Skymaster valuations

[ipasgas1]

I have read quite a bit on the SID here and people's opinions concerning the future impact. A friend of mine had spoken with one of the folks on the Cessna Owners board and he knows with 99.9% assurity that the SID will not become an AD. However, I am wondering how the 337 market is fairing...are they selling? should a pilot buy one or wait and see? how many current owners are holding off on improvements, etc until a more definitive answer is given? how many current owners are considering trying to get out of it now due to the uncertainty? I have been into a single engine from a skymaster for almost two years and have never been as comfortable as I was in the skymaster. I want to enjoy my flying again but the uncertainty of their future is making it hard to warrant buying another if it is going to be worthless in a couple years. It is very upsetting and disconcerning especially for those of us who don't currently own but want one...again. It has me considering a Seneca, Seminole, Baron, or Duchess...very sad.

[edasmus]

This is simply an opinion. Others feel free to add or argue as appropriate.

The Skymaster market is not really any different then the rest of the airplane market. It is down, simple as that. It will most likely stay down forever. These are old complex machines that as the years pass, less and less people have the interest or means to operate. My guess is that it really does not matter the type of aircraft as long as they are of similar complexity. The older they get, the less likely people will be willing to operate them. There will always be exceptions, but the norm will be for the market to continue shrinking.

The used aircraft market of the 1990’s is behind us now. In those times, 15 to 25 year old airplanes did not seem too old to people and one could be purchased, operated for a few hundred hours, and sold fairly easily for about what it was purchased for. I think people purchased these airplanes with the intent to do exactly this.

Now times are different. Airplanes are more like cars. The older they get and the more hours they have the less they are worth. They will not hold value anymore. Again, there will be an exception or two but the norm will be for the value to shrink.

I think people who purchase airplanes today (or houses, condos, etc.), need to purchase them with the mindset that they will want or need them for the long haul. Turnover will be at a minimum.

I do feel badly for people who purchased airplanes planning on recouping their investment someday. Sadly I think these days are behind us. I have been watching Trade-a-Plane, Controller, our website, the skymaster.com website, and others, and have seen the same Skymasters for-sale for well over a year some of them for two years. Then I will see some of them on e-Bay, and bids are coming in at maybe half or less of what people are asking. I have put my own Skymaster through some of the online price evaluators and have had the number come back in the $38,000 range retail. Airplanes do not usually sell at retail. I paid $83,500 in the fall of 2002 for my Skymaster. Fortunately, I want my airplane and have made piece with the reality that it is not worth much to anyone except me.

Ipasgas1, if you want a Skymaster and plan to want it for a long time, then go buy a Skymaster. Assume that once you write the check, the money is gone forever. This way you won’t be disappointed. You might get lucky some day and see some portion of that money back, just don’t plan on it. I personally would guess that the type of aircraft will not matter all that much. The market, for a 40 year old airplane of any type, has dwindled.


Ed

[CO_Skymaster]

I agree with Ed. We have gone through that period where airplanes were not being manufactured and the only option was to buy used aircraft. I think since new aircraft are on the market, business will start to purchase those. Our aircraft will not be as desirable except for those who like the older style. It's like the people who collect vintage cars. I bought my Skymaster, because I like the capabilities and it was in my price range. I knew when I bought it that I would never get the money out I invested in it. I didn't mind because it does allow me the freedom to fly where I want on my schedule. It also bought the exact aircraft I wanted and don't plan to trade up.

The only problem I've had is when looking for aftermarket additions to my aircraft, we are not high on the list for modifications. Therefore, it takes a long time or never that it will be avalable for my Skymaster.

Karl

[Ed Coffman]

I was once told "if it has wheels, it ain't an investment"
________

[K337A]

Here is a rare exception to the rule-

[larry bowdish]

Maybe Bonhams should be contacted when one wants to sell an airplane. They seemed to do quite well with the Bugatti