Have you ever had the thought of buying a boat, or has it ever crossed your mind? If it has, you probably have researched where to buy one. Boats in some ways are like cars, there are so many ways to acquire one, be it on a dealer, some owner who wants to sell their boats or in boat shows.

While each approach has its own perks, many would opt to go at a boat show where many dealers would showcase their boats and kill for a big sale, but is it the best option for you? If you are thinking of going to a boat show to purchase a boat, you may wonder.

Are boats cheaper at a boat show? Yes, you can find big savings on a boat show. Discounts of 10% to 30% can be found on certain boats Boat shows, gives a great opportunity for the dealers to market their products but a greater opportunity for buyers to score a greater deal due to the competition.

Often, boat prices are slashed to their lowest prices or packaged with greater compensations to rack up sales.

The sheer number of buyers that flocks on boat shows present a massive opportunity for dealers to generate significant sales and a great marketing move to put their name out there amongst great competitions. The fierce competition amongst these dealers is a great advantage that buyers can use to leverage their negotiations with the dealers to get a great discount for the boat they would want to purchase.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying Boats at Boat Shows

Advantages:

More choices in one place. The bigger the number of dealers that will come to the boat shows the more variety of boats the buyers will be able to select. This is highly ideal for buyers since you will not have to bother to hop from shop to shop to look for the boat that fits your liking and your needs.
Greater Deals. As previously pointed out, many dealers would bring their prices down to as low as they can or offer better bundles to your boats like maintenance discount, or longer and better warranty.
More Negotiable Prices. Dealers may be more willing to negotiate to close a deal with a potential buyer to bring home better sales. They may be more likely to bend in your favor to get you to buy so compensate for the fees and transport costs they paid to be in that showcase.
You can make a more knowledgeable purchase. The likelihood of sellers to be more welcoming to your questions and informing you more in showcases are highly likely because of the fierce competition in the event. You might also be able to get more advice from competing dealers of possible flaws and other issues about the other dealer’s product in these events.
Get advice from fellow boat savvies in attendance. It is great to be able to get an opinion regarding a boat you plan to purchase not only from the dealer themselves, which tends to be biassed towards their product but from your fellow boat savvies as well. They may be more knowledgeable to you in the kind of boat you want and may have an experience with the brand you are eyeing as well.

Disadvantages:

While it is nice to have many options to choose from, this may prove to be daunting, as well. Choosing only one boat out of the many great selections of boats, brands, and deals can be disadvantageous as well. You may end up not buying at all because you are just unable to choose which one to purchase.
You may be pressured to do impulse buying because of the thought of missing out on what you perceive to be a great deal. Buyers are often exploited by sellers in giving us the impression that we are getting a great deal by showing us that they slashed the prices only for that event, making us feel good with that purchase even if we do not really need to purchase it or purchase right away.
Most boat shows only showcase new boats. You might think, how is that a disadvantage to us buyers? Buying new boats means I don’t have to worry about purchasing a boat that may have hidden or chronic problems that it may have developed through the years of use. Sure it’s more favorable, but what we can miss is the possibility of buying the same second-hand boat at a much much lower price than purchasing a new one in the boat show or better yet purchasing a more high-end, bigger, or luxurious second-hand model with the same price.
Test drive. If you are the kind of buyer, who wants to test drive your boat before deciding to purchase, going to boat shows will be a disadvantage for you as you might not be able to do so in these events.
It might take some time to receive your boat when you purchase it in boat shows, especially if you request some customizations and upgrade to their on-display model. As much as you want to enjoy your purchase instantly, you might just have to wait for months before it can be delivered so you can test drive it,

How can you get the best deals in a boat show?

Come prepared. Do your research. Take a list of the type of boat you want to purchase based on your needs. Prepare some questions if you can regarding the boat, the brand, the warranties, and other things that they can offer, or you can get out of the deals you will make. Leverage the fierce competition in the event to negotiate better deals and bigger discounts. Use their competitor’s offer if you can to make the sellers bend to your demands, but do not overdo it as this may backfire.

Survey the competitions and find the best deal for you. One pro tip that frequent boat show-goers may give you is going to the first day of the show to survey each dealer’s display and prices, weigh your options, know the pros and cons of each one, contemplate your decision.

When you come to a conclusion return on the shows last day of the event, chances are you can get an even better deal, more significant discounts with more perks and more freebies on that day because most dealers would be more desperate to rack up more sales or close their first deal on the last day of the show to make the price of getting their slot in the event worth it.

Conclusion

Whether you decide to go boat shows to purchase your dream boat, just survey your options, or to see if you can get a better deal here than going straight to the dealers or buying second-hand ones from other boat owners, be very cautious about this decision. Contemplate on it, do your research, get some advice, and really make sure that when you do pull the trigger, you will be content and happy with your purchase.

Related Questions:

Which kind of boat should I buy? There is a wide array of choices that you can have when you go to a boat show, dealership, or when you go searching for a boat that you would want to purchase. There are Bowriders, Deck Boats, Pontoon Boats, Ski boats, and so many more that cater to one or several users, be it recreational, hobbies, sports, and others. Choosing the right type depends on what you need, what it is going to be used for, your budget, and how much annual cost you can shoulder to own one. If you haven’t really thought about how you are going to use it or you want it to cater to different needs, there certainly are various types of boats that you can purchase. You just have to make sure you do enough research and learn about them before you decide.

Should I purchase a new boat or a used one? Just like deciding what type of boat to buy, deciding whether to buy a new one or a used one is another dilemma you will encounter whenever you choose to acquire a boat. Make sure that you thoroughly weigh the pros and cons of each choice beforehand and select one that will be more favorable to you. You can think of the previously mentioned, not worrying about hidden problems when you purchase a new one than if you buy a used one but at the same time consider the perks of having to buy a used but more upmarket model for the same price which might cater to what you really need and more. While you contemplate this, you might also want to consider the advantages you can have regarding the annual cost you will have to pay when owning either a new boat or a used boat. You can buy a new but smaller boat that would cost less to store in marinas than a used large boat.

Are Boats Cheaper at Boat Show?