My model 4 is my ninth plane, and all of the other 8 had the same thing in common, I didn't pay much for them. And my model 4 is no exception, paid $5,000 for a new un-started kit, with rotax firewall forward (no engine) from a widow I tracked down and held a pile of $100 bills in front of her, with a trailer attached to my truck. She took it. I sold the firewall forward kit for $2700. Yes, you do the the math on that one, total cost $2,300, and it came with the factor jigged wings. Older planes, forgotten planes, superseded models can all be had for cheap, if you do some digging, and more digging. Place a wanted ad, join a club and get the word out, you need a good cheap plane project. The less money in your plane, the more likely you are to keep it in the air, having not gone broke buying factory new. The newer plane kits?....probably going to pay way way more than older. But are they way WAY better? Probably not.
Hope this helps
Roger