The new boat search has concluded... (long)

This is a follow-up to the thread "The new boat search has started" that
I posted a few weeks back. Using the many excellent suggestions from the
folks here, this is a result of my negotiations and final product:

I arrived at the boat show ready to review the options each boat had to
offer. Collected all the brochures, and struck up conversations at each
display with sales folks. Of course some took my info...
Received a call from the Triton dealer, a couple days later. Knowing
this is what I really wanted, I left him with the impression that I wasn't
especially interested. He hung up the phone, and left him with no idea of
what I was thinking. Called yesterday (almost a full two weeks later), to
see if the fellow I was dealing with was going to be in today.
It just so happens that the person I was dealing with was the owners
son, and a pretty nice fellow. Non-existant sleeze factor, if you know what
I mean. I started negotiations with him on the price I was quoted at the
boat show ($21800, which I had found was a relatively good deal). I talked
to him about upgrading the Motorguide to a minnkota, Custom color ordering
($350) and throwing in the swing-away trailer tongue (I don't know the cost
of this option). He was able to do this, keeping within the price I had
been given.
From that point, we discussed my trade-in, which I had originally
planned to sell outright. He came back with what I thought was an extremely
fair trade-in value of my boat for $4600 (1993 Nitro 180TF). We chit
chatted about financing for a few moments, then I asked him if I could have
a few moments to talk with my wife.
While he was out, I looked at the price I was being offered, and what I
might be able to do to sweeten the deal. My wife gave me the nod on the
Merc EFI upgrade, and I needed a boat cover. He had quoted the price at
$2300 for the motor upgrade, and I had seen the boat cover advertised at
$750. When he came back in, I proposed that we could seal the deal if he
were to give me the EFI upgrade for $1500 and throw in the cover for free.
He replied that he didn't have that kind of room with the price I'd been
offered. I asked him what he could do (leaning forward towards him)... To
my great surprise, he informed me (after tinkering around on his calculator
for a few seconds) that he could give me the motor upgrade at his cost of
$1850 and would throw in the cover for free. I shook his hand and we
started the paper work.
Below is the deal I was able to work out:

Original list price - $28,573
With Minnkota, custom color, boat cover and 150hp Mercury EFI upgrade. Don't
know how much the trailer swing away tongue should cost...so I added $250.

My final negotiated price - $23,650

I'm not certain how close this is to the best I could do, but I am very
happy, and would like to thank the guys again who helped me with negotiation
tips. I think it helped alot...
If anyone would like the comparison matrix I worked out in Excel between
Nitro, Triton, Ranger, Skeeter and Stratos, feel free to email me. I'd be
happy to share it...

I can't seem to get the grin off my face... Now I just have to wait 4-6
weeks to get it!!!
--
Andrew Kidd
http://www.amiasoft.com/ - Software for the rest of us!
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