I agree with kruzer in most everything you said. However, trade in's are usually for convenience, and most of the time they will lowball you and not give you what you want for the watch you want to trade. I got lucky because i'm friends with the manager of the AD i buy from and he gave me exactly what I paid for the colt II towards the skyland. Again, price's for all high end brands will be increasing effective may 1st, and it will be a 10-15% increase so if anyone is interested in buying a gen now is the time. The 2nd hand market is a great place to buy if you want to save a alot, but keep in mind you dont get the warranty and sometimes they scratch off the serial # - this makes it's resale value not so great down the road. The AD i buy from usually gives me 30% off and that most of the time ends up being a much better price than the 2nd hand, and it comes with the warranty and all. If you can get a 25-30% discount from an AD, it doesn't make sense to buy on the 2nd hand IMO
@phaedo : i had my colt II auto for about 30 days before i traded it in, and my friend gave me exactly what i paid for the colt II towards the skyland. given the colt II was in pristine condition and virtually new