kayak, so I have no need for it. It's just hanging up in my garage collecting dust.

I have thought about ebay, but a couple different people recommended craigslist instead.

Fred


18 replies:

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RE: Selling home-builts

I expect the reason you don't see many home built kayaks for sale is that there is a huge sense of pride in having built one. If you're sure that years form now you won't look back and say "I wish I had that old boat that Dad built" and you're not in a position to donate it to someone in his name, then craigslist is as good as. SEEYA Jack

RE: Selling home-builts

Hi Fred,

A properly built canoe or kayak (ours is a 16' cedar strip canoe, residing at the cottage) should not be for sale. Mine is staying in the family. Too many hours and ultimately, a work of art. Maybe the kids, nieces or nephews will make use of it sometime in the future ?. Better that than someone who does not appreciate it's true value and won't take care of it. My next project is a 10' Wood Duck and that one too will stay put where it is.

Marc 

 

 

RE: Selling home-builts

I still have my Muskoka Seaflea I built over 30 years ago (and sadly no cottage).  She is in need of a paint job but other wise sound.  I would not give her up for anything.

That was the inspiration to start my Kayak projects..... "we've be through some things together with trunks of memories still to come" - Neil Young

RE: Selling home-builts

Fred -

I've had good results selling my kayaks on www.paddling.net.  You can list for free.  Pics would help.  Getting at least the cost of the kit out of the sale would be a good place to start.  If it's a really beautiful, well-made boat, you could try asking $1,500 OBO, but I think that would be a long shot.  There's not a huge market for wood kit boats.  Since you don't paddle, you're missing one of the best ways to sell it...to admiring folks at the beach.  I sold a cedar strip kayak for almost $3k that way...gave me a good excuse to build another.

Unless the builder has a reputation for their boats, it's hard to get what they're worth in time and effort, hence they've a much better place staying in the family.  On the other hand, not a thing wrong with selling it, especially if it's never going to be used.  

RE: Selling home-builts

I do feel a little guilty about wanting to sell it since my Dad who is no longer around built it, but from what my sister said, he would be much happier if it goes to somebody who will get good use out of it, than go unused.

He put a lot of hard work into it and enjoyed building it much more than he did using it. Upon close inspection, it's a bit rustic - about as good as can be expected for a home-built but it looks sharp from a distance. This was his second build. He built another CLC kayak before this and sold it, then decided to build a second one. I remember what a hassle it was to get it up & down down from the rope & pulley system in the garage and mounted on the  roof rack.

I've never personally liked enclosed kayaks where you can't get any sun on your legs. If I were to get one myself, I'd go with an open design in an inflatable. That's just my personal preference.

Fred

RE: Selling home-builts

If it has no value to you, sentimental or otherwise, there's absolutely no reason not to sell it.  People sell them all the time, in order to build new ones, because they got out of the sport and all manner of other reasons.  Don't feel bad about wanting to sell your boat.

I agree that there are a lot more plastic and inflatables out there for sale, but that's because so many people want to upgrade to something nicer or weren't particularly interested in the sport enough to keep up with it.  You'll also notice that most of those boats go for under $400.

The very least you should list it for is how much your dad paid for it.  I'd say in the neighborhood of $800-$1000 would be reasonable if it's in good shape.

FrankP

RE: Selling home-builts

Sold a cedar strip kayak for almost $3? I'm not familiar with that brand. Is it like CLC?

Most of the plastic kayaks I saw on craigslist were priced a lot higher than that. Wood is pretty but plastic, and fiberglass are more durable, and low maintence. Inflatable is great because you can deflate it, roll it up and put in your trunk. The wooden chine-style boats like mine are more unstable, difficult to keep your balance.

He originally paid $720 for the kit, but he also bought paddles from CLC.

Now is probably not the best economy to sell something, except for guns. Right now that market is booming!

Fred

RE: Selling home-builts

"Wood is pretty but plastic, and fiberglass are more durable, and low maintence. Inflatable is great because you can deflate it, roll it up and put in your trunk."

 Aaargh! ...;)  You won't find many here that agree with any of that. Not surprising. We proud few are kinda...erm.. single minded!

 But seriously, a modern okume/glass/epoxy encapsulated canoe or 'yak is not a soggy, 'wood canoe' of yore. It is a high-tech, tough and light composite (think skateboard deck, snowboard etc).  Essentially, it is much stronger, lighter, and at least as durable as fibreglass and plastic, and easily reparairable if damaged. Just needs a little care if the the outside watertight epoxy layer becomes compromised.

Not that this should dissuade you from selling it if it will go to a good home, but I'd hate to leave you thinking that your pa was a anachronistic, traditionalist bore for building these boats. He was a techno-geek!

 

RE: Selling home-builts

I think selling it for the kit price would be on target.

Many people would like to build do not have the means, the space or the time to build one. These are the folks who usually hire a builder for big bucks. For someone is this position, a finished kit boat for the price of the kit would be something to snatch up.

A matter of timing, keep it out there on the market until you find the right person.

RE: Selling home-builts

I could price it according to the current price of comparable kits, since just like guns, prices have since increased.

The people who hire builders for big bucks would likely do business with a professional custom boat builder who has an actual shop with employees, rather than the hobbiest who builds them in his garage.

RE: Selling home-builts

I have a Shearwater that I built, also a fiberglass rowing shell with a Piantedosi row wing that I got for a steal and I am still kicking myself for not buying a local CLC rowing shell with Piantedosi wing and oars for the price of a kit alone, less than half price, I stalled and it sold, was only two weeks after buying the first shell. With the row wing and oars the kit is only half the cost. I will likely build the Oxford next winter anyway but it would have been nice to have another boat for a friend or my son to use with me. I would pay a builder if I could not build and could not find a boat already built. The only difference with a pro builder is a prettier finished product, usually, and a lot of expensive overhead to run a shop and buy all the pro equipment. The problem with the pro pretty boat is you wouldn't want to scratch it up. Wall art defeats the purpose. The boats are meant to be used. The first build was fun and exciting, I don't really have the urge to build again for the sake of building, would rather buy one built for half the money and just throw it on top of my car and go rowing.

http://shearwaterkayak.blogspot.com/

RE: Selling home-builts

I suppose $1500 might be a reasonable starting price. I see the kit for the Millcreek 13 is now $875, and paddles are almost $200. I don't like using the "..OBO" "...or best offer" line because I think that makes it look like the seller is desparate for whatever money he can get. On the sam token "Firm" is probably a bad idea, because that might turn off a lot of buyers.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think 2-seaters probably command a higher price than 1-seaters. I think most kayakers like to be able to go boating with their wife or kid. 

Good point about pretty boats. It's like the fancy China set or Watersford crystal that never gets used because you're afraid it might get broken. 

Fred

RE: Selling home-builts

FredA -

If you read my post, that was not $3, but $3k or $3,000.  It was a cedar strip Caspian Sea, a John Winter design that is currently sold by QCC kayaks as the Q400.

 

Dragonfly (Caspian Sea)

 

RE: Selling home-builts

Jim,

Yes, I meant $3000. '$3' was a typo. Unfortunately, this forum doesn't have an edit feature, that allows us to fix posting mistakes.

I have to assume your Cedar kayak is a professionally factory-built?

I posted my ad on Craigslist Tampa Bay Area  > Boats with lots of photos a few days ago.

Fred

RE: Selling home-builts

 

Fred

RE: Selling home-builts

If you think there is any chance that family member, grand-kid, etc. may want it down the road than certainly keep it Fred.  I built the same one and have it in my garage and hope it stay in family hands forever.  I understand it is just a boat but once you've built one you think of it differently. 

 As for the guy who spoke so highly of plastic and fiberglass over wood - you have clearly stumbled on the wrong web site and I do hope that some day you have the pleasure to build and own a real wooden kayak and you too will understand the difference.  No comparison really.

RE: Selling home-builts

Fred -

What I meant was that I built the cedar strip kayak myself.  The design itself is sold as a production fiberglass or kevlar kayak called the Q400 by QCC kayaks.  That Mill Creek looks like a nice build, would be really perfect for paddling around the mangroves in FL.  Hope you get some interest.

 

Jim

RE: Selling home-builts

Fred:

 

Are you selling your woody? I can't tell from the text. The QCC 400 is a great boat, and a wooden one would be the best.

 

jim 

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