60 replies to this topic

[barroncooper]

I just can't fathom why bass boats are so expensive. Comparitively speaking, if you bought a car of equal value. say... 65,000 dollars, you'd have a marvel of modern technology. I personally think that automobiles have evolved at a much faster rate than boats. vehicles offer so much more for the money. Whats 65000 get you in a boat? vinyl seats, a tub of fiberglass, some carpet and minimal electronic circuitry compared to a car. We are the fools for showing boat manufacturers that we will pay as much as we do for a dang fishing boat. yeah i know the engines are a large bulk of the cost but still, you can't tell me that a 2 stroke or 4 stroke outboard is worth 20,000 dolars.

[freebie]

the key word you used here is BOAT. boats are a luxury item and they come with a luxury price. when you think of a 65000 bass boat you need to compare them with a top of the line sports car to make the playing field even. I get what you're saying that as Americans we pay way to much for things in general but as long as the money spending public continues to buy at these prices we are stuck with it.

[barroncooper]

I agree with you. but the price doesn't fit with what you get as far as materials and technology offered. I know its like comparing apples to oranges though

[tomustang]

the key word you used here is BOAT. boats are a luxury item and they come with a luxury price. when you think of a 65000 bass boat you need to compare them with a top of the line sports car to make the playing field even. I get what you're saying that as Americans we pay way to much for things in general but as long as the money spending public continues to buy at these prices we are stuck with it.

Cars are luxury items too, some don't realize this since they are just about everywhere, the point here is a boat is a toy and has one specific purpose so the demand warrants a higher price.

[NCLifetimer]

supply and demand. because its more profitable for them to sell x amount at 60k then x+y amount at 40k. If no one bought a boat over 50k, then all the current models would max out at 50k. Bass boats are like cars. You can get a mercedes for 80k or a toyota for 30k, only difference is quality, but not usually 50 thousand in quality. Same with a ranger vs a nitro.

[herefishy42]

The above poster nailed it. There just isnt enough people out there to buy boats at a lowered price and still try and make a profit

[Michael DiNardo]

NCLifetimer knows a thing or two about Economics. Good answer.

Mike

[Glenn]

I think it's a volume thing. A car manufacturer sells tens of thousands of cars of a single model per year, whereas bass boat manufactures sell a few hundred of each model per year.

[Long Mike]

And people wonder why Tracker sells more boats than any other manufacturer. They build Toyotas.

[Fishing Rhino]

There is a simple answer. Cars are made out of parts stamped from metal, or molded from plastic. Cars continually get lighter and more efficient.

Boats need to be built to withstand conditions in which most people will never use them. While boats can be built on an assembly line of sorts, most of the process in building boats involves intensive hand labor. Parts are assembled and welded together by robots in auto manufacturing.

If you want a "fair" comparison, check out the prices of automobiles which are built individually by skilled labor. Ferrari, Lamoborghini, etc., come to mind. Boats hulls and components are not stamped out or vacuum formed like hot tubs.

The most hostile environment for any conveyance is the marine environment. When a plastic stamped out canoe or kayak, with no means of propulsion can be sold for thousand dollars or more, consider this.

Take the Nitro Z-8. The basic Z-8 with no options goes for a tad over 30 grand. The standard 200 HP Mercury Optimax Pro XS sells for more than 15,000 dollars. That means the rest of the rig, boat, trailer and all components costs the customer about 15,000 dollars.

If you really think the prices are outrageous, answer this question. Why have so many of the top names been merged into conglomerates in order to survive, let alone thrive?

A more reasonable comparison would be to compare the price of a bass boat to the price of custom cars or motorcycles that are custom produced by Chip Foose or the custom chopper shops. Heck, a paint job on those cars which is comparable to the metalflake gel coat finish on bass boats will set you back more than the cost of a complete bass boat package.

[Fishing Rhino]

It's all in perspective. I can remember when bread was 12 cents a loaf. I can also remember my parents saying they could remember when bread was two cents a loaf.

At that rate, two or three generations prior to that, the stores must have been paying people to take the bread off their hands.

[SirSnookalot]

I think Glenn is right, we may see a lot of boats but the market really isn't that big. If you want to spend a buck on a boat, try a sailboat, or cabin cruiser.

[J Francho]

Why spend so much? You don't need to spend $65K. I spent $7K on mine, and finish in the money all the time. I take my kids, friends, relatives, the occasional soldier, etc.

[clayton86]

It's all in perspective. I can remember when bread was 12 cents a loaf. I can also remember my parents saying they could remember when bread was two cents a loaf.

At that rate, two or three generations prior to that, the stores must have been paying people to take the bread off their hands.

wow your old lol

[barroncooper]

Why spend so much? You don't need to spend $65K. I spent $7K on mine, and finish in the money all the time. I take my kids, friends, relatives, the occasional soldier, etc.

there is no way in hell I'd spend that much money on a toy that depreciates the way they do. I'll buy one thats 5-8 years old maybe older if its a good boat.