Originally Posted by
rtpaxton2
You will almost always get more for your boat by selling it yourself. The advantage to trading it in, in most states, is you get to deduct your trade in from the amount of sales tax you pay.
Another route you might consider, is ask the dealer you are purchasing from if you can bring the buyer for your boat in and run the deal through the dealer. Doing it this way, you get more for your trade AND get the tax discount, the paper work is done correctly, and your dealer sells two boats. (The dealer will probably want to tack on a $100 or $200 to do the deal, but its worth it.... as long as your state does not prohibit transactions of this nature)