used boat dealerships?

so there are used car lots everywhere. how come i've never seen or heard of a used boat dealership? primarily one that specializes in tow boats and service. obviously the market is alot smaller compared to cars, but with a large majority of folks not wanting to buy brand new it seems to make sense no? at least for serving the semi-local consumers.

We have such a dealership in Portland.

http://www.psunlimitednw.com/

DBC
They are actually just consignment. Maybe they have changed their model some but they were just consignment??? We have several consignment boat dealerships in Portland.

think you answered your own question, the market is ridcuoulsy lsmall compared to cars.

Totally agree with the guys responses - The markets too small.

A used car lot has to sell anything from a few cars a week to a few cars a day.... imagine how many boats a week a boat dealer needs to move.

Add this tot he fact that all new boat dealers sell second hand also and it makes the business idea look fairly shaky.

Most of the new boat dealerships in this region also carry a variety of used boats on consignment. An M-brand dealership, where I visit the pro-shop regularly, thinks I'm a wannabe owner for the M-brand. That dealership has told me so numerous times: that it would gladly let me sell my Nautique on its lot so I could get into one of its M-brand boats.

When I bought my boat, the Nautique dealership where I bought mine had a number of used boats on the lot. One was a pristine 80's or so 2001 that the dealership was prepping to turn over to the new buyer. It lasted on the lot for less than a week. It had seen nothing but water ski service, and was going to remain in that service with the new owner too. No tower nor sacs were in the future for that boat (with at least that owner).

The guys there told me at the time that they got a lot of succes advertising used boats on the Internet. I was so impressed, and thought that that was such a novel and genius marketing concept. I had never visited WW yet and had no idea of like inboardboats only etc.

There are several of those dealerships here in Houston. But most sell a line of new boats and the used is secondary for them, enabling them to have a service center as well. They may not specialize in tow boats but will have them on their lots from time to time, considering there's more fishing in the gulf than tow boating in the area..

www.northhoustonpowersports.com (new boat dealer that sells and brokers previously loved vessels)
www.yachtworld.com (specializing in repos)
Boats Etc in Seabrook has 2 lots. (lots of preowned vessells of all types)

i am just trying to figure out what i want to do with my life. where i live the scene has grown SLOWLY over the last handful of years, but most people only have moombas because the crap dealer here sold them, but has since lost moomba because he sucks. i was just thinking about giving those who arent millionaires the opportunity to own a nautique, mc, moomba, supra, or whatever and also get them serviced by a competent dealer rather than drive 3 hours one way. also have a small pro shop with skis and boards and stuff. we'll see. painstakingly have to make a business plan first.

there's a few around here. I think that the ones that perform service in addition to selling used boats do alright, but the ones that only sell boats have seemed to struggle a bit. Most of the new boat dealerships around here also deal with used boats either as trade in, consignment or sell through.