Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is BUCValu?
A. BUCValu is our online web-based equivalent to the BUC Used Boat Price Guide for consumers to obtain boat values and prices of boats. You can quickly find values for boats, yachts and watercraft
using our sophisticated searching alogorithms.
The Consumer version is limited to 3 unique price views over a 4 month period. The same exact boat, yacht or watercraft
may be viewed unlimited times for up to a year.
Click find used boat value to start getting prices of boats.
Q. How is BUCValu Professional different than BUCValu?
A. BUCValuPro is designed to provide boat values for the Professional. There are no advertisements. You can enter the
condition, location, add outboard motors/engines and trailers to get a better indication of the value.
Price adjustments are automatically calculated for you based on area and condition specified. Boat replacement values
are also shown. A printer friendly page is provided. Allows unlimited viewing of all available boats/yachts/watercraft.
Click here for more information.
Q. How do I order a single month of BUCValu Professional?
A. Click here to order a one month subscription to BUCValu Professional.
This will allow you unlimited access to prices of boats for one month.
How much is my boat worth?
A. Your answer to: "How much is my boat worth?" is right here.
To find the value of your boat, enter your vessel specifications and click submit.
A list of possible matches will be presented. Select your boat and you will be supplied with an estimated
retail price range of your boat's worth. Click Boat Values Search to find out now.
Q. How do I use BUCValu?
A. Enter your boat information in the fields on the form and click the "Submit" button. Manufacturer name,
boat length and model year are the only required fields, but you may receive more accurate results by
entering more information.
Click lookup used boat value to start getting values of boats.
Q. Why was no match found for the vessel I entered?
A. One possible explanation is that you entered information that was not completely accurate. Please make sure that you enter the correct category, length, manufacturer name and model year of your vessel. You may want to try adding or subtracting the swim platform or bowsprit from the Length Over All. Note: the model name of a vessel does not always indicate its overall length, e.g., the overall length of a Sundancer 350 is 39' 5".
In some cases, there may be no match because we have not received enough information regarding a particular model to enable us to estimate the value of the boat accurately. In this case, you may want to consider our Personalized Evaluation Service.
Q. The model displayed does not match what was entered. Why?
A. The search engine will match what you have entered as closely as possible. Please make sure that you enter the correct length, manufacturer name, model name and model year of your vessel. Clicking the "Modify Search" link on the result page will return you to the search page so that you can adjust your criteria.
In some cases, there may be no match because we have not received enough information regarding a particular model to enable us to estimate its value accurately. In this case, you may want to consider our Personalized Evaluation Service.
Q. Are condition, location and accessories included as factors in the used boat evaluation?
A. Unless otherwise specified in the result, the yacht/boat valuation is given for a vessel in BUC condition in the
Northeast & Mid Atlantic area. "BUC Condition" means that the vessel is ready for sale, requiring no additional
work and normally equipped for its size. BUC's vessel condition table is displayed on the BUCValu result page.
Please remember to consult this table to determine how condition affects the market value of the boat.
If you want these factors included automatically in the value of the boat, you may want to consider purchasing BUCValu Professional.
Q. Why do the engine options displayed not correspond to those I entered?
A. We are unable to accurately evaluate every possible engine option for every model; therefore, we display the closest possible match to what was entered.
Q. Does the used boat evaluation include the value of the engines?
A. In most cases, the value of the engines is included. However, evaluations for vessels with outboard engines on the BUCValu Consumer version
do not include the value of the outboard engines.
BUCValu Professional does include values on outboard motors with the value of the boat.
Q. Does the used boat evaluation include the value of the trailer?
A. Boat trailer values are not included with the free version of BUCValu.
You can include the value of the trailer with BUCValu Professional.
Q. How can I get a more detailed and accurate used boat valuation of my vessel/watercraft?
A. If you were unable to obtain an evaluation for your vessel/watercraft, or if you would like a more detailed
and accurate evaluation, try our
Personalized Evaluation Service or
contact BUC International at 1-800-327-6929, 8:30am to 5:00pm EST, Monday through Friday.
Using current market data and a series of complex computerized matching and modeling techniques, BUC statistically
analyzes thousands of actual sales reports. We will help you arrive at a fair and independent evaluation of your
boat, with a highly reliable level of accuracy.
Q. What types of used boats can I get used boat valuations for?
A. We have boat pricing and values of boats for thousands of motor yacht, catamaran, sailboat, powerboat, yacht, power boat, multihull, sail boat and watercraft manufacturers.
Click used boat valuations now to get a used boat valuation.
Q. How do I order the BUC Used Boat Prices Guides?
A. You can order a BUC Used Boat Price Guide online at store.BUC.com,
or contact BUC International directly at 1-800-327-6929, from 8:30am to 5:00pm EST, Monday through Friday.
Q. What's my boat/yacht/watercraft worth?
A. Your answer to: How much is my boat worth? is just a
click Boat Values Search
away. To find the value of a boat, enter the vessel specifications and click submit.
A list of possible matches will be presented. Select your boat and you will be supplied with an estimated
retail price range of your boat's worth.
Q. How do I search for vessels/watercraft that are available for sale or charter?
A. To search the BUCNET database of listings, visit www.BUCNET.com, where our Yachts for Sale Search provides the most comprehensive information about the availability, location and pricing of boats for sale and charter, anywhere in the world.
Q. Where can I get boat "blue book" values?
A. You can get the equivalent of a boat "blue book" value right here using our used boat valuation service.
We provide used boat retail prices for thousands of marine watercraft manufacturers. You can find the "blue book" value of a boat right here.
Please note that we are not associated with Kelley Blue Book Corporation, Inc. Kelley Blue Book's website is here.
Q. What manufacturers/builders can I get boat values for?
A. We have boat pricing and values of boats for thousands of sailboat, powerboat, yacht, power boat, motor yacht, catamaran, multihull, sail boat and watercraft manufacturers.
You can determine used boat resale/trade-in/retail values for thousands of marine vehicle manufacturers.
Click Boat/Yacht Manufacturers/Builders List to see a small sample.
Q. How do I determine the used boat trade-in price (or actual cash allowance)?
A. We do not calculate or publish a used boat trade-in value because every firm has its own overhead or profit margin.
Generally, the used boat trade-in allowance used by most dealers is 70 to 80 percent of the current market retail.
The reasons for a variation in the margin are numerous but might typically be: size of the organization,
whether salespeople are commissioned or employed, building location, yard costs, showroom expense and
financial costs. There are two common techniques for handling used boat trade-ins. The first is a little round-about.
The dealer allows the buyer of a new boat full market value on his used boat trade-in (exactly what he expects to sell it for)
but the new boat is not discounted or is discounted very little. This technique has been used successfully
by a number of dealers throughout the years. However, the mathematics become tangled and the cost of the
used boat to your business and the possible potential profit that could be derived on resale is confused
with the new boat sale. Alternatively, separate the new and used boat sales even if they are involved in
the same transaction. For the trade-in, adjust the published BUC price with the Area, Condition and Equipment
Scales, and perhaps make-ready repairs such as waxing or bottom painting, along with any factors you might
use for local conditions. Then subtract the amount of profit you expect to realize on resale, and subtract
your cost of sales overhead, including the cost to store the boat, advertising and salesman's commission.
The net result is the used boat trade-in value. You can divide the net figure resulting after subtracting all those
profit and cost items by the adjusted retail price for your area. This coefficient, as a percentage,
is your trade-in margin. The trade-in margin can be used to quickly and roughly calculate any other used boat trade-in value.
Merely multiply your margin by the retail price after adjusting for area and condition.
Q. What is included in used sailboat values?
A. Retail prices for used sailboats include standing and running rigging and one set of working sails unless otherwise
indicated. The prices do not reflect any racing sails or extra racing equipment although most reported sales
for sailboats list extra sails and associated gear. Use the BUC CONDITION/EQUIPMENT
SCALE for including the retail value of extra winches, pedestal steerers, etc.
Regardless of size, a sailboat is considered an auxiliary when a horsepower appears in the column indicated "HP".
Q. Does BUC provide values for custom built boats/yachts?
A. Custom built boats/yachts have no published or suggested list prices. They are usually built to the specifications
of the original purchaser and vary considerably in the quality of construction and the manner in which they
are equipped, powered and finished. We only assign values to custom built boats using BUC's Personalized
Evaluation Service. Our studies of this unique market have proven that comparison of features and characteristics
help to determine each boat's position in the "For Sale" universe. Using powerful statistical computing
techniques, our experienced staff will research each boat/yacht individually to determine the current market value
of the boat/yacht, taking into account the vessel's location, condition and its complete inventory of features and
equipment. The modest fee for this service can barely compare to the potential cost of a misevaluation.
Click Personalized Boat Evaluation Service for more details about the Personalized Evaluation Service, and to download
the used boat evaluation form.
Q. How does BUC perform used boat depreciation?
A. There are all kinds of depreciation techniques. A straightline method is often used by accountants and bookkeepers.
It's a tidy way to devalue capital equipment over its expected useful life, but the values obtained with this method
have no relationship to the market values of recreational boats. The straight-line depreciation technique generally
tends to separate the buyer and seller rather than invite them to negotiate. The only way to accurately determine
and project the depreciation curve of a used recreational vessel is to study the market place to see what buyers
are actually paying for boats in light of all the current economic factors. Determining used boat depreciation or
appreciation by market demand is not an easy task because it requires analysis of actual used boat sales.
BUC analyzes the market through Used Boat Sales Reports received from corresponding dealers, brokers and
surveyors, and through analysis of current listing prices. Our expert staff, using the very latest computers
and sophisticated software, studies the information statistically for different geographical regions.
The various plotted value curves are usually unique to a manufacturer. In some cases, patterns vary across
major model lines of the same manufacturer. Some vessels hold their price after the first year and over a
period of years before they show noticeable depreciation. Others drop rapidly in value right from the
beginning. Still others may show an initial drop and then a plateau, or drop in a series of steps. Many
consumers and some brokers are not aware that boats can actually appreciate in value at times. The market
value of boats depends heavily on current economic conditions, both general and those specifically
influencing luxury industries. Rates can fluctuate monthly which is why you should check used boat valuations
often. Alternatively, you may wish to take advantage of BUC's
Personalized Boat Evaluation Service. There is a small charge for this service but you will have
the very latest pricing information customized to your vessel. Analysis of the recreational boat market
is a science as well as a business. Forty-seven years of studying more than 63 billion dollars in used
boat/yacht transactions has taught us that many common opinions have no basis in fact. For instance, there
is no standard relationship between the manufacturer's suggested list price in the year of
manufacture and the current retail market value. Another big lesson is that the patterns of
depreciation for boats are substantially different from airplanes or automobiles. Please take note that the
prices shown with this service are current used boat retail prices, also commonly known as actual cash value,
fair market value, "blue book" or just market value.