Purchasing all CL items from a modler who quit flying, Deal, no deal???

[frank mccune]

       Hi All:

       I need some advice on the idea of purchasing control line ready to fly airplanes from a chap who has decided to get out of flying and building.  They are all large profile stunt planes equipped with OS .40 LA engines, very well built and  painted.  He is asking $90.00 for each.  There are about 10 planes, several Brodak kits, used OS .35 RC engine and a nib ST G-34 RC and CL.  I doubt that his price would permit any room for "profit."

      Reality Check: I doubt that I could "flip" any of these items to break even.  I could sell the engines for perhaps, $40.00 and keep the planes but I do not want the planes as I have many RTF planes hanging in the attic.  I would like to help this chap, but, the truth is ugly concerning IC and CL items. I doubt that I could get $50.00 for each plane sans engine. 

       Perhaps some of you have faced this dilemma before.  What was your response?  I hate to see all of this fine CL equipment go down the tube but...

       Suggestions/comments?

                                                                                                                                            All of the best,


                                                                                                                                            Frank McCune

                                                                                                                                            Frank McCune

       

[frank mccune]

      Hello Ty:

      Thanks for the prompt response.

       Unfortunately, our club is down to 5 members who still fly.  I too hate to see these beautiful planes go to waste.  His club lost its field and the rest is history.  I may go back for a Brodak Sterling Mustang that would be a great fun plane with my Brodak .25.  I still have two kits of that same plane in my attic. Lol  He has a beatiful Stuka that piques my interest.  Tempation!!!  I were not so old and decriped and have 30 planes ready to fly in my attic, I would spend a ton of money,  These planes RTF are priced lesss that the kits that spawned them! "O, the inhumanity of it all." The only other thing that I see flying at our 2 flying parks are electric RC!
 
       I did purchase a Viking OTS plane from this guy for $90.00.  It has a "new" OS .40 LA in it as I want to try my lack of skill in OTS.  I am hoping to remount my 1949 Fox .35 Stunt in the Viking for nostalgia reasons if I can get the piston to agree with the cylinder.  As it is, it is too tight at the top like an ABC set up.

       Enough for now,

                                                                                                                                           Have a great Holiday Season,

                                                                                                                                            Frank McCune


       

[john e. holliday]

I did that one year when a gentleman called and asked if I would be interested in some model plane kits.  This was before Ebay, Craigs List and swap meets.  I drove over and when I saw what he had I knew I didn't take enough cash.   He had almost every Veco kit and Sterling Kit.   I asked how much for each kit?   His response was $100.00 for the lot.  I almost fell over and asked if he was sure.   Seems him and his brother were control line modelers from back in the early 50's.    His brother lost his life flying U-2 Spy planes.   Seems he left a big hole in the ground up in the Iowa country side.   He said there was never any details.  Anyway I loaded up my station wagon and gave him $150.00, as the was the cash I had.   Then before I could leave he said take this RC kit too.   He said there were too many memories and he had already gotten rid of the flyable planes.  Any way I thanked him and left.   Some of the scale kits were sold at the Tri-Cities NATS.

[Jim Carter]

  Maybe I have no right responding to your inquiry and if not, please ignore or delete it.  However, I think you may be mixing a couple of incompatible thoughts.  First, if you're helping a "friend", great .... do it ONLY IF you can afford it and leave it at that  .  However .... Second, if you're doing for the profit motive ... great, again, if you can afford it .... But .... as you yourself recognize, you may be in for a bit of a loss  .

Consider your market and who you would be selling to whether on this site or any other:  "old guys for the most part, who already have good, sizable collections of "stuff" looking for a rock bottom freebie deal versus a very small, limited cadre of newbies with even the slightest interest in "that which was ...."!!

I'm not trying to be disrespectful as I'm one of those "old guys" with the sizable collection of stuff who just had a conversation with his wife about what to do WHEN, not IF, the time comes.  It's called "Dumpster Time or it's going to be really cramped in the grave  !   

[john e. holliday]

Good response Jim.  I just had a short, very short talk to my wife about my stuff I keep adding to.   She agreed with me that with my sons help sell what they can on the Ebay.   The planes,  remove engines and give planes away or put in dumpster.   Also make sure shipping is covered as I have lost money on items that the bidding was not enough to cover the excess shipping charges.  Now I sell with shipping cost for more than enough and if paid by PayPal I can return the excess to buyer.

[FLOYD CARTER]

Your reasoning is valid.  You should take a loss on the deal and declare it as a "charitable donation" on your income tax.

After all, what's more important than extending a helping hand to a fellow human being?

[Gary Dowler]

I have seen quite a number of CL planes hanging in antique stores. Might be a viable option for a few of them. You wouldn't get much for them, but it could help cut the loss a little.  Another option that might work out as a tax write off is to see if there is any sort of a flying museum to offer 1 or 2 as donations to exhibit.

Unfortunately, as anguishing as it would be, the rest of the planes might still end up in a dumpster.  Keep 1-2 for your own purposes, take a few others to any swap meets you may have, just sell the engines and perhaps the tanks from the rest on eBay or Craigslist.

Gary

[Cody bishop]

Without engine I would expect at most you could get 30 a peice unless they are very nice large stunt planes in perfect or near perfect condition. This weekend I bought some nice planes without engine the most I Payed without engine was $22

[frank mccune]

       Hi Guys:

       Thanks bigly for all of the replies.  I was quite sure that I would receive good advice here.
 
       Lat year, I bought a bunch or ready to fly CL planes and the cost was $25.00 each.  They were all very well built and painted and had Fox, OS and McCoy engines installed.  The chap selling them was very happy for the money and the fact that they were going to be used.  He could not give them away where he lived.  I also purchased other CL items at the price that he was asking.  I paid his asking price without dickering! 
Did I neeed more CL stuff, no but the stuff deserved a better fate than a dumpster. I guess that I am just a romantic at heart. Lol I get the same feelings when I go to a dog rescue site.

                                                                                                                                                Have a great Holiday Season,

                                                                                                                                                Frank

                                                                                                   

[944_Jim]

I wish this "problem" was near Columbus, MS! Ouch.

[Jim Carter]

I wish this "problem" was near Columbus, MS! Ouch.

  Well, you could always tell the little woman you were going to make a short trip to the convenience store to pick up a pack of cigarettes or milk or something and on your way home .... you make a wrong turn and ended up in the "Twilight Zone", eh??  Eventually all the lumps she puts on your head would heal and you'd have a wonderful pile of stuff to "play" with right about the time the doctors removed you from traction  !!   

[Scott Richlen]

If the alternative was throwing the stuff in the dumpster, why is he asking anything for it?  He should be happy that someone is willing to take them off his hands so they don't end up in the dumpster.

As a side note - sometimes people show up at Brodaks with stuff to sell.  And frequently it is some of the worst looking planes (or engines) I've ever seen!  And they want substantial money for them!

What is interesting is that when people bring nice stuff to sell, they often mark it at give-away prices.  I'm betting because they want it to get into someone's hands that will play with it.

[Richard Imhoff]

AMA takes it a sells it at swap meets and such. The money goes to the scholarship fund.
I bought some stuff at the nats a few years ago that was donated by a passed modeler.

[YakNine]

Why don't you sign him up here and have him list what he has and where it is?

[Fred Cronenwett]

The Lafayette Esquadrille CL club in St Louis MO has had modelers donate all of the models to the club. The Club then auctioned them off at the club meetings with the profits going back to the club bank account. There seems to be more model airplanes coming available lately than normal. The Market for glow engines has passed I think, it fact our local hobby shop does not even have glow powered props available. One hobby shop does not even keep glow engines in stock anymore.


Where are you located?

Fred

[Doug Burright]

 This  strikes a chord with me, because the family should be able to get any proceeds from the sales, or interested newbie modelers should know that the item came from a cherished member of our community!
I think the inventory should be posted for our entire group to be "fought over", rather than it all being lumped on to one or two people.

[Paul Smith]

If the alternative was throwing the stuff in the dumpster, why is he asking anything for it?  He should be happy that someone is willing to take them off his hands so they don't end up in the dumpster.

As a side note - sometimes people show up at Brodaks with stuff to sell.  And frequently it is some of the worst looking planes (or engines) I've ever seen!  And they want substantial money for them!

What is interesting is that when people bring nice stuff to sell, they often mark it at give-away prices.  I'm betting because they want it to get into someone's hands that will play with it.

Very true.
I attended a 2-day estate sale on a older hoarder modeler.
On Saturday morning the called my offers "insulting".
By Sunday afternoon they were asking me what I would give.

The heirs would clean the house by demanding premium prices.

[frank mccune]

         Hello Yak 9 et.al.:

         I spoke to the gentleman who has the "stuff" for sale and he agreed to forward to me a list of what he has and the prices.  I will post his list, prices and contact information  when I receive it. 


                                                                                                                                             Be Cool,

                                                                                                                                             Frank McCune

[James Holford]

         Hello Yak 9 et.al.:

         I spoke to the gentleman who has the "stuff" for sale and he agreed to forward to me a list of what he has and the prices.  I will post his list, prices and contact information  when I receive it. 


                                                                                                                                             Be Cool,

                                                                                                                                             Frank McCune

Now ya talkin

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