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PostPosted: August 29th, 2019, 8:08 pm 
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Location: Brampton
So the missus and I are in the market for a new/used boat, hopefully to put it on the water in 2020 or 2021 - we're not in a rush so we can wait for a good deal. We're looking for something in the (inflation-adjusted) $3k range, were it new and not marked down. What's the best time of year to look for one?

I know Kijiji/Craigslist deals can go quickly depending on where you are, and most outfitters sell off rental stock during the fall/winter. Not sure yet about retail/factory clearance sales. We're looking for something tough, thinking in the general area of a 17' t-formex or possibly basalt/inegra fibre, prospector-type canoe, so, not low end.

Anyone have experience with buying boats at the winter trade shows? I was at the Toronto boat show in February and a couple of the canoes there really impressed me, but we weren't looking at the time so the details are fuzzy there. We live in Brampton so those winter trade shows are a no-brainer for us to get out to.

Is it best to look for a good deal after labour day or after "spring cleaning" on the kijiji/craigslist sites, get a good retail/factory clearance sale, buy up old rental stock, or check out the trade shows in winter?

Yes, I know the question is vague, but we haven't been in the boat market for at least 10 years now. Any insight would be quite helpful.

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PostPosted: August 30th, 2019, 6:04 am 
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Best time to buy used is April and May and maybe into June as well - that's when most of them show up on kijiji


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PostPosted: August 30th, 2019, 8:00 am 
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Location: Freeland, Maryland USA
PacketFiend wrote:
So the missus and I are in the market for a new/used boat, hopefully to put it on the water in 2020 or 2021 - we're not in a rush so we can wait for a good deal.
What's the best time of year to look for one?

I know Kijiji/Craigslist deals can go quickly depending on where you are, and most outfitters sell off rental stock during the fall/winter. Not sure yet about retail/factory clearance sales.

Anyone have experience with buying boats at the winter trade shows?

Is it best to look for a good deal after labour day or after "spring cleaning" on the kijiji/craigslist sites, get a good retail/factory clearance sale, buy up old rental stock, or check out the trade shows in winter?


For starters “No rush” is a good thing, especially if you are looking to buy private party used. You’ll have time to gauge to local used market, pricing and availability.

Outfitters selling rental stock at the end of the season know the value of what they are selling, so finding an underpriced used canoe there is less likely.

“Best time of year to look”? There are a lot of used canoe sales in the spring. And a lot of people looking, so it’s kind of a wash. A seller who wants an unused canoe out of their garage before winter so they can park another car, or out of their shed to make room for a snow machine, may be motivated and price it to sell.

We bought two canoes from a rep at a paddlesport show. On the last day, at the end of the show, when the rep was eager to sell them for substantially less than the MSRP instead of loading the back up and hauling them home. Actually “we” bought four canoes at pro-deal prices; we had another family with us, also looking to buy two canoes. The rep was quite happy to haul four fewer canoes 1000 miles back to the factory. There may be additional incentives for a rep to sell a certain number of canoes by the end of the show, like end of month new car sales.

The best time to look is all the time.


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PostPosted: August 30th, 2019, 8:32 am 
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Location: Cambridge, Ontario
This time of year if purchasing new or demo boats. The used market seems to be consistent and deals are not linked to the time of year.


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PostPosted: August 30th, 2019, 10:13 am 
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Location: Freeland, Maryland USA
DougB wrote:
This time of year if purchasing new or demo boats.


Agree about new boat purchase timing.

And demo boats; two of the four canoes purchased at the show I mentioned were demo boats that had been test paddled during the show on an adjacent lake. Some minor scratches were well worth the reduction in price.

The local paddleshop (BMO) discounts unsold canoes, starting at 10% off for last year’s boats and knocking off an additional 5% each passing year.

http://www.bluemountainoutfitters.net/bargain.html


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PostPosted: August 30th, 2019, 11:04 am 
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Joined: July 6th, 2004, 5:46 pm
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Last year I went to a local builder in early spring/late winter. Lots of stock on hand
and needed to get some cash flow, so was willing to deal for a new one (or old new one
sitting around).


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PostPosted: August 30th, 2019, 12:04 pm 
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Location: Waterloo, ON
Real answer: When you have the money and find the boat you want. :-)

Now is a decent time as manufacturers and outfitters are clearing out demos and rentals. Swift has already had a couple of end of season sales. You won't get a steal but you can get a good boat, lightly used at a pretty good discount off of a new boat.

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PostPosted: August 30th, 2019, 1:22 pm 
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Joined: January 30th, 2018, 12:46 pm
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I'm not sure there is a best time of year to buy canoes. High end canoes turn up used kind of randomly and prices may be a bit lower in winter but the selection is also reduced. Some dealers get "blems", imperfect boats with blemishes. I was recently at my favorite dealer in Wisconsion and he had some Wenonah blems at $600 off list price. You might call your local dealers and ask them if they have annual sales or have blems in stock...maybe they'll give you some discount just to bring you in. You could even call the manufacturer and ask about dealers that stock blems. With used boats you need to be prepared to move quickly when something you want pops up at a good price since the best deals don't last long. I just saw a Bell Northstar pop up and it won't last long.


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