Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Everything But Airplanes Finding the right one seems overwelming

Everyone is welcome to post here. I don't think that Steve was attempting to say that your dad, in particular was dishonest. What your dad did, was the same thing that people often get lucky enough to do (but never me) and that is buy something, use it, get "value" out of it, and turn right around and sell it and make money. I actually think it is a knack some people have, for spotting the right moment to buy and to sell. I buy things to keep, rarely selling them. I usually look at things I have that I would like to get rid of and think "who would want this, its worth nothing" (after all, I wouldn't want to get rid of it if it was worth something, correct?) I think its emotional attachment to the things you come buy.

Sometimes I come by things real cheap or even free. I would make money, and come out real good to sell it, but then, I wouldn't have it, and thats why I got it in the first place was to have it. I never seem to look in terms of resale, I guess I'm not an "easy come, easy go" person.

What Steve was pointing out was something I've witnessed first hand many times. People seem to figure, and figure, and refigure, how to buy and airplane and justify it. Always, its the resale, the "investment" that they keep coming back to, to justify the purchase. Your father justified his purchase by USING the airplane, he realized value from it, and wanted to move up, and came out good in doing so. Many people who try to use creative math to justify their airplanes end up lying to themselves, and usually everyone else. And when they sell, man, what a sucker they found and wow, how much them made on it. Sure, right, thats the norm. They have a knack, but not for, as Trump would say, "the art of the deal" but their knack is for making themselves look good. Remeber, "liars figure, and figures lie". These are the people Steve is refering to, and aviation seems to attract them.

No Shelby, I'm sure your father was one of the multitude of honest businessmen that have been in aviation over the years, that is shown by how YOU conduct your business. I've not heard a bad word about you, and good business conduct is not just learned, but I believe it is inherited and learned by observing others.

Charles

Charles wrote, " Sometimes I come by things real cheap or even free. I would make money, and come out real good to sell it, but then, I wouldn't have it, and thats why I got it in the first place was to have it. I never seem to look in terms of resale, I guess I'm not an "easy come, easy go" person."

I'm kinda in that delemma myself presently, Charles. The opportunity arose to buy this Fisher FP-202 Kolala for $1,000 from a co-worker. It has turned out to be a real show plane. Absolutely gorgeous workmanship with only 19 flying hours. A couple of members of a local EAA chapter have advised me to take it to Arlington, for it would surely win top prize in the Ultralite category. It is that pretty! I was further advised to start at $15,000, if I decided to sell it. That would be quite a substantial return on my investment, to say the least.
Now, what to do? Do I keep and learn how to fly it? Or sell it for a quick profit? Sure looks like fun to learn how to fly. But oh how the conscience would hurt if I ever wrecked it. what ever should I do??

Well, keep it over the winter, fly it some and enjoy it and sell it for top dollar in the spring. That is what I would tell someone else to do. Supposedly you sell airplanes and boats in the spring, and buy them in the fall/winter.

What would I do? Probably keep it thinking I had the buy of a lifetime. What I want is to build a Fisher 80% Tiger Moth with the inverted inline four in it. Thats gotta be fun,

Charles

Shelby,

I never implied anything bad about your Dad.
Sorry for the confusion.

Like you (and your Dad), I'm about truth and honesty.

The lure of aviation and flying are so powerful that it is easy to become blinded.

New members often join us here with no real idea about what getting your PPL is really about. They sometimes act like the world will have no more airplanes for sale tomorrow-- so they must buy today.

This forum is a great place for what I call "The Senior Members" to take the new guys aside and enlighten them.

It's easy to forget that relatively few pilots who start training actually finish. For every "gem" available, there are an untold number of flying black holes. Horse racing isn't the sport of kings-- flying is.

Once a newbie get his/her arms around some of our dirty little secrets, they're in a great position to proceed.

And that's a long way to say that the comments you made about your Dad, while undoubtedly true, make it sound like the average fellow might be able to buy a plane, take lessons, have some fun, and come out ahead. That, I'm sure you will agree, is highly unlikely.

Could I purchase a 150 for 20K today and sell it for 25K two years from now? Probably. 'Course, along the way I'd redo the interior and repaint. To "make" 5K, I'd probably have to spend at least 10K.

Airplanes are horrible "investments"-- at least from the monetary viewpoint.

I track every nickel and dime like a typical engineer.

What I can't track are all of the great people I've met and the unbelievable sights I've seen. I've had tremendous adventures and been lucky enough to share them with my friends and family.

I've traded piles of cash for things most folks can't even imagine. It was worth it.