Can someone explain the economics of this?

[mikewof]

I ran across a curious eBay listing, someone selling a brand new Westwight Potter that they won on The Price Is Right ...

http://m.ebay.com/itm/252534196552

WTF?

Yeah, I get that it's a good show to give cheap cars, vacations and barbecue grills, maybe a Waverunner. But a Westwight Potter? That's an incredibly niche little microcruiser to be on national tv. I understand they're now made in China, but still can they really be that cheap to make that the U.S. owners can justify giving one away to a tv show that seems to be 180-degrees from their intended market? Even the person who won it would rather have the money.

Or, could it be that garageable microcruisers are experiencing some kind of mass market renaissance, and International Marine sees the cutting edge before the rest?

 

[mikewof]

They are giving away one a week or more.

Holy Shit!!!

How could there be enough of a microcruiser market to justify that? The U.S. yards are putting out maybe a few a month of those 15s, I guess China really tooled up for those then? Are they mainly being sold in Asia and Europe? Tax dodge like Turd writes?

It seems ridiculous to me.

 

[DA-WOODY]

If I win the bidding I shall sail it to Bermuda and stay on it for the America's Cup

Will be posting on "SingleCaptins" for 3 BBW's to accompany (you'll need them on rail to make it MOOv)

If I leave by Saturday I should make it for the start

If the Girls Like to Party - could save sum koin by sailing around rather than paying to shoot the canal

 

[silent bob]

Free is Too Much!

 

[Overbored]

Thats one of those boats that would look better ( if that is possible ) if it was on the trailer upside down

 

[View from the back]

They're not made in Inglewood anymore? Seriously? They've been made in Inglewood for decades! If they've truly gone to China, then thats really a shame. Its what's wrong with America these days. Fucking Chinese! Stick with sweet n' sour pork and eggrolls.

 

[DA-WOODY]

They're not made in Inglewood anymore? Seriously? They've been made in Inglewood for decades! If they've truly gone to China, then thats really a shame. Its what's wrong with America these days. Fucking Chinese! Stick with sweet n' sour pork and eggrolls.

sad loss those boats

they took whats wrong from many boats and put it all into one

 

[Marcjsmith]

from the web site

The world famous West Wight Potter 15 sloop is one of the best known and oldest sailboats in the cruising fraternity. Over 2,600 of these attractive compact cruisers currently sail all over the world. Continuously improved over her long history, the Potter 15 has achieved a noteworthy record of sailing successes, including sailing single-handed from Seattle to Ketchikan and from England to Sweden across the North Atlantic.

At 26K new for a fifteen footer. I would think better money could be spent elsewhere...

 

[mikewof]

They are giving away one a week or more.

Holy Shit!!!
How could there be enough of a microcruiser market to justify that? The U.S. yards are putting out maybe a few a month of those 15s, I guess China really tooled up for those then? Are they mainly being sold in Asia and Europe? Tax dodge like Turd writes?

It seems ridiculous to me.

No dodge when you go on one of those shows and win a heap of stuff you have to pay taxes on that crap like it was income. Dont win any cash but just a pile of retail crapotola and Houston we got a problem. I'm sure you get the IRS bill pretty damn quick after winning

I understand why the winner would want to sell it, I don't understand what International Marine gets out of giving those boats away. The Price Is Right seems the wrong market, like setting up a Tofu stand at a University of Texas tailgate party.

 

[mikewof]

from the web site

The world famous West Wight Potter 15 sloop is one of the best known and oldest sailboats in the cruising fraternity. Over 2,600 of these attractive compact cruisers currently sail all over the world. Continuously improved over her long history, the Potter 15 has achieved a noteworthy record of sailing successes, including sailing single-handed from Seattle to Ketchikan and from England to Sweden across the North Atlantic.

At 26K new for a fifteen footer. I would think better money could be spent elsewhere...

It's a solid little boat, I think the $25k is for the 19 footer, the 15 footer is about $16k. Still a little high for that, but they supposedly can fit under a standard garage door.

But okay, your link has 2600 of them sold since about 1975 or so I guess. So that's about 65 boats per year, it seems unsustainable to give away 12 or so boats at that rate. Unless maybe their new Chinese yard is making them so dirt cheap that they figure it's worth the cost of advertising.

But then all these game show boats are obviously going to reenter the market, which will then undoubtedly cannibalize their regular sales. Seems like bad business, but maybe they know something we don't?

 

[DA-WOODY]

from the web site

The world famous West Wight Potter 15 sloop is one of the best known and oldest sailboats in the cruising fraternity. Over 2,600 of these attractive compact cruisers currently sail all over the world. Continuously improved over her long history, the Potter 15 has achieved a noteworthy record of sailing successes, including sailing single-handed from Seattle to Ketchikan and from England to Sweden across the North Atlantic.

At 26K new for a fifteen footer. I would think better money could be spent elsewhere...

It's a solid little boat, I think the $25k is for the 19 footer, the 15 footer is about $16k. Still a little high for that, but they supposedly can fit under a standard garage door.

But okay, your link has 2600 of them sold since about 1975 or so I guess. So that's about 65 boats per year, it seems unsustainable to give away 12 or so boats at that rate. Unless maybe their new Chinese yard is making them so dirt cheap that they figure it's worth the cost of advertising.

But then all these game show boats are obviously going to reenter the market, which will then undoubtedly cannibalize their regular sales. Seems like bad business, but maybe they know something we don't?

might have stuffed a batch and dumping them for a Full Price write off was Best Case for them

they use SUGGESTED RETAIL Price having Nothing to do with what they might actually sell for

If you win something the place you pick it up from likely will offer you a much lesser cash offer = what it cost them & they keep the publicity from the show

 

[Mark K]

"Loss leader"

 

[Ventucky Red]

Why does this come to mind when I look at that boat?

 

[U20guy2]

Some young gal in our area won one two yrs ago. Wife suggested she talk with me. She knew nothing about boats. So the broker the show uses offered to store it for her for $450 a month!!!! I told her she was getting dragged over the coals on dry yard fees. I was even headed to that area for a family trip and offered to drag it home for her. Then the broker offered to sell it for her, but his commission fee was stupid high basically she'd barely cover her tax bill. I think she took them to court.

Basically the boat broker / yard working with the show is running a high priced scam on the winners.