I have come to the conclusion that my airplane no longer fits my needs and have decided to replace it with the one I really want. I havn't been keeping up with the market so I figured I would ask you guys.
Is it a buyers market right now? Sellers?
What method do the people of this forum use to buy and sell?
I keep going back and forth about what condition the plane would sell best.
Should I upgrade the transponder to 2020 or just leave it alone?
What upgrades help a plane sell?
For reference I fly a 108-3 and will be replacing it with a kitfox or something similar with folding wings.
I appreciate any input you guys can offer.

It feels like a buyers market to me for anything that isn't highly sought after. Pilots are getting old, planes are getting old, and the prices I've seen around here keep dropping, unless the plane has standout features (newly overhauled, glass panel, pristine, etc).

I advertised here, craigslist, trade a plane, barnstormers, and ASO. I sold via Craigslist, but got most of my interest from Barnstormers.

I wouldn't put any money at all into your Stinson. It (probably) isn't worth enough to put 3-5K into ADSB and see any return. Total time, engine time, and condition will probably be dominant in the eyes of a buyer.

I don't think upgrades matter much, at least in terms of getting a return on your money, and especially in a Stinson where the upgrades won't make it something it isn't. I wouldn't put money into the airplane to make it more attractive to buyers, unless it was to fix something that needs attention.

The market for less common old taildraggers seems like it is fading, at least around me. I know of at least one mid time 108 that is about 20K near me, and probably won't go for that.

Probably not as many young pilots and as such not as many buyers. That all makes sense and even though I'll probably loose a ton on my plane it has given me years of service.

formandfunction wrote:Probably not as many young pilots and as such not as many buyers. That all makes sense and even though I'll probably loose a ton on my plane it has given me years of service.

You can speculate forever, or just post it for sale and see what kind of interest you get. Leave yourself room for negotiation.

Four months ago I couldn't get $12.5K for a fair Pacer with a mid time 0290. So I decided to keep it for myself and just fly it, rather that give it away. I also had an 0320 I couldn't sell, so I just mated the two. I think the market has come up since, because since then, I have sold a "69" C172 and a C170A and the potential buyers were beating down the door. So like it was said earlier a lot has to do with what you are selling. I also agree, that I would not invest any money in avionics on the S-108. I think your best bet is "clean and airworthy". Get yourself some "comparables" and price your plane accordingly. I would go with barnstormers. Good quality photos, setting out in the sun with a good backdrop, and be ready to provide photos of the aircraft internals, Log pages for overhauls and annuals. People that call are typically more serious, than the ones that text or email. Good luck!

IMHO you will generally not get much return on investment doing most upgrades just prior to selling the airplane.
A god example, the son of a couple I know spent close to $20K repainting his C180 "to make it easier to sell".
Worse part of that was that it was a very non-traditional paint scheme--
something that IMHO would look good on a Cirrus or Lancair, but NOT on a 180.
Yes, he got it sold all right, but I heard later that the buyer had it repainted.
So as it turned out, he coulda just as well as stuck that $20K right in his pocket instead.

Re ADS-B, maybe the buyer will want something different, or not even need to equip with ADS-B at all.
Ditto most avionics, [aint jobs, interior, etc.
My advice is to just get the airplane as cleaned up and detailed a s possible, and in good repair.
Then put it up on the block-- Barnstormers, T-A-P, Craigslist, or wherever-- and see what happens.