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Selling My RV-14 (Not!)

OK, now that I got your attention, it's not for sale yet. Still in Phase I flight testing for another 20 hrs or so.

I'm planning to sell the plane sometime after flight testing is complete in order to move on to my next "project", and I'm looking for advice on how to go to market with it.

It's scheduled for the paint shop in Jan. '23, but I expect to have testing complete by July. It occurs to me that some (many?) buyers might like to see the plane before it's painted for a better look at the workmanship, and also that they might prefer to have the ability to pick their paint and their shop and buy the plane pre-paint with less than 100 hours on it.

Might even consider taking it to OSH this summer to let potential buyers see, touch, and inspect in person.

I hear a lot about the fact that it's a fairly marketable commodity, but yet I can't seem to see any on the market for comp's. Are they selling so well that they don't stay listed long, or are there just not that many out there being offered for sale?

What say you guru's?
 
Atttention

Ok...now I got your attention...where's the "meat"?

Beat me to it.
I was going with "I'll give you $250K sight unseen" NOT!
Seriously though, lots of airplanes have "For Sale" signs at Airventure but being able to see workmanship and choose final paint scheme seems like a good idea. Just my opinion.
 
Let's Try This Again

I'd like to try and set the record straight regarding my original 5/13/22 post in this thread. I first was a little surprised at the almost complete lack of response that post received, and at the somewhat flippant tone of those responses. On reflection I can only conclude that the title of the thread may have set that tone.

My thread when posted was titled Selling My RV-14 and it was intended to seek advice from members of the RV community on the best way to market the plane and on any insight I could gather on market data (price points, comparable sales, etc.). The body of the message states that request perhaps more clearly than the title of the thread did.

Before the ink was dry on my post, a well-meaning but anonymous Moderator apparently undertook to edit the title for me by adding the (Not!) suffix to my original title. I have never been contacted by anyone as to why they felt that edit was necessary. I only wish that I had been advised there was a problem with the thread so that I might have re-titled it Seeking Advice on Selling My RV-14 or something like that which might not have been considered misleading click-bait.

Let me add here that I have nothing but the utmost respect and appreciation for Delta Romeo and any moderators of this forum for the wonderful service they provide to the Van's community and GA in general. They host the party and their rules will be followed. Period. I support that.

So here we are three weeks later and as many of you have noticed my RV-14 is now officially listed for sale, both here in VAF Classifieds and in other venues as well. My biggest challenge in listing it for sale was the one that prompted my 5/13 inquiry beginning this thread. After weeks of research I was really unable to locate any frame of reference within which to set the price for my plane. The only info I got came in the form of opinions from two very experienced builders and members of the Vans community who felt that I might find a market somewhere in the $275K to $300K range.

Obviously, judging from the thundering silence that has greeted my listing in the three short days since it was posted, I now believe that range was vastly optimistic.

So, in closing this longwinded mea culpa let me just say that N661RC is for sale, she will be sold--pretty soon I suspect, and that the only remaining questions are to whom and for how much. The first person who said "It's easier to lower your price than to raise it" was not just whistlin' dixie.

Call me a free-market capitalist all you want, but the market will guide me to the right price point, and that's where she will sell; for whatever the successful buyer is willing to pay for her in a mutually beneficial transaction.

I'll still welcome any serious insight which any of you wish to offer, even at this late date.

Thanks, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being a member of this little group. "Keep Pounding Those Rivets" as someone famous once said.
Randy Carmichael
Melbourne Beach, FL
 
I'll still welcome any serious insight which any of you wish to offer, even at this late date.

Randy Carmichael
Melbourne Beach, FL

Since you are asking for inputs I go out on the limb and offer my opinion, with full sincerity in heart and mind.

Considering the very hot market for RV, especially 14/14A and you have not had much inquires, one might think the asking price might have some to do with it as the plane look to be sound.

It is definitely a crazy market and I have seen some ads (Barnstormer) which I couldn’t help but laugh and then there was one recently listed RV14 for $300K and sold, though we don’t know what was the agreed price.

I guess if one is not in a hurry to sell, he can ask what he would like to get and hope someone will just fall in love with it and pay the asking price. However, if long wait and stream of inquires is not his cup a tea, then pricing it more realistically will attract more people.

I am a 14 owner so the higher price the better for me but then again a bloated market is not good for any of us, especially the next person that is just getting into it, much like our real state situation now.
 
Also, with all sincerity, perhaps the silence was that the group here doesn’t like the feel of builders building with the intent to sell, and then asking for advice on how to get Max price in an inflated market..
 
My $0.02 for you:

Your airplane is either for sale or it is not. You might consider avoiding all else after bonjour until you have gotten off the fence and posted a proper "for sale" ad with full specs and photos. In the meantime, I'm guessing few here would want to participate in this public mental mastication until it's known whether you are committed to selling. I wish you all the best.
 
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Thanks Bavafa and Taltruda, for the insight. Good points, well taken.
Truth be known Taltruda my goals for the project were three: Complete a challenging project, build a little more tailwheel time and proficiency, and explore beginning aerobatics to see if it appealed to me. (Check, check, and check.)

I'm a project-driven person and have already moved on the the next one in the line (Not an RV ;o) ). Profit maximization was not a goal, but I see no reason not to try and sell the plane for what I can get for it, and if the market is hot then so be it. Again no offense has been intended to any of the fine people in the RV community or in this forum.

Gash, perhaps you missed it above: "So here we are three weeks later and as many of you have noticed my RV-14 is now officially listed for sale, both here in VAF Classifieds and in other venues as well."
 
It's worth what it sells for

Bubbles occur for many reasons. It's a matter of buy-sell pressures. Seems there is a 14 with low hours for 200k on a web site and that one seems to be stagnant. Over the last 30 years Experimental Aircraft sell if we are lucky what we paid for the parts plus a small premium. My guess is we will get back to these basic financials in the near future. Like most of us we build airframes to build, fly, enjoy and not to run the numbers what we can sell them for. Let's all enjoy these wonderful art forms that help us recreate our dreams, I do every day.
 
Yes, sorry I missed it. I just found your ad...nice looking plane. Best of luck on your sale.
 
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On the certified aircraft side pricing seems to be moderating if not declining. Not sure about experimentals. I suspect high interest rates and covid becoming endemic is contributing to that. As a current owner I really don’t like the rising prices. It drives both taxes and insurance up.
If the market is declining pricing high and lowering the price often leads to a lower price overall as you chase the falling market. I would suggest however that regardless of the market trying to draw a conclusion after only 3 days is a bad choice. Give it a month and the market will have talked to you.
 
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