You know, Rob... we can give our opinions, but it's up to you to determine if it's worth what they're asking.
If you think this plane is worth purchasing, even if you want to make it conditional on a prepurchase inspection, you could offer to send the seller a check for a deposit to secure your "second-in-line" status. You could do so with the understanding that, in the event of sale, the seller return the check to you (you might even include a self addressed, stamped envelope to facilitate such return.
That way, if the Saturday lookers aren't interested, you could arrange for the inspection and go from there. I want to know exactly where I stand on something like this. I'm sure you do, too. Make the offer of a deposit, and if he tells you he doesn't want your money, just ask if you could assume that you'll be number two to look at it. If he's an honorable man, he'll let you know if there are others ahead of you. If there are no others, he may just tell you that you're number two without asking.
When I bought my plane, I first found out about it at Clinton, 2005. My 152 had just been destroyed by a renter, and I was looking. When Wayne W. told me about it, it took a while to warm up to the idea of 150 horsepower, taildragger, STOL, LR tanks....etc., but once I did, I nearly couldn't sleep because I was worried that the seller would sell it to someone else who happened to get there first. Problem was, the seller wasn't exactly ready to sell it, yet. It would be sold before the end of the year, but no exact date. Let me tell you, it was a nerve racking 4 months. I did ask the seller if I was number one to buy it, and he gave me his word that I was. Still, I didn't tell anyone other than my very closest friends. There were even some very close friends that didn't know...I wanted to keep it a secret until I bought it. The seller held true to his word, and the rest is history. But, with the right buyer, and the right seller, finding the right airplane is a dream come true!
I hope you find the best plane for you! Given the vintage you're exploring, you're headed in the right direction.
Good luck!
