http://telstarlogistics.typepad.com/...-want-to-.html
Have you ever dreamed of purchasing your very own Boeing 747?
If so, now is the time to talk with your finance people and get all your ducks in a row. During the next two to five years, the price of used Boeing 747s may fall to historic lows as the global supply of dead 747s climbs to unprecedented highs. The in-service arrival of next-generation widebody aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747-8 means that several hundred of today's oldest 747s -- mostly 747-200 models built during the 1970s that are currently used as air freighters -- will soon be headed out to pasture.
Aviation Week outlines the market forces behind the coming surge in used 747 inventories:
Mass retirement is looming for the world's fleet of aging freighters, especially Boeing 747-200s. Boeing says that 40% of the 320 747 freighters in service are at least 25 years old but keep flying because strong demand for new passenger jets and delays in delivery of Airbus A380s have suppressed the supply of replacement airplanes. James Edgar, a cargo specialist with Boeing, says the old 747s "will be retired in droves" in the next few years as airframe production catches up with global traffic demand and passenger transports such as 747-400s are released for conversion to freighters.
Inevitably, a few of these vintage 747-200s will continue to fly, and some may be converted into technology testbeds or supersized VIP private jets. (Heads-up Larry and Sergey!) Most, however, will be ferried out to the desert, broken up, and salvaged for scrap.
How much will a used 747 cost you? If you're in the market for an entire aircraft, expect to pay around $100,000 for a complete hull that has been stripped of reusable components such as engines, landing gear, and cockpit avionics. Your hollowed-out but otherwise-intact 747 will probably look something like this: