Albania Is Auctioning Off Soviet-Era Fighter Jets Starting at $9,000

MiG-21, some wear-and-tear, original paint, never used in combat.

It’s tough to find a good deal on a fighter jet these days. But if you’re willing to put a little time and money into a restoration project, the formerly communist republic of Albania has a deal for you.

In an effort to modernize its decidedly not-modern military, Albania is preparing to auction off a few dozen early Cold War, vintage fighter jets—most of which date back to the late 1940s or 1950s—at prices starting at just around $8,600.

A rush of interest surrounding the auction has already pushed Albanian authorities to push back the event once as well as to consider raising the starting bids for the 40 aircraft up for grabs. It turns out museums and collectors of Cold War and aviation memorabilia from across Europe and the United States have expressed overwhelming interest in the ancient fleet of fighter jets in particular—some of which Albania kept flying up until 2005.

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