[Dan]

This scenario should be instructional to both buyers and sellers.

From a buyers perspective the speed with which this sale happened shows two very important things. Buyers in the hunt need to do their homework in preparation for a purchase of a coach. Start with zeroing in on the specific model, model year, converter, price range, and what features are important. Be very well educated so if and when a good coach with the right boxes checked off appears, and it has a good service history, and it is in the price range as a buyer you can jump on the deal. Well maintained and correctly priced coaches will never last long and any buyer that hesitates is going to lose an opportunity.

The second thing is to avoid hesitancy by looking at as many coaches as possible, lining up financing if required, and generally being able to react very quickly with no hesitation. We all have our hot buttons and some won’t buy a coach unless it is dirt cheap, others won’t buy because it doesn’t have the right colors, others will not buy unless the coach is perfect. Regardless of what will motivate you to buy a coach, make sure you have done your homework because the worst thing possible is to not know what you are buying. The more you as a buyer have learned the more likely you are going to recognize the coach that fills your wish list.

A seller has to educate himself in much the same way to evaluate the market. He has to be realistic about the coach, its features, its condition and its service history and know how to price the coach. Buying and selling may be an emotional thing, but just because a coach has been a family member for a long time the seller does not set the value, the market does. If a coach is overpriced, it sits on the market for a long time and then gets the stigma that it is presumed to have something wrong.

To enhance the value clean it up and empty it out. A dirty or cluttered coach will not do anything but prove to a buyer it just was not well cared for, even if it was. If you are going to take photos look at them and compare them to how the professionals stage a coach for its photos. There are not dirty clothes on the floor, or bays full of crap. Make it sparkle and use a nice bed spread, do a nice table setting, and take the time to get good quality photos because you are competing against a whole lot of other sellers. Dirty tires, corroded wheels, stained carpets, greasy engines, and other signs of neglect are going to have an impact on price and buyer interest.

If the coach is well maintained and you say it is well maintained, prove it. Do whatever you can do to produce the records that show continuous scheduled maintenance. If there are none available and you cannot get copies of the records a buyer is well justified in viewing the coach as one without a good service history and as a seller you are going to take a serious hit on price or you are going to have to wait for the rare buyer who might rely on your word.

Tom and the buyer both appeared to have done everything right and congratulations to both. I know the coach and I can tell anyone willing to listen that it is a great coach and it has been properly cared for.

[Doug]

Tom,

Congrats on the quick sale. Any update on your next new “last” coach?

I hope your going to stay in the Marathon family…. I’d hate to see you return to the dark side… 🙂

Bill

[Dan]

That’s Awesome Tom!

Great coaches are “hard to come by”!

[Archived]

Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy and girl. Congrats you two!

[David]

Here is my prediction….for what it’s worth. Tom is so very busy with Lifeline Batteries that he needs to buy a coach with a exemplary service record to keep out from under the bus. Its also time for a well know bus owner to year up! So my money is on Tom buying Jon’s Liberty and Jon has his sights on a newer one!

[Roy]

Gerard, will you share some of what you are smoking? Based on the above post it must be some good stuff.

Tom is actually taking one for the team. To properly advise owners and potential owners of the process of buying, selling and learning a coach he feels compelled to gather the painful experience of coach acquisition and be in a position to advise others of how and what to do.

I on the other hand learned to gather knowledge by observation. I do not need to take a long walk off a short pier to know that is an experience I would like to avoid.

[Archived]

Ah, both you guys are sniffing something I’m not familiar with….

[David]

I’m trying to stick up for you Tom. Work with me here.