Super Cub asking prices

Coinneach

Coinneach

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Coinneach
There is absolutely nothing intrinsically pricey about the OG (not Cubcrafters or any of the other knock-offs) PA-18: it's a very old, simple design, running extremely basic engines, with very limited instrumentation and avionics. They're a hoot to fly, for sure; I did my TW endorsement in three different -18s and had a blast doing it. But asking prices starting at $90K? For the love of all sanity, why?
 
Because that’s what the market is asking right now. Kind of bonkers IMO
 
I don't buy it, no pun intended. -18 prices have always been wacky.
 
Welcome to the wacky world. My plans of buying a 182 in 3 years when I retire is accelerating away from me these past 6 months. Maybe it will stabilize - but prices go up faster than come down. I don’t expect to see 2019 prices again IMHO
 
Econ 101.......................supply and demand.

I bought a brand new Super Cub in 1966 and flew to the factory in Lock Haven to pick it up!!
 
They are working class airplanes and aren’t making anymore of them. They are still cheaper than a husky which is about the only competition if you need that type of plane to fly for profit.
 
Coinneach said:
But asking prices starting at $90K? For the love of all sanity, why?
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Apparently that's what they're worth to the people with the means to fly them. I get to fly one with a client pretty regularly. Pretty sure his is worth more than $90K...
 
With the top end is approaching $400K it drags up the lower end.
 
True of any "working" plane in this market now. Nearly all Cessna's have gone bonkers too.
 
It's simple, people want them. The aircraft market is very efficient at assigning value to aircraft types. There are no types that are undervalued and considered a "best kept secret".

When people get over the wannabe bush pilot phase that seems to be occurring right now the market may soften a bit but a Super Cub will never be inexpensive.
 
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Something is worth what people are willing to pay for it. There is no conspiracy in play here. They are for sale for, in most cases, as much as the seller can get someone to pay. They are bought by people trying to find and buy one for as little as they can get the seller to agree to.

They are wonderful planes and the market price is one indication of that. No insanity involved, only buyers and sellers. If you want one, you pay the market price. If people stop wanting them that price will decrease. Simple as that.
 
Dana said:
Then there's J-3 prices compared to everything else in their class...
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There is certainly sentimental value factored into the pricing. Many Cubs have become collectors items rather than practical tools. I have seen numerous pristine yellow cubs sitting in hangars with spotless epoxy floors next to classic cars. Usually owned by an older retired gentleman who hangs out a few days a week with his friends and maybe flies once a month. Not begrudging them the fruits of their success, and I'd much rather it be cared for than rot in a barn somewhere. Just observing that a J-3 is an airplane in the same way that a 67 Vette is a car.
 
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There's a J3 "project" on EBay that looks like it was rode hard, put away wet, 50 years ago and never touched. at least by humans. It's listed by a broker for $17K and it started out, if I recall, for $27K when the listing first appeared many months ago. When it first appeared, I offered $5K and thought that was overly generous as I was probably paying for just the data plate.
 
WDD said:
Welcome to the wacky world. My plans of buying a 182 in 3 years when I retire is accelerating away from me these past 6 months. Maybe it will stabilize - but prices go up faster than come down. I don’t expect to see 2019 prices again IMHO
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You might be right. OTOH, we might see 2008 prices again.
 
As a guy involved in the high performance Supercub world you know what I see when I see a $90K Supercub? A project. Throw $100K into it and you’ll have a $150K Supercub. And there’s a pearl for some guys who are looking. The best deal on any airplane is to buy one that just got renovated. Let the seller take the loss.
 
Stewartb said:
As a guy involved in the high performance Supercub world you know what I see when I see a $90K Supercub? A project. Throw $100K into it and you’ll have a $150K Supercub. And there’s a pearl for some guys who are looking. The best deal on any airplane is to buy one that just got renovated. Let the seller take the loss.
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He's right.
 
So the tl;dr on this is that the whole "rational actors maximizing utility" part of capitalism is a load of hooey.
 
Coinneach said:
So the tl;dr on this is that the whole "rational actors maximizing utility" part of capitalism is a load of hooey.
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No, it just means that rational actors define utility differently in this case than we might like them to.
 
When the subject is completely unnecessary diversions, I think it’s fair to say the concept of “rational actors maximizing utility” is hooey.
 
Think you're just defining "utility" a bit narrowly. And the folks paying big$ use a different definition.
 
MBDiagMan said:
Something is worth what people are willing to pay for it. There is no conspiracy in play here. They are for sale for, in most cases, as much as the seller can get someone to pay. They are bought by people trying to find and buy one for as little as they can get the seller to agree to.

They are wonderful planes and the market price is one indication of that. No insanity involved, only buyers and sellers. If you want one, you pay the market price. If people stop wanting them that price will decrease. Simple as that.
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Another factor at play, in addition to the above, is the supply and cost of capital/credit. It magnifies the effect on price of the supply/demand description above.
 
Coinneach said:
I don't buy it, no pun intended. -18 prices have always been wacky.
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I agree. The numbers are different today but PA-18s have always sold at a premium. I grew up and learned to fly in Alaska. I instructed folks in cubs and flew cubs owned by others. Always wanted one. They are just excellent bush planes on wheels, skis, or floats. But when I needed a small float plane for commercial fish spotting, I ended up buying a Bellanca Scout. It performed well in the role and was at least 40% cheaper at the time than a PA-18. But, I would still love to have a SuperCub... have not flown Huskys or Carbon Cubs, but my friends with them are very happy.
 
Most of the PA-18s I know, and I know a bunch, have been rebuilt to far better standards than what the factory provided. And that's one of the draws to the type.

I'm at a disadvantage in this discussion. This isn't theory to me. I own a Supercub. Used to own certificated. Now I'm exp. I can tell you with certainty the most expensive Cubs out there are exp. But even my very expensive exp Cub won't compete with the prices for those much less capable Huskies!
 
The same guys that whine about expensive old Super Cubs are also wondering why old houses are so pricey, a dram of 30 year old whisky costs so much, and why an ancient old Dodge Charger commands the prices it gets. Kids these days…
 
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