I at one point had a plan to purchase a boat and go fishing all the time, instead i bought a trailer parked it in a camp ground on a river and fish for trout (not very luck-others are).  When i was going to buy a boat I found it easier to look on line at first as you can get all the information on there and the companies send you brochures on all thier differnet types of boats.  then i would go out to local dealers or shows and know what i was sort of looking for.  I guess it would depend on what you were looking for and $$$$$$.  You can get great deals at the TO show.  One freind of mine had an idea of a boat but looked into the cost and realized he alone could not afford it so he spoke to a few freinds and they all agreed to go in together and buy a boat, they split all the costs 3 ways which is great but we all know this will in the end lead to some trouble.....anyways if i were still looking into buying a boat I would have to say the TO Boat Show would be a good bet as the venders are either trying to get rid of the old models or promoting the new models and there are some great deals to be offered to the consumer.
 
HunterPower

I always enjoy going to the boat show, even if not in the immediate market for a boat (but I came close last year). It's great for seeing different manufacturers / marinas display their stuff, practically side by side, and let you compare features & prices. What you'll see is a mix of new and new-noncurrent models,and sometimes, a motor thats a year or two old on a new boat. If you have a budget in mind, you can see what's available in that range. You also get to see a lot of accessories like fish finders, electronics etc..And it an be akin to going into a ferrari dealership - you can dream a little
 
 

Laffin, I hear you.
As an aside I had a summer job as a Lot Person at a Fiat / Suzuki dealership back in 1981. Lots of fun driving all the brand new cars around. Fiat Spyders, X19's, Lancia Zagato's and the Suzuki XJ410 which had an 800 cc motor back then. The Fiats were shipped over by sea, and exposed to the air/salt water so I had to go over every inch of it to make sure there wasnt any hint of rust anywhere. Fun cars to drive too.
 
Back on topic though: I dont know if there's any brand of boat or outboard that I wouldnt recommend though..Certainly the technology used in outboards today make them very sophisticated. I think many have more preferences in the boat side of things, which is why the boat show makes such great sense. You can talk to the dealers and sometimes the manufacturers and get their input before making a decision. At least help you narrow down your selection for when you do buy.
 

yes very nice and that would be the style I would look for in a new boat...

Good points Rick, re Engine size - and I agree. I mentioned this to Ray as we looked over the Legend stuff this pm - upgrading would add an additional $5500.00 but when your into $15M might just as well go for the ring.
As an aside, I kinda thought that the 50 was bare minimum - 75hp would push that vessel along quite nicely.
Thanks for the input,
bobby

Great Links dokdok.
 
Guess there's always going to be Pros and Cons as to "when/where to buy".
 
I like the Tip about doing your homework during a show, then showing up on the last day to try and cut the best deal. Makes a lot of sense, especially if the Rep's are trying to recoup there show costs.
 
bobby