When to buy...when to sell

[jerseyjim]

Many believe that the best prices (buying) is at RV shows.

When is the best time to sell ?

[valhalla360]

The time to buy is when you have cash and aren't desperate to get a unit. If you can walk away, you can negotiate great deals any time of the year.

There is some seasonality but it depends where you are.
- In most of the country, prices are slightly lower in the fall and higher in spring/early summer.
- In snowbird areas, it's the reverse.

But being able to walk away will easily outweigh any minor seasonality issue.

Think about it, if you could save 20% by buying in the fall, dealers would just sit on units until spring and make drastically higher profits. 2-3% and an argument can be made that it costs them to hold the stock for 3-5months, so it's worth take a lower price.

[rgatijnet1]

LazyDays RV sales, in Arizona and Florida, sells new and used RV's year round. It doesn't seem to matter what month or season it is.

[Bill_Satellite]

But end up even further upside down. Eventually, you have to pay the piper.

[John_Joey]

Bumpyroad wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:

Well selling, it's really a gamble. Remember, the value of your camper has more value to you than it does to the potential buyer.

many folks are upside down and try to get their debt paid off.
bumpy

This is also why so many have new RV's. If they sell outright they're upside down. If they trade it in they get a brand new RV, and keep the same payment.

[DallasSteve]

The best time to buy and sell

Based on my accounting background and the economics classes that I had my opinion is that while it might not make a big difference you can buy at lower prices in the fall after families have used their RV during the summer and the kids are back in school and the weather is getting colder and they don't want to store it all winter. The best time to sell is probably in the Spring when families get the camping bug and that means more buyers are bidding up the prices.

There are always some people on these forums who want to impress others that they are the greatest wheeler-dealers and they can sell whatever they want whenever they want at the price they want. Color me skeptical - VERY skeptical. Some people really need to massage their egos a lot. To get a good deal you need to do your home work and be willing to wait for a good deal.

[Bumpyroad]

DutchmenSport wrote:

Well selling, it's really a gamble. Remember, the value of your camper has more value to you than it does to the potential buyer.

many folks are upside down and try to get their debt paid off.
bumpy

[ol__yeller]

I have found that with RV's and any other vehicles, the best time to buy, if price is your guiding factor, is not when people are waiting around for a salesperson to get to them like at an RV show.

[Winnebago_Bob]

I buy when I want and sell when I want.

RV show prices are rarely the best deal you can make.

[Lantley]

For a new unit buy in winter when demand is at its least.
For used sell in spring when demand is greatest.
When buying used condition and prior maintenance are more important than price.

[theoldwizard1]

jerseyjim wrote:
Many believe that the best prices (buying) is at RV shows.

For new, Fall or Winter, especially if it is a "last year" model.

[John_Joey]

It all depends on what part of the country you're in. In TX (Houston area) people buy RV's all year (reason PPL is so popular on the forum.) Northern WI it would be May-Sept.

[Sprink-Fitter]

jerseyjim wrote:
Many believe that the best prices (buying) is at RV shows.

When is the best time to sell ?

Buy when prices are low.
Sell when prices are high.

[DutchmenSport]

I also do not think there is any "good time" to buy or sell. We've purchased NEW in the Spring and the Fall and the Summer, over 30 years, and in my opinion, there's not any noticeable difference. Times have changed. Dealerships will not negotiate below a certain price, at any time.

Well selling, it's really a gamble. Remember, the value of your camper has more value to you than it does to the potential buyer. Far too often, individuals sell their wares based on sentimental value, when the buyer has no investment. Just like selling a house, you have to disassociate yourself from the item being sold and price it reasonable. And then, it may not sell for a long-long time because someone else just doesn't enjoy your similar style.

When we sold a house once, we have a pretty smart realtor (after going through 4 of them. She was #5). She said, "Everything eventually sells. Everything!" The problem is, sellers overprice their own idea of the house's worth. When they finally realize the house doesn't REALLY have that value, reality finally sets in and the price is lowered to a better expectation, and then things sell. Same is true with your RV. Eventually it will sell, but to get rid of it, it might not sell for what YOU think it's worth. If it's priced low enough, it will sell. So, really... time of year has some impact, but not as much as it use to. It's really all about the selling price now a days. Folks are RV searching 365 days a year these days. Not like it use to be in ages past. Throw it up for sale, put a price on it, and see what happens.

Now, if you simply want to get rid of it, sell it to a dealer. They'll take anything. But you'll never get the price YOU think it's worth.

[Isaac-1]

This partly depends on where one lives, if in the great frozen north then the best time to sell is in the spring when people are interested in using an RV, and not thinking about the cost of winter storage, driving on ice, etc. If in Florida or Southern California then this is much less of an issue, though it does seem highest prices are seen in the Spring, though likely not enough higher to justify the cost of ownership and depreciation hit of waiting for that time of year to come around again.