Masts, what are they worth?

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pipinghot

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Hi, advertised on the WANTED section in a few websites (including here) for a second hand mast to replace a rotten wooden one on my boat. Someone gave me a name who might be able to help, and as it was only 50 miles away I gave them a ring. Spoke to this guy who said his father had an old mast lying under some grass in the garden and that I should come and have a look, I asked how much he wanted and he said 'just offer him something' So I went and had a look, and the mast had been dug out and would do fine with some mods. How much do you want? I asked, no idea he says, How about a hundred quid says I, the father laughs and tells me it's worth more as scrap. Well the offer is a hundred says I again. He took my number and said he would get back to me (he did not)
I will bet anything that the mast will end as scrap and they wont get near the offer I gave them for it!???
 
IIRC on the Selden Masts web-site they give weights for masts of different extrusions and lengths. From that you could estimate the value of it as scrap!

Alan.
 
As with anything its worth as much as you want to pay. I would suggest you find out how much a brand new one is, then you have to balance this against the likelihood of finding a bargain against ever going sailing again. I know I was upset when replacing my standing rigging at a cost of £500 but I could have held on for that bargain and still be waiting with my boat on the hardstanding. I would personally expect to pay more than a few hundred to replace my mast which is about 30ft.
 
28 foot, 25 Kilo (ish) I asked the history of mast and apparently it was bought second hand many years ago to use on a homebuilt boat that was wrecked in bad weather. A ton was a generous offer me thinks.
 
£100 is perfectly reasonable. Perhaps you should have offered him 50, then upped it to 100. He won't get diddly sqwat for scrap. If its what you need, maybe there is scope for you to up it to £120 and say 'final offer'. If he still stalls you know your are dealing with a...well I shan't say..

In Leeds 30 years ago there was a bloke with a fibreglass Fireball which sat in his garden for well over five years. I knocked on his door and made a fair offer for it. He said he was saving it for when his son finished University. Well it must have been a bloody long course as six years later it was still there unmoved.

Tim
 
Cheers Pete for the link, I forgot the punchline of this meeting: as I was getting into my car the guy hands me a brouchure of his 'exclusive' bed and breakfast telling me that people are mugs to pay his rates!!!
 
New about £200/metre (budget for a 80 x 55 section).

I fear your contact had an inflated idea of the value of scrap aluminium.
Perhaps you should offer to get a price for him from a reputable merchant and give him the same. OR

it was an opening ploy in the game of bargaining which you (perhaps foolishly) declined to play.
 
I am not up-to-speed on scrap prices but aluminium was £700 to £900 a tonne early in the year. Of course, that is 'clean' aluminium. Any bits of other metals attached substantially reduces the price.
 
Can't understand this obsession with scrap value, its a used mast which you are after for less than the price of a new one. If it was scrap you wouldn't want to put it on your boat anyway and its history is irrelevant unless it has been damaged, there are not many masts for sale with owners wishing to remove them from sound vessels so to me it does seem quite normal to buy one from a 'deceased' vessel. Anyway im off to the used car lot , had my eye on a car for the wife and he wants £2500 for it , reckon it weghs just over a ton so at £60ish a ton I reckon £70 should buy it
 
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Can't understand this obsession with scrap value, its a used mast which you are after for less than the price of a new one.

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The seller said that the mast was worth more as scrap. The OP wanted to know if that was true.
 
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.... it was an opening ploy in the game of bargaining which you (perhaps foolishly) declined to play.

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If ever I'm faced with a seller who won't tell me what he considers an acceptable price, I simply start off with £1, then raise it to 2, then 3, then point out that I could play that silly game all day until we eventually reach a price which he considers acceptable - which proves that he already knows what an acceptable price for the item is.
So for gawd's sake tell me how much you want for it, and save us both the hassle ...
 
When i'm faced with a seller who ask what i will pay for the item, My response is i can't be the buyer and the seller you give me your asking price.
Rob
 
The last time I went to our scrapyard in June I came away with four aluminium poles each about six feet long and some 'I' section ally bar about four feet in length .

"How much do you want" I asked
"You can have them for nowt" was his reply. This was very good of him, but must reflect a poor market value for the stuff.

Tim
 
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