It’s been a tough few years in this industry for a lot of people. Whether you’re a dealer that has struggled to find financing for customers and to keep the doors swinging when the world seemed like it was upside down, or you’re a manufacturer that had to scale back operations and hold off on introducing new products because the market was just not there. Times were definitely tough, and they still have been a challenge for some dealers who are struggling to find a foothold in this new economy. But the silver lining is that it appears from several indicators things may be finally turning around for the better.

NADAguides’ most recent Powersports Market Update from September-October says that consumers continue to be intrigued by new models, as the majority of sales reported were new models. OEMs have gradually been getting back in the game and are releasing 2015 models and getting a good buzz from the media to consumers about them. Something that has been lacking for a while. You only have to look at the Kawasaki H2R and Ducati Scrambler that were recently unveiled to see the fervor surrounding them.

However, I talked to one source at last month’s AIMExpo in Orlando who pointed out that we are where we were about 10 years ago. Have we have fallen that far back? It may not be such a bad thing. NADA shows that key indicators are the consumer price index and the unemployment rate. If I was writing this about 10 years ago, things would have been going like gangbusters.

But we are almost into 2015, and we are looking at sales that are getting better, but not what they were in the glory days. But I think that we are smarter now and when we do build back to the higher levels, we will be all the better for it. No longer are we giving away vehicles on a signature and hope that the customer will pay for it. No longer are customers throwing credit around like it was monopoly money either.

Another upside going into winter, according to NADAguides, is that UTVs, ATVs and cruisers have remained active segments. Winter presents many challenges for dealers, which is why we decided to bring back the Holiday Gift Guide with a little twist for incorporating vintage themes. It seemed to do the trick a decade ago, so here’s to a successful holiday selling season!