TOPIC: How much is it worth? Fully restored 1962 Dorsett.

In 2009 I spent 7 months screaming to finish this sweet little 1962 Dorsett from top to bottom. Its such a great little boat but with 3 small boys I'm not sure if its up to the challenge. Wakeboarding, tubing , wakesurfing, etc. Any idea what I could get for it and does it matter what I put into it to get it to this point. Please save the sarcasm that tends to run deep at times with forums like this.

Regards,
Ryan

Some more detailed pictures, a description of the Merc on the back and some info about the restoration(what was done, what materials did you use, etc) will help give a better value estimation.

As far as the sarcasm crack goes, im not too sure thats going to be appreciated from someone who comes on asking for advice with a single post...

Glassics are not worth much when unrestored, and the truth is they still are not worth a lot fully restored.

This is a hobby of passion not profit. Unless you find somebody who knows nothing about old boats , it's worth maybe 2500 or 3000 maximum. Other then that no glassic is really worth over 3000 no mater what it is.

Hang onto it and teach those boys about boating.
It would make a great item to pass along one day and will be
enjoyed until that time comes.
It looks like you have done a wonderful job getting it to
where it is and it looks fantastic.

emosun wrote:

Glassics are not worth much when unrestored, and the truth is they still are not worth a lot fully restored.

This is a hobby of passion not profit. Unless you find somebody who knows nothing about old boats , it's worth maybe 2500 or 3000 maximum. Other then that no glassic is really worth over 3000 no mater what it is.

emoson,
im sorry but i disagree with you on some of these classics not being worth much,some of these boats are worth the price we pay for our passion,im proud of the boat i put so much time and money into,and for you to say its not worth much is a insult to alot of us who work on,and own some of these classics,it depends on the boat and the condition of it.
i know of alot of classics that went for way more then 3 grand,and these classics are becoming more desirable as more boat shows allow us in.
by the way arent you the guy that gave another member here a hard time,because he custom restored his boat the way that he wanted to,?
your are entitled to your opinion,and i respect that.
but i think you have insulted many of us ,we have put in alot of our hearts and souls into these old boats,not to make money but for the fun of it.old woodies at one time had little value,but look at them now.
im sorry to the rest of you members for my little rant,i usually dont to that.respectfully ,john
p.s. by the way ryan,im sorry i didnt mean to hijack your post ,you have a beautiful dorsset there,i would bet the kids would love to have it passed down to them ,as im sure they will have great memories of dear dad running them around in his classic boat.as i do of my dad.

Hi Ryan,

That's a very pretty Dorsett you have there! Where in California are you from? I live in Redding, near Shasta Lake. Do you know about the California classic fiberglass boat group. There are a numbers of us out here bitten by the old boat bug. Maybe you just need a support group to encourage you to keep that sweet little creampuff!

Unfortunately, at this time there are no established or agreed on valuations of vintage glass. As with most things, values of these old boats are completely subjective. About the only time anyone can value a boat based on actual money invested - is with an insurance agent.

I feel that your Dorsett is going to fetch the most money from a non - collector. Someone who admires and appreciates it, and is willing to pay for it. Because the boat is turn - key, (or appears to be) it is going to appeal to someone who wants to take it out & have fun with it. Most folks here won't pay you what the boat "should" be worth, because either we can't afford it, or we are really wanting to find an exotic classic with big tail fins & space age design.

The motor is a different story. The engine is new enough that the value is determined by the market of available engines and what they are selling for. In all probability, the engine is worth as much, if not more, than the boat. This is because there are many, many, people looking to repower the boats they currently own.

If you are set on selling her, you will get the most $ return by seperating the engine from the boat. Sell the engine & controls for the most you can get for them. Scout around for a clean old engine that you can fit the Dorsett with, and sell it as a "classic" package. There are lots and lots of old motors available for cheap, and many of them are in good condition.

I would value the package as it sits like this:

Motor: XXXX.XX
Boat: XXXX.XX
TOTAL:

If the boat is perfect, try to get 2,000 to 4,000 just for it, and add the motor value to that for the total.


Hope this helped a little.

Bruce

i know glassics that sold $20,00,$12,000,and some between 5k-8k. it seems the valueable boats are those restored with fins and those with headlites, or both. the rarer they are the more valuable they become. i wouldn't think of selling my mantaray for less than 5k, and would probably start out asking for more. of course i would have to fix my transom first.

We sold our 1963 Elgin 15, fully restored, no motor, with a 2006 trailer, for $3500 about 18 months ago. Not a rare boat, but pretty and handled well. Probably about broke even not counting my labor, which was a learning experience and fun.

john-gibson wrote:

emosun wrote:

Glassics are not worth much when unrestored, and the truth is they still are not worth a lot fully restored.

This is a hobby of passion not profit. Unless you find somebody who knows nothing about old boats , it's worth maybe 2500 or 3000 maximum. Other then that no glassic is really worth over 3000 no mater what it is.

emoson,
im sorry but i disagree with you on some of these classics not being worth much,some of these boats are worth the price we pay for our passion,im proud of the boat i put so much time and money into,and for you to say its not worth much is a insult to alot of us who work on,and own some of these classics,it depends on the boat and the condition of it.
i know of alot of classics that went for way more then 3 grand,and these classics are becoming more desirable as more boat shows allow us in.
by the way arent you the guy that gave another member here a hard time,because he custom restored his boat the way that he wanted to,?
your are entitled to your opinion,and i respect that.
but i think you have insulted many of us ,we have put in a lot of our hearts and souls into these old boats,not to make money but for the fun of it.old woodies at one time had little value,but look at them now.

People that buy boats , don't care how much you love your boat. I'm being realistic , there's a decent boat , a newish motor , and a decent trailer , so 2,500 to 3,000 sounds more then fair.

If you want it sold then go low , otherwise boat buyers have A LOT of options at the 2,500 - 3,000 range.

Btw that member you speak of STILL hasn't sold his boat , he wants 5 grand.

Ryan, there you have several different opinions posted, there could be several more coming who knows. The two things I would bring up would be:
1. A friend advised me that posting too low a price will drive off many prospective buyers, the equate a low price with "there must be something wrong with it".
2. Start with a price higher than you would accept. It's much easier to come down in price than go up. (Although recently I have heard of some sellers doing this. It would definitely be an instant "deal breaker" if a seller tried that with me!)


You've got a beautiful Dorsett there, but I do understand your reasoning for considering the sale. Good Luck with whatever you decide.

emoson,my problem with your post was saying that ALL of these classic boats are not worth much unrestored and no classic boat is worth over 3000.00,no matter what it is.
here is your own quote from the earlier post you made to another member who wanted to know how much you would want for your UNRESTORED fleetform,and i quote you.....("Well I would probably want too much for my boat cuz I love these things , wouldn't wanna insult you with a crazy price"),and you made this statement about your white unrestored boat,i thought it wasnt worth much if it was unrestored?as for the gentlman that you insulted,its a beautiful boat and maybe to him ,it really doesnt matter if it sells.

ryan,i agree with mark, price it a little higher,but sell it at a price that you would part with it for,and if you dont get the price,keep it for the kids,its a great looking boat.

I insured my Power Cat for 5 grand, with a grand for the trailer. That would allow me on full loss to get a nice turnkey classic, like another Power Cat or maybe a G3.

Frank

"Please save the sarcasm that tends to run deep at times with forums like this."

You should wait until you know the community before you make these types of remarks. This is an awsome place for info and to just hang out.

emosun wrote:

Glassics are not worth much when unrestored, and the truth is they still are not worth a lot fully restored.

This is a hobby of passion not profit. Unless you find somebody who knows nothing about old boats , it's worth maybe 2500 or 3000 maximum. Other then that no glassic is really worth over 3000 no mater what it is.

I can get more than 3k just for my Mercury!!

Good job reinforcing this man's fears!

I see no problem skiing, wakeboarding etc. with the Dorsett! It survived this long hasn't it? Good sturdy boats need to be used for those activities!!!

marathon6 wrote:

I see no problem skiing, wakeboarding etc. with the Dorsett! It survived this long hasn't it? Good sturdy boats need to be used for those activities!!!

I'll second that.

These boats should be used to be fully enjoyed.

What fun is a Trailer Queen?

I use mine and it is ridden hard a put away wet many times.

It is also cared for and appreciated.

Will it ever win any shows? probably not, but that's not what I'm in this for.

As far as general blanket statements, take them for what they are worth and remember there are exceptions to every rule.

Here's a shining example, just on the local craigslist this a.m.

1963 CUSTOM CRAFT 16 FT DEVIL RAY - $7500 (SARANAC LAKE, NY)
Date: 2010-07-11
Reply to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

VERY RARE BOAT IN GREAT CONDITION. BOAT PURCHASED FROM ORIGINAL OWNER WITH 50 HOURS ON HOBBS METER. CURRENTLY HAS 70 TOTAL OURS. BOAT IS A 16 FT DEVEL RAY 3 POINT CAT WITH HULL DESIGN BY H. DONALD CANAZZI. BOAT IS POWERD BY A 110 HP STRAIGHT FOUR CYLINDER ENGINE WITH A MERCRUISER INBOARD/OUTBOARD DRIVE AND SOLID BRONZE 3 BLADED PROP. FULL COVERS. BOAT STILL HAS FACTORY PLASTIC ON SEATS. COMES WITH TANDEM WHEEL TRAILER. HAVE ORGINAL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE GUIDE. REALLY NEED TO SEE TO APPRECIATE. ONLY OUTSTANDING MAITENANCE ISSUE IS A CARBURATOR ADJUSTMENT TO CORRECT RICH FUEL MIXTURE. WILL TAKE SERIOUS BUYER FOR TEST DRIVE.

albany.craigslist.org/boa/1836788795.html

Has pics if you go to the url.

Otherwise I'm with Dave. I got a bunch of nicks and scrapes in my boat already, and it's only been on the water a month or so. I wanted a good all around family fun boat, and not a trailer queen or showboat.

Frank