IMAC hobby getting expensive

[-Rick-]

I have been beaten up before for source buying but it makes sense if you are retired or on fixed income. During my working years, and even now for a lot of things, I donated a plenty to top tier vendors. I also donated a lot to friends as well as friends donating to me. Just recently have I started selling used to others but I do not really feel that comfortable for the reason that there is always some dissatisfaction when purchasing used goods. I simply and sincerely do not want a thing that I may sell second hand to not meet expectation. I recently sold a motor and was so paranoid that the purchaser would be dissatisfied. Turns out he was delighted but the stress was still on me and I just had to follow up. So there is a down side to second hand and there is a reason the person selling it is letting it go. The reason 7 of 10 times is the seller is dissatisfied. Now of those dissatisfied sellers....How many are frugal and how many are cunning and how many are flat out dishonest???
Just say in. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So is value.

I know what you are talking about dimes selling your used stuff, but I got a feeling you are like me. I worry that the buyer will not be happy. But I know in my mind he got a deal. I think you, like me are a honest person and what ever you sell you make sure that the buyer knows all the facts about the purchase. I sold a plane in the fall, I know the buyer is happy cause now he bugging me for another plane I have. I also believe that reason stops a lot of people from selling their used things, they worry that they will have a hassle with the buyer down the road. It's a pity, bet there is a lot of useful and good giant scale stuff gathering dust in basements.....

 

[dhal22]

Used is the way to go but location is usually the issue there. A 35% rtf plane is often as low as $1800.

 

[Flyingjon]

That's me. I would love some of the good deals in the exchange but they are all 800-2000 miles away on the east or west coast. I'm right in the middle in Kansas so used planes are hardly an option because no one wants to ship.

 

[stangflyer]

I know what you are talking about dimes selling your used stuff, but I got a feeling you are like me. I worry that the buyer will not be happy. But I know in my mind he got a deal. I think you, like me are a honest person and what ever you sell you make sure that the buyer knows all the facts about the purchase. I sold a plane in the fall, I know the buyer is happy cause now he bugging me for another plane I have. I also believe that reason stops a lot of people from selling their used things, they worry that they will have a hassle with the buyer down the road. It's a pity, bet there is a lot of useful and good giant scale stuff gathering dust in basements.....

Though a person can get what they "think" is a good deal, more times often than not what they truly get is less than what they expected. It takes a great deal of integrity and honesty when talking with someone regarding a possible sale of used R/C items. An airframe that is claimed to be a solid 9 to 9.5 usually ends up being less than a 7. Or even a 6 from what I have seen. Or maybe I am just "really" anal when it comes to certain things. If I tell someone that what I have would rate a solid 9 or above better be damned near like new. I prefer to be straight up and rate at way less than what it truly is. I would rather a purchaser felt he got the better end of the deal and walked away smiling. A used motor can look totally "awesome" on the outside. But what about how it was broken in? Or how it was treated in the very early stages of its life. I've seen here at home brand new motors used by end users that had zero clue as to how to properly operate a motor. And within fifteen minutes of first start up, said motor is being yanked off and sent in for service because it won't run no matter what you do. Or even brand new out of the box DA's that die every single time you put them in the air. Simply from mis-understanding or misuse. And though I am not a DA fan, certainly they run better than what I've seen first hand. Airframes that are just a jumbled mess of glue, extra un-necessary wood or stupid little things really waver a person once seen up close and personal. Granted, buying used may work for some people. Sometimes cleaning up, or straightening out a conglomerate of issues really does not justify the money saved in buying used. Yet however on the other hand, buying used means just that. "USED". That "USED" word can really cover a huge array of expectations for the buyer or indications by the seller. Unless it is from someone just as anal as me, such as @Flyrcjoe, @Pistolera, @Terryscustom, @fencelake, and many others just to name a few, (who I know for proven fact that if they say it's a solid 8 or above, you can bet it is closer to a 10) I would prefer to buy new these days.

 

[Jetpainter]

I don't buy used unless I can see it first hand. The exceptions being DA engines at a good price, since a trip back to DA and a few parts makes it good as new (within reason) and this 35% Edge airframe I bought from a club member sight unseen. For $50 I figured it was worth a shot.

 

[stangflyer]

I don't buy used unless I can see it first hand. The exceptions being DA engines at a good price, since a trip back to DA and a few parts makes it good as new (within reason) and this 35% Edge airframe I bought from a club member sight unseen. For $50 I figured it was worth a shot.

View attachment 18289

Something like this is pretty much unbeatable.

 

[jtec/radiowave]

Its all relative to the size plane you fly. If we all were flying .60 size glow planes its dirt cheap today. You can get a full setup for less than $500.00 which includes a computer radio and all the equipment to support it. I remember my pop bring home a 4 channel Kraft radio in 1967 at a cost of $500.00. It had trim tabs and 39 in oz servos, no servo reversing or any of the stuff we take for granted. You had to know mechanically how to set up a plane.

Today there are so many options that you can get into giant scale CHEAP!!!!! What is thought as expensive now is cheap compared to years ago when products were limited. With the influx of Chinese stuff you can't even buy the material here to compete with the finished cost of the stuff from china. But where we do outshine the imports is QUALITY. I have manufactured in China and you can't compete with the cost but you get what you pay for. If you lived like the workers in a Chinese factory you would understand why things are cheaper and the quality difference. There are a few of us out there that have been to China and worked in the factories where we have built our products and I can tell you for a fact 99.9% of you could not tolerate it.

I can tell you we have brought all our plane designs and plane manufacturing back to the USA and am very proud of that fact ( muffler were always built here) We do all our manufacturing in our facility in NC., can we compete with CHINA? Not in price but I will beat there quality and service 10 fold every time and that goes for most of the US manufactures out there.

AL Young
JTEC/RADIOWAVE
Mooresville, NC
USA

 

[stangflyer]

Its all relative to the size plane you fly. If we all were flying .60 size glow planes its dirt cheap today. You can get a full setup for less than $500.00 which includes a computer radio and all the equipment to support it. I remember my pop bring home a 4 channel Kraft radio in 1967 at a cost of $500.00. It had trim tabs and 39 in oz servos, no servo reversing or any of the stuff we take for granted. You had to know mechanically how to set up a plane.

Today there are so many options that you can get into giant scale CHEAP!!!!! What is thought as expensive now is cheap compared to years ago when products were limited. With the influx of Chinese stuff you can't even buy the material here to compete with the finished cost of the stuff from china. But where we do outshine the imports is QUALITY. I have manufactured in China and you can't compete with the cost but you get what you pay for. If you lived like the workers in a Chinese factory you would understand why things are cheaper and the quality difference. There are a few of us out there that have been to China and worked in the factories where we have built our products and I can tell you for a fact 99.9% of you could not tolerate it.

I can tell you we have brought all our plane designs and plane manufacturing back to the USA and am very proud of that fact ( muffler were always built here) We do all our manufacturing in our facility in NC., can we compete with CHINA? Not in price but I will beat there quality and service 10 fold every time and that goes for most of the US manufactures out there.

AL Young
JTEC/RADIOWAVE
Mooresville, NC
USA

Home grown, just the way it should be.

 

[Naughty Monkey]

I don't buy used unless I can see it first hand. The exceptions being DA engines at a good price, since a trip back to DA and a few parts makes it good as new (within reason) and this 35% Edge airframe I bought from a club member sight unseen. For $50 I figured it was worth a shot.

View attachment 18289

Hate to break it to you, but you got screwed on that edge. I can't stand to see someone get taken like that, so out of the goodness of my heart, I will give you a hundred bucks shipped for it.

 

[Bartman]

.........a hundred bucks shipped for it.

shipped, that makes all of the difference. i was going to offer $75 after seeing how they took advantage of him.