If there is one thing consumers unequivocally trust when it comes to buying or selling anything with a motor on it, its Kelly Blue Book. KBB has been
around since the first automobiles were around. My Grandad used a KBB when car shopping in the 50's and my Dad in the 70's. People trust KBB as if it were a real person. If a stranger told me my quad was worth $2000 I would want to know how he arrived at the number. If KBB says its worth $2000 then most people would say that is what it is worth and not question it.

So I am going to ask a rarely asked question. Where does KBB & NADA get there data for ATV & snowmobile values? This is rhetorical question and yet millions of Americans go to these sources for value and never once question it.

Every appraiser & trader knows that values are ascertained by finding what comparables have sold for recently & what people are currently asking for said product. KBB & NADA use these types of algorithyms to get automobile data across the web. Unfortunately when it comes to ATV & Snowmobiles (maybe others) they have neglected to tell anyone that they have no actual data and cannot attain any real data on these items. It is to fragmented.

KBB & NADA should not even have a section for these prices or at minimum a disclaimer about how they are probably way off because they have 0 sales data to backup there "values".

KBB & NADA use a rudimentary equation like this hypothetical formula:

Original MSRP: $5995
6% per year old deduction
plus or minus %1 based on the mileage
15% condition adjustment
Retail + $1000
+ Accessories


This is not the real equation but the point is that they base there values mean nothing other than someones assumption somewhere. Values are not obtained from an equation like this. Markets change and often. The only values are what are people paying for them in the last 3 months and how much are they being offered for by other sellers.

The reason I am posting this is because the discrepancy appears on many that I investigated to be fairly large. Often $2000 completely wrong on the retail number. Be careful using these numbers for anything other than a novelty. ATV & Snowmobile data is scarce and finding real numbers takes a bit of digging but if you look around enough on the web you can get a decent idea about the actual value of your item. And when a buyer tells you what KBB says its worth then tell him to go buy one from KBB or NADA since they are offering them so affordably.

 

KBB & NADA use a rudimentary equation like this hypothetical formula:

Original MSRP: $5995
6% per year old deduction
plus or minus %1 based on the mileage
15% condition adjustment
Retail + $1000
+ Accessories

There has to be a basis to establish worth of anything. Whether it's KBB or NADA. Use them both as just a guide and many times both will vary greatly from each other on the same machine. Is a 5 year machine that's been beat to death worth as much as the same machine that's been well taken care of and spotless? Wouldn't think so and so would others. Would I have sold my old 92 Honda that looked like it came off the show room floor for what Kbb and Nada showed what it was "worth" NO, And I didn't. I got considerably more that what is was listed for and the buyer thought it was well worth it. That's what price comes down to. Condition means more than anything and what you think it's worth(using these two guidelines as a basis) and go from there. Bottom line is that you think you've gotten a fair price for what you're selling and the buyer thinks he's gotten a good deal also.