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an excellent plan!
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Bob, I'm gonna throw a couple things at you, since I've had my plane listed for 'a while now'. ....I don't think there's a recognized protocol. What works for one guy, won't for another plane or locale. There's always 3 guys on your home field who are lustin' fer yer RV, but often don't have the cash. Just like the realtor who tells you 'the sign sells the house', if you hang a nice bright prop card on your plane, you are going to capture some part of your market. We found our last house, unlisted, because they were having a garage sale, which everyone does to declutter before they list, right? ;-) I partly agree that VAF is a great place to sell, to mostly knowledgeable and honest folks, but in just the last few months, how many times have we seen this post...... ".....hi, just bought an RVx, this is my first post, how do you do x or y?" .........so many folks NOT of the RV world have to enter it somehow. I bought my -9a from a local builder, it was not listed, but asked the locals if they new of any in the area. If you spend $100 a month on some of the big online sites, you are going to generate a bunch of calls, to be sure. If some small percentage of them come out to see your plane, and then a couple of those make an offer, you are doing well. I think someone once said that all aircraft are for sale at some time, at some price, at some place....when the 3 converge, it happens! |
My limited experience
Bob,
I recently sold my RV-3B project on VAF, and I ONLY listed it on VAF. It took about 2 1/2 weeks, from post to pack-up. Here's my advice, buddy: 1) Have an informative ad, with lots of pictures, that answers all the questions people typically have (i.e. engine, hardware, times, etc.), plus the ones you would expect they might have (i.e. why are you selling, what problems surfaced during Phase 1, who was the DAR, etc.). 2) Return calls and emails promptly and expect the same from your potential buyers. Make it clear that you are ready to execute and not casually testing the waters. 3) Ask for and expect a non-refundable deposit (to be credited towards the purchase, should they buy) from anyone who wants "first right of refusal" (i.e. the guy who says, "I want to come take a look at it, so I'll let you know when I can get there... Stay tuned.") Having to pay a little something to inspect it will separate the serious buyers from the tire kickers. 4) When it's time to sell, cash is king. By then, you should have a good feel for the person you're dealing with. Have a bill of sale prepared for both of you to sign. For those of you who are selling a kit, like I was, have the Vans paperwork ready to transfer the builder number to the new Owner. 5) If they intend to fly your bird away, make sure they are qualified to do so. For projects, make sure you feel they are qualified also. Are they prepared to take delivery (right sized truck, moving pads, tie-downs, etc.)? Have you properly organized the remaining parts and instructions and taken them through the "this here still needs to be done" stuff? In the end, even though I was sad to sell my RV-3B project, the process went very smoothly, honestly and I think both parties were satisfied, which is the end goal of any transaction. Good luck, Bob. |
Another Moderator Note
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I'm amazed how often folks just don't read Doug's guidelines. It's his sandbox, and it's real easy to play in it. |
Guys, I'm pretty sure there aren't any links to any non-Doug sites here ('cept for my blog which isn't competition ).
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Has anyone found success by taking an RV to Oshkosh to sell? My special issuance probably will have expired by then but I'm sure I could find someone to ferry it over. |
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http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ead.php?t=8208 |
Bob, if I can suggest something that the folks I've dealt with appreciate....
In addition to the 'hard numbers' template suggested at http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=69987 , might I suggest you grab a digital camera (not a smartphone) and take at least 100 pictures from twenty feet down to one foot, of all the little spots that you would look at if you were there in person. 20+ of the engine compartment alone – probably more. Macro mode (most digital cameras have a 'macro mode') along every inch of both leading edge surfaces of the prop and the flight surfaces. Under the panel. Behind the panel. Behind the bulkhead in the fuse, etc. An example of a camera's macro mode in high res at https://dougreeves.smugmug.com/Watch/ (go to the link and maximize your screen). You most likely know about this already, but on the small chance you don’t… So many hundreds of thousands of people have HUGE computer monitors on their desk now, it just seems like a painless, free way to put insanely large images online. I have two huge monitors and often spread single images across both screens – you can make a wingtip strobe as big as your head on the screen. Upload them in HIGH RES to a free two week smugmug.com account. You don't need a CC to sign up, just an email address. My friend Randy who does pre-buys for folks has the seller do this first, and it has helped immensely. 5GB of images uploaded will do a lot to stop the 'can you send more pics' folks. Feel free to ignore all of this, of course <g>. And sorry you’re selling your RV. You motivated thousands of builders, myself included. v/r, dr PS: Keep a copy of all this data on your hard drive, as the classifieds get auto-deleted here after 30 days. |
Bob,
If you part it out, I want the polish job...........:D |
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