What should I expect to pay for a stock used cart?

[pjr202]

Looking to build and flip one. I've been looking around at prices for carts 4-5 years old in basic, golf course configuration. I have a 2017 RXV purchased last year at a shop that builds to the customer's specs. We had wheels/tires, paint, light kit, etc done to it, but the base price for the cart they modded for us was $4,400. We had something like $6,800 in it total after all the work was done.

We were told the carts are purchased from local courses. I presume they didn't pay $4,400 for the basic cart. If I'm looking for a basic cart to start my build, what should an RXV in that age range cost? And a good source to find one? I could call courses locally, but there are just so many custom carts for sale online it's hard to sort through it all for something untouched.

[Mooncarter]

Perhaps I can shed some light on this. Are you sure you could buy that cart a year ago from a dealer for $4,400? Not around here, and as always markets differ.

It is my understanding that right now dealers are paying over $4,000 each for carts off the course, but they are buying 40 at a time. $160,000 investment to get that price.

These prices would have shocked most people 2 1/2 years ago, but that's what it is right now.

[meimk]

The Covid affected market has done to golf carts the same thing it has done to almost anything else you can buy. What was a beater / fixer-upper 2 years ago that would sell for $2k is closer to $4k (or more) now. In the past we have bought as many as 80 carts at once. Now it's a struggle to get any at all. Golf courses are having to wait on new carts, so they can't let go of their old ones.

[cartdoc1969]

Location makes a difference too. Like said above, a cheap fixer upper is now easily $ 3000. There's also more people competing for the available carts. Within a 20 mile radius of me there's at least 10 new people selling them.

[pjr202]

Originally Posted by Mooncarter

Perhaps I can shed some light on this. Are you sure you could buy that cart a year ago from a dealer for $4,400? Not around here, and as always markets differ.

It is my understanding that right now dealers are paying over $4,000 each for carts off the course, but they are buying 40 at a time. $160,000 investment to get that price.

These prices would have shocked most people 2 1/2 years ago, but that's what it is right now.

This was April 2021, but I'm not sure I would call it a dealer. It's a big shop with a few employees and a lot outside, but he buys them from local courses (he said), then resells them, and from what I gather they usually customize. It's really a great place. They've helped me with issues and are just generally great as far as follow-up customer service and all.

This place isnt anywhere near a beach town, etc, but they sell hundreds of carts a year. I think most people do as we did. They get there, pick a used base cart, then go through all the add-ons they want. The shop does the work and you pick it up a few days later. He had 15 or so basic carts on his lot to choose from. I don't think any of them were older than 2015 or newer than 2017 aside from a 2012 gas one he had.

Anyway, we could have just bought the basic cart for $4,400 and left if we wanted. That's the way it was explained at least. So I presumed he was probably paying less than 4k for them in bulk, which I'm sure isn't really any significantly high number of carts. I figured prices were probably up some more, but I was hoping to find one for under 5k for my own build.

When I got to thinking about doing this, I thought if he sells 400 a year, certainly I could flip 6 or 8 a year from the house. But I'm now wondering if I pay whatever I have to for the basic cart, will it sell higher completed to offset that base cost? Sure looks like they're going for a lot more than I paid for mine after the add-ons.

[pjr202]

Originally Posted by meimk

The Covid affected market has done to golf carts the same thing it has done to almost anything else you can buy. What was a beater / fixer-upper 2 years ago that would sell for $2k is closer to $4k (or more) now. In the past we have bought as many as 80 carts at once. Now it's a struggle to get any at all. Golf courses are having to wait on new carts, so they can't let go of their old ones.

You mod and resell them I guess? I presume you're still having luck selling carts once you get them? I was thinking maybe I could find a decent price down south in golf-land, like Myrtle Beach. Like some kind of used wholesaler or maybe just find one on ebay and trailer it home. I'm sure there are plenty of custom shops and such, but I can't see much good coming of me paying full retail for a 3-4 year old cart if I have intentions of flipping it. Maybe this is just the wrong time to be doing it, but I don't think prices on vehicles of any type will ever come back to where they were...maybe not even very close to where they were before.

I intend to research more before doing anything, but do older carts sell well once they're fixed up, new batteries, etc?

[scottyb]

Originally Posted by pjr202

You mod and resell them I guess? I presume you're still having luck selling carts once you get them? I was thinking maybe I could find a decent price down south in golf-land, like Myrtle Beach. Like some kind of used wholesaler or maybe just find one on ebay and trailer it home. I'm sure there are plenty of custom shops and such, but I can't see much good coming of me paying full retail for a 3-4 year old cart if I have intentions of flipping it. Maybe this is just the wrong time to be doing it, but I don't think prices on vehicles of any type will ever come back to where they were...maybe not even very close to where they were before.

I intend to research more before doing anything, but do older carts sell well once they're fixed up, new batteries, etc?

I flipped CL carts for a living years ago. 2 things that are important to successful resale are :
1. the cart must look like your neighbors cart. No antique oddball cart will sell well no matter the price. If Ezgo TXT or Precedent IQ is predominant in your area then that is the cart to buy.
2. speed. Everybody wants better than stock speed. So be sure to increase speed but also remember big tires which give more speed reduce power. This can be a problem on hills or in sand! Some research is needed to figure out what you can do within your budget. Don't buy the first thing you see.

Remember that seeing the same high priced carts on CL week after week only means they are not selling. To to buy and sell closer to the bottom of the market for fast sales rather than waiting months to catch a big fish.

Leave some $ room, buying upgrades is not cheap. Which brings up the 3rd point which is profit. You don't have to make a killing. But it's nice to come out on top so after a few sales you buy that 'free' cart. GL

[pjr202]

Originally Posted by scottyb

I flipped CL carts for a living years ago. 2 things that are important to successful resale are :
1. the cart must look like your neighbors cart. No antique oddball cart will sell well no matter the price. If Ezgo TXT or Precedent IQ is predominant in your area then that is the cart to buy.
2. speed. Everybody wants better than stock speed. So be sure to increase speed but also remember big tires which give more speed reduce power. This can be a problem on hills or in sand! Some research is needed to figure out what you can do within your budget. Don't buy the first thing you see.

Remember that seeing the same high priced carts on CL week after week only means they are not selling. To to buy and sell closer to the bottom of the market for fast sales rather than waiting months to catch a big fish.

Leave some $ room, buying upgrades is not cheap. Which brings up the 3rd point which is profit. You don't have to make a killing. But it's nice to come out on top so after a few sales you buy that 'free' cart. GL

Just doing the quick math, I figured those guys were making 500-1000 on each one. They offered a lift kit for 1,500 and I'm pretty sure they would have been clearing 1000+ on that job. Obviously employees and bills need to be paid, but it seemed like a good little side hustle for a weekend's work here and there. And honestly it looks fun. That kind of stuff is right up my alley.

[Lochlin]

Originally Posted by scottyb

No antique oddball cart will sell well no matter the price.

Hogwash! I get people offering me money for this thing every time I drive it!



Really, though, just Saturday a guy asked me if this cart was for sale. I said heck yeah, everything I own is for sale. He asked me how much and I told him $6,000. He said it wasn't worth it. I told him I knew that but, hey, he asked the question.

[scottyb]

Ok. I guess that could be a very valuable cart in certain circles. What I mean is most people would rather drive a new cart capable of 25 mph for 25 miles vs well, whatever that is.
If you are in sales you have to know your market. I was just sharing what I learned so the OP didn't end up with a barn full of cheap odd balls because that is not what he is seeing sell out there for 4-6k every day all day