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Is it my imagination or has there been a rather noticeable jump in asking prices of cessna 150's in the last 3 months or so ( ever sense I sold mine lol )? Of course these are asking prices and not actual sales but it seems to me there are far more adds over $20,000 even for planes with rather high SMOH and TT . In 1999 I paid almost $22,000 for N150EW and after 6 years ( about 650 more hours of flying ),almost 1400 hrs SMOH and about 4800 TT . I Dont mind saying I sold it in April for $ 18,000 ( my mechanic thought I should have asked more ) Interstingly I never actually put it up for sale . I was simply asked what I wanted and the buyer didnt even want to dicker , do a prebuy or even a test flight , and this was with the full knowledge that the plane wasnt running right after installing the new cylinder at annual !!!! Rumor is someone is willing to pay him $ 24,000 for it now. Although the plane had excellent maintence and tender loving care while I owned it , It never had nor needed any major additions that would have jacked up the price ( like toh , paint , avionics etc ) . Almost looks like things are looking up for 150 sellers . Oh well bad timing on my part lol . Besides I never was a wheeler dealer


Kent

A local 150 recently sold for $13k. I'm told it was a nice clean airplane, but I didn't see it. Prices are probably all over the board. Anytime I sell something, if I'M happy with what I got for it I make it a point to never worry about what someone else is asking or getting for a similar item. That's their business. As for 150s going up recently...maybe that's a Summer trend or something like that(?)

I have been noticing quite the opposite, Kent. I am noticing more and more apparently good aircraft with asking prices in the lower to mid teen price range. Personally, to pay more than $20,000 for a good airworthy 150 is paying too much.

Bill:
Kind of makes me feel better if your observation is correct . Maybe I did about right

Thanks Kent

I study airplane prices pretty closely since I am the one in our bank they call on to value planes we finance (just desk evaluations).

Anyway, there is truly some strange things going on that are very inconsistent with the economic drivers.

For instance...RV-6A's (O-320 equipped) which three years ago were going int he $50's and $60's, jumped to the $75M and above mark, now are back down in the $40-60 range for some decent examples and they are not selling.

150's have been somewhat strange too, with asking prices from the low teens into the 30's with minimal mod's. The movement has been slow as many of the ads on both ends of the spectrums will sit for months with no apparant action.

Cherokee 180C's tend toward the upper $40's to the low $60's, while two years earlier (the B model like mine) are selling in the high $30's to mid $40's. To me, these are the bargains in the market if you can find one with minimal issues (unlike mine). A 180 hp 1100lb useful load, 140 mph airplane for about the price of several 150/150's I have seen.

I doubt I will ever persuade my wife to go back to a 2 place, but if she would, I would land on an 150 hp RV6A in a heart beat.

Bottom line is, right now there is some confusion in the market. I suspect this is partly as people try to gauge the impact of the LSA's or perhaps try and get out of their airplanes into an LSA. Fuel prices too may be driving people to sell who have invested a lot into their planes, and they are hoping to get some of that back out.

Should be really interesting going into winter. Say about January..... Oh...and don't get me going about light twins. They are tanked big time. Cheaper to buy a twin (acquisition only) than a comparable single retract.

Dan:

Thanks...that comment about being happy with what you got and not worrying about what the future seller gets is good advice .

Kent

Jeff:
Since selling my plane I occasionally have glanced through a few of the major aircraft sales magazines and seemed to be seeing a High percentage of adds in the upper teens and low 20's . When you glance through 20 or 30 adds there are an incredible number of variables but you can get a kind of average trend . I dont think I saw but a single 150 in this particular aircraft paper ( not Trade A Plane )under 17,000 and the rest were high teens to low to mid 20's . Maybe its geographic trends also .

Kent

I sense, and feel, some anxiety and uncertainty about general aviation right not and I'm sure that I'm not much different in my perspective. Fuel prices are trending only upward, Ethanol in non-av fuel seems certain, traffic at the local airports seem down (don't know if operational statistics will support that statement, but it seems so to me) the AOPA says the number of pilots is down and training starts are down, talk of user fees for GA continue, it looks like a lot of twins coming on the market and the few, older LSA aircraft on the market seem priced on the high end. I don't know if anything is selling, but it's probably safer from a seller perspective to price higher -- they can always come down. All things considered, I think this is a very unsettled time for general aviation.

I think the gas prices do have something to do with the prices. I know I have thought about getting out. Now that car gas is at $3 we won't see the $2 range again. I have never seen the prices go down they will just keep going up. Many have talked about the $7 range for av gas in the near future. I hope not but you never know.
I think the 150 prices will stabalize due to the fact that they will be economical compared to the bigger engine planes. I think the other airplanes will become hard to sell also. All around it's going to hit the pocketbook hard.
I know the new pilot starts are down but I think AOPA also needs to take a look at keeping the current pilots flying by keeping costs down. Even LSA airplanes cost $85-95k, so the average guy can not afford to buy one. So the only thing guys might be able to get into for LSA flying is J-3 cubs, champs, ercoupes and that type aircraft. Which will make the price of these aircraft rise even more. Has anyone seen the price of a cub now a days. Over $32k for starters.

Mke:

I tend to disagree with you on the price of aircraft/availabilty of aircraft. My Mustang II, should come in right around 70K with a Dynon 180 Flight DEK/EFIS/EMS, Fixed Pitch Prop, and a new Superior IO360PLUS Fuel Injected. That said, she should be right around 8.00 gallons/hour, or about 30 MPG, at just over 220 MPH cruise. Built as a VFR aircraft, with plenty of room for expansion later, she'll represent the best of technology, and still be affordable. I just don't get the price of these new LSA aircraft, and feel like yourself, they are over priced for what you get out of the box.

Just my thoughts, Herb Rose