AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association), as well as other aviation focused organizations, holds a yearly sweepstakes for an airplane that they have restored. They'll buy a 30 year old plane and overhaul the airframe, engine, interior, exterior, and avionics running articles in their magazine featuring all the companies doing the restoration work. The had an article a few years back where they went to through the FAA registry and tracked down the current owners of the aircraft they had given away. I couldn't find the article with a quick google search, but as I remember, 50% of the aircraft would get sold within 6 months. The primary reason was to pay for the taxes. The winners still come out way ahead on the deal (sold at market price and just had to pay the taxes on the value of the plane) and frequently would use the profits from the sale to buy a "more affordable" airplane.
