What sells an airplane?

Tom-D said:
BUT

When they sat in it, they were very squeezed, thus they could not use the aircraft as a family aircraft and did not buy.
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They should have tried it on first, I was looking at possibly buying an RV4 and was told it was designed for a 6'3" pilot, well that's BS, I am 6'2" and could shut the canopy, even without the seat cushion!
 
I am beginning to shop, I guess for now I am a tire kicker. But how else will I learn? I look & ask questions, I go to flyins and see planes I will never afford. I Saw Toms f-24. I saw Namu there also, It is for sale & in the $class I am shopping. What Do I Value for an low budget entry level aircraft? #1. solid & dependable. low to mid time. #2. Priced in my class. #3 Prefer 4 seats, ..... Basic panel is ok, I fly VFR. with the ease of a portable GPS I am good. Paint? I would bomb can it if I had to. Interior? that is what sheep skin seat covers are for. Carpet is easy to cut & fit. Dave
 
What will I look at? I look for lubricated moving parts. well maintinedengine. good tires& brakes. Good prop. newer battery. Good Glass. paint doesn't matter, but streaks trailing off rivits make me nervous.
 
SkyHog said:
I don't know that I agree.

Buyers decide when to buy, and what makes them want to buy is the same thing that makes something sell.
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Can't say as I agree. ;)


The selling process is all about sizzle, presentation, display, and personalities. Buying is an emotional process, fill the needs of the buyer and you have a sale.

Some buyers only want to look for that special find tucked in the back of a barn covered in bird poop. Others want to have a showroom with a dozen salespeople filling their champaign glasses as they choose the color of the leather toilet seats. Selling is an amazingly complicated process. Each buyer is looking for something different. The aviation buyer's motivation is based on status, peer motivation, the fear of loss, and greed of gain.
 
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Geico266 said:
Can't say as I agree. ;)


The selling process is all about sizzle, presentation, display, and personalities. Buying is an emotional process, fill the needs of the buyer and you have a sale.

Some buyers only want to look for that special find tucked in the back of a barn covered in bird poop. Others want to have a showroom with a dozen salespeople filling their champaign glasses as they choose the color of the leather toilet seats. Selling is an amazingly complicated process. Each buyer is looking for something different. The aviation buyer's motivation is based on status, peer motivation, the fear of loss, and greed of gain.
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That doesn't change the fact that there are certain things that tend to sell for higher prices better than others for a given airplane. Clearly the guy who wants a leather toilet seat in his airplane isn't going to be buying a 172 at all. There are a lot of numbers involved. I won't even look at an airplane if the asking price is too high for what it is.
 
I regret not buying my Tiger or other plane with the avionics I wanted. ITs really held me back as every year I budget to install radios, I have a HUGE annual inspection cost which more than blow my budget. If I had bought the plane with the radios I wanted I would be farther along on my IR due to having the required equipment. Now I have to dump at least $10K - $15K into the plane at some point.
 
I suspect that what sells an aircraft is what sells a used car, bike, boat or house. Is it clean? Is the paint shiny, and is it at least less than worn. Has the interior been cleaned? Does it look like someone really cared for the aircraft? All things being equal, the clean aircraft will win.
 
You can't separate emotional from non-emotional needs here. Buyers buy when their needs (either an avoidance of pain or a satisfaction of yearning desire) are met. That being said, the degree of need, both positive and negative, is a very intimate thing...sellers work hard at trying to see how the item they are selling meets those tests. Buyers try to hold back their emotional attachments and be rational decisionmakers in the buying process (not easy at all!!!) Price and/or cost of the transaction is ALWAYS a factor. Again, how that is defined is a personal thing and the seller wants to optimize the value they get for the item being sold in the same way as the buyer wants to do the same from the other side of the transaction..no matter what the object or service is.
I am going to be quite honest here...I bought 71D with money taken out of what was a rapidly declining investment program for my retirement funds last year...and decided to invest that money into the plane. Believe me I'm not talking about alot of funds here. But I had a goal, to get my PPL and my idea was to invest in the plane and do the leaseback to the flight school to help offset some of the costs of MX and my lessons, etc. I had a huge emotional need and tried to justify (uh huh) the financial side as well. 71D is a great airplane, and the market for used planes was certainly in my favor at the time...time will tell whether it was a good financial decision. From an emotional and goal satisfaction perspective, it met my needs.
 
steingar said:
I suspect that what sells an aircraft is what sells a used car, bike, boat or house. Is it clean? Is the paint shiny, and is it at least less than worn. Has the interior been cleaned? Does it look like someone really cared for the aircraft? All things being equal, the clean aircraft will win.
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Agreed, and what doesn't sell airplanes IMO is when I read those three special words; "no tire kickers". Especially if they are combined with "price firm" or "non-negotiable".

I don't give those birds a second look and navigate away from those online ads quickly because I'm afraid that the arrogance oozing from them will slime up my monitor.
:rolleyes:
 
timwinters said:
Agreed, and what doesn't sell airplanes IMO is when I read those three special words; "no tire kickers". Especially if they are combined with "price firm" or "non-negotiable".

I don't give those birds a second look and navigate away from those online ads quickly because I'm afraid that the arrogance oozing from them will slime up my monitor.
:rolleyes:
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I loved talking to a seller who thought a fresh "top" on a 1500+ hr engine
should allow him to consider it a zero'd engine.
 
timwinters said:
Agreed, and what doesn't sell airplanes IMO is when I read those three special words; "no tire kickers". Especially if they are combined with "price firm" or "non-negotiable".

I don't give those birds a second look and navigate away from those online ads quickly because I'm afraid that the arrogance oozing from them will slime up my monitor.
:rolleyes:
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On the other hand the sellers get tired of the phone calls from:

1) People who really can't afford the plane to begin with.

2) Callers who use the phrase "But I read on the internet...."

3) Callers who begin to tell you their mechanic is an "expert" on the model plane you're selling.

4) Callers who begin telling you, the seller, everything that is wrong with what you are selling.

5) Callers who expect you to "warranty" the 30+ year old airplane you're selling.
 
Rotor&Wing said:
On the other hand the sellers get tired of the phone calls from:

1) People who really can't afford the plane to begin with.

2) Callers who use the phrase "But I read on the internet...."

3) Callers who begin to tell you their mechanic is an "expert" on the model plane you're selling.

4) Callers who begin telling you, the seller, everything that is wrong with what you are selling.

5) Callers who expect you to "warranty" the 30+ year old airplane you're selling.
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You won't get an argument from me there. There are idiots everywhere. My point was that it's not good salesmanship for a person to display to the world how big of a jerk he/she is before people even call.
 
I'm always impressed with how busy buyers and sellers of little airplanes seem to be while they're involved in their attempts to make a deal.

Neither side seems to be willing to "waste their time" on deals where they perceive the other side has breached some unwritten law or committed some grievous error regarding selling their crap. Like not listing the price, or listing an asking price higher than they think it should be, or calling to get more information than the seller has chosen to list because anybody with a lick of sense should be able to immediately discern why his jewel is worth every cent (and a lot more if he holds it a while, blah yada) of his asking price. Who do these wind-bags think they're kidding?



If they're such big-shots and so damn busy, why are they shopping for 50-year-old airplanes on the internet? What's wrong with this picture?



timwinters said:
You won't get an argument from me there. There are idiots everywhere. My point was that it's not good salesmanship for a person to display to the world how big of a jerk he/she is before people even call.
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Sorry, this is arrogant, idiotic twaddlespeak. The customer is always right, period. You want to sell something, sell. The biggest dumbest loudmouth who ever lived who buys what you're selling is a good customer.


Rotor&Wing said:
On the other hand the sellers get tired of the phone calls from:

1) People who really can't afford the plane to begin with.
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Your loss, nice aircraft. Maybe you should consider a loan...

Rotor&Wing said:
2) Callers who use the phrase "But I read on the internet...."
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wow, that's really interesting. Sorry I can't change my price, but you go girl...

Rotor&Wing said:
3) Callers who begin to tell you their mechanic is an "expert" on the model plane you're selling.
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gosh, so's my mechanic. Maybe we should have them fight...

Rotor&Wing said:
4) Callers who begin telling you, the seller, everything that is wrong with what you are selling.
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you are so right, and when you find a better example of the breed at the same price you should purchase it...

Rotor&Wing said:
5) Callers who expect you to "warranty" the 30+ year old airplane you're selling.
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Boy, I sure would like to, but it is not a common practice in this field, and I am just a really common guy. When you find one in this condition that for my price sports a warranty, you should buy it...
 
steingar said:
Sorry, this is arrogant, idiotic twaddlespeak. The customer is always right, period. .
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sorry. Bad day. I will try to be better behaved.
 
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The customer isn't always right, but he's always the customer. But isn't one of the corollaries that "you can't do business with everybody?"

Bob Noel said:
feh. The customer is most definitely not always right.

"period" my ***
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Wow.

Back to what sells.

A good web page describing the airplane, the equipment installed, engine times, total times, ect. A potential buyer will refer back to the web page several times comparing features and equipment, daydreaming, planning, visualizing the aircraft and what they can do with it. A properly designed web site conveys the power of legitimacy. A good web page answers the questions tire kickers have. Promoting the web site on several web sites is a must. Barnstormers.com/ is the best place.

Sizzle, medium high.

http://www.ultra-ind.com/RV8.html

http://www.litewings.com/catalog/item/3021775/7213657.htm

http://www.n528ak.com/

http://www.aircraftexchangenetwork.com/listman/listings/l0034.php
 
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I love when people get pi**ed off in these threads and go bonkers because the WX sucks and they can't fly! LOL
 
While waiting a German fellow brought his immaculate LSA
Sportcruiser out. What a beauty with that plush interior, blue
tinted bubble and graceful lines. I felt lucky just to touch it,
but when he offered to let me fly it with him, or, take it up
with our CFI mutual friend, I was blown away.

As he taxied away and I headed back to the plane,
I also had to stop and watch the scarlett sunrise
with a fellow in a new Cirrus SR-22. He was having a
very good morning and we chatted about his ride
too. He was very encouraging, heh, and told me I
could get one like his for about.."six and a half".
Thats $650,000.00 Seems like too many zeros,
even for me.

That Arion Lightning is looking better and better!
 
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