How to valuate a collection of airplanes

[Morgan3820]

A realtor friend of mine who knows nothing about small planes, has asked me to help him valuate an estate sale of real property and hanger on a private airstrip. I have not seen this place yet or any of the aircraft but I’m told there are four in a hanger. Two of them are crop dusters. The estate people want to sell as a package, not piecemeal. Any ideas on what kind of answer I should give him. Is Vref of any help.

 

[Salty]

All the crop dusters I know that aren’t flying regularly aren’t worth squat. They get rode hard and put away wet. But man, it’s hard to tell. Might be worth a bundle or might have to pay someone to haul the junk away.

selling in whole is going to mean getting scrap value IMO.

 

[timrb]

Tell your friend to stop being a cheapskate and hire a professional. Given the value of four (!) airplanes, the evaluation fee will be lost in the noise.

Tim

 

[weilke]

What kind of cropdusters ? There is a difference in value between a Pawnee and a turbine thrush or ATx02.

Where is that collection located (roughly) ?

 

[Morgan3820]

What kind of cropdusters ? There is a difference in value between a Pawnee and a turbine thrush or ATx02

I do not know. Will find out Friday. He said One of them was a beechcraft but then he also said the other one was a Cessna 100 so like I said he really doesn’t now.

 

[Bell206]

Any ideas on what kind of answer I should give him.

Tell your friend to stop being a cheapskate and hire a professional.

^^^^^This. Provided they are working aircraft. If it turns out to be nothing but rotting hulks then perhaps a call to a cropduster association to get more input and a direction to follow. But without more info can't offer anything else.

All the crop dusters I know that aren’t flying regularly aren’t worth squat. They get rode hard and put away wet.

I guess you've been away from the dusting side of things for a while. Last March I researched engines for 4 mothballed dusters going through a firefighting conversion. The value of the aircraft is in the $3M range.

 

[Salty]

^^^^^This. Provided they are working aircraft. If it turns out to be nothing but rotting hulks then perhaps a call to a cropduster association to get more input and a direction to follow. But without more info can't offer anything else.


I guess you've been away from the dusting side of things for a while. Last March I researched engines for 4 mothballed dusters going through a firefighting conversion. The value of the aircraft is in the $3M range.

All depends what kind of planes they are. Total crapshoot.

 

[Tarheelpilot]

I will give $5

 

[Half Fast]

I will give $5

Careful.

You might be high bidder. What will it cost you to relocate all those planes?

 

[Tarheelpilot]

Careful.

You might be high bidder. What will it cost you to relocate all those planes?

For five dollars? I can make it work.

 

[Zeldman]

What if one of the crop dusters is a converted B-17.??

 

[Half Fast]

What if one of the crop dusters is a converted B-17.??

More likely for a B17 to have a chem trail conversion. Part of the FAA medical initiative at airshows. You can find the details in the special access forum.