Kind of the same as do you list or buy from a real estate firm when you sell your house. They do provide services but expect a hefty price tag for them.

In Georgia where we are from when you buy a used titled item such as car, truck, trailer, motorcycle from a person you pay NO sales tax, however if you buy a used item from a dealer you do pay sales tax. This one factor makes buying from a dealer a 7% downfall to start with if you are from Georgia or any of the othr states that do not double tax you on used vehicals. 7% x 15,000 = $1,050.

Dealers have to make a profit to stay in business, every good out there has a fair market value, and what it is worth to someone who has to have it. The dealer has 2 ways to make his profit, either in the buy or the sell. If he makes his money in the buy he has to pay less than the fair market value for it, if he makes his profit in the sell then he has to sell it for more than fair market value.

How does one sell something for more than it is worth? Either the buyer is not an informed shopper, either the buyer has an impulse and has to have the item at any cost, or the dealer provides the best marketed service that he has to offer, **The use of someone elses money** YES, Credit.

The best way to sell something for more than it is actually worth is to fix it so that the buyer can pay for it over time within what they think is their monthly budget. As Americans, we have become a country that honestly does not look at the bottom line any longer, just the monthly outflow.

Any services that a dealer provides have cost built into them, if they did not he could not stay in business, my opinion is if you need credit and do not have a credit line at your local bank or have to have it today, buy from a dealer, if you have cash in hand, look around for a good trailer from an owner.

Every day there are good quality trailers that are going up for sale for legit reasons; getting out of hourses, divorce, education funding, downsizing, upsizing. If these trailers do not sell on the open market they will end up on some dealers lot bought well under market value.

Horsey 1>>> 

In Georgia ( I can not speak for other states) you do not pay sales tax when you buy a titled vehicle from a private party. Not when you pay for it nor when you process the title. The last one that I did was last week. There was a time about 20 years ago that our state tried to do this and someone took the state of Georgia to court and won. During that time I had bought a car and was charged sales tax. After the court case I received a refund check in the mail.

May I ask what state you are in?

On the issue of expensive private treaty sales, Yes there are owners who value their junk for more than it is worth. Same rule of thumb applies, If someone wants it bad enough to pay for it and they have the cash or credit, let them have it.

I was mearly pointing out that one of the services that a dealer sells (credit) is charged to cash buyers as well. If a dealer can sell trailer x for 10,000 on credit then why would he sell it for $8,000 cash?  It's the same thing in the used car business.

I personaly sell land in 1-5 acre tracts and owner finance them. I sell them for roughly double what cash sales are but I won't give a discount for cash because I can sell every peice that I get my hands on, on credit.

It is a fact of life, this country is addicted to credit and we are teaching our children to start out and live their lives in debt.  This is just the cold hard facts.

Respectfully:

Mike

   Longrider, No flame from me, You also don't have to hit me over the head to tell me that our goverment spends too much money and what is spent is not done wisely.

While I can not as a single person, control goverment spending, I can and choose to spend my dollars wisely.

In the last 3 years I have managed to buy 2 - 100% alum. trailers both less than 3 years old at the time of purchase for $8,000 each. Both goosenecks, one a 3 horse featherlight and one a 4 horse Exiss.

The original intent of the thread was just to say, if you buy from a dealer you are paying an extra charge for his access to all the lending intitutaions that will give a 100% loan to anyone.

I'm 47 next month and I have in my life owned 1 brand new vehical.

A 1980 model motorcycle that I bought while Jimmy Carter ws in office and the intrest rate on that loan was 21 1/2 %.  I guess I learned my lesson well the first time around.

I now choose to buy very clean late model vechicals that someone else has taken the big hit on by driving them off the lot new.

In conclusion, if you want a great deal on a nice horse trailer just be patient and keep you eyes and ears open, at the same time be saving for it and when it comes along you may can buy it without getting one of thoes coupon books in the mail. I have done it, you can too.

MIke

Sorry had to add in on this too

Most people carry a car loan/note for their intire lives,paying $378 a month.That same money invested from age 25 to retirement would.on average,amount to $4 MILION by age 65.

Seen this an thought would share.We personaly will never buy New lqs again since price so inflated and so many quality Used and so much cheaper to do any repairs on them.

Unless they invested in  ENRON...WorldCom...and several real estate trusts...