Where have all the Bargains gone?

[yt74]

Is it me or have the good deals in our trade forum disappeared? I have bought several of my reps over the years from fellow members in the trade section, but I can't tell you the last time I was tempted. It seems to me like 90% of the reps I see in there are hardly even discounted. I understand when you see modded MBW's and the like. But -$20 under dealer list for a used fake watch does not appeal to me. Am I alone in this?

[wheaton26]

i hear what you're saying but i think it's because dealers charge $35.00 for shipping. so $20.00 below retail is really $55.00 below retail. all the best.

[bosk]

I totally agree. Unless the sellers are expecting offers. I've seen several that were above some of the lowest dealer's prices.

[narikaa]

Strange but there exist huge cultural differences to perceived value for 2nd hand consumer goods.

Rule of thumb where I hail from is instantly 50% of retail. Other countries see it at just a little under retail.

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[cornerstone]

I've said it before, but I do find it odd when someone pays a premium for a higher level of customer service, fast reply to emails and so on (and that's their prerogative), but then expects the second hand buyer to pay for that even though they're not going to get the service. i.e. they take $20 off Josh's price, when it's less expensive than that brand new and shipped from Paul or Silix or whatever. But still, the price is what folk are prepared to pay I guess.

[fitmic]

I had a 4 watch sale a few weeks ago, and sold all my watches more than 50% off.

Some of us are good guys!

[Jetsons]

Strange but there exist huge cultural differences to perceived value for 2nd hand consumer goods.

Rule of thumb where I hail from is instantly 50% of retail. Other countries see it at just a little under retail.

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Reg, @ 50% off you should be loading up on gens such as Rlx. Patek, JLC, Vacheron and the likes.

As to the original post, I agree that deals are not as common as they once were. On the other hand, customs is more of an issue now than before, shipping costs have soared and the methods of payment have changed for the worse. The latter two can add considerable cost to the advertised prices & pmt can sometimes be a PIA. This is nothing compared to the price escalation of gens (new or used) in the past 2-3 years which is downright amazing.

[cornerstone]

Some of the bargains are also sold in a flash and the thread becomes a 'please delete' before you've had a chance to sip your coffee

[Watchmeister]

I agree that bargains are rarer. I use the second hand market to buy some watches because there are QC issues on the originals. I will pay closer to initial cost and take a ding or two to get one which has been functioning correctly on someone else's wrist. It is true that more and more people are trying to get as much as they can. After all you know that next purchase is only going to be more expensive.

The modded prices astound me though. It is clear that folks will often pay more than what you have into a watch to get it already done. I have been offered $1,000 + for more than one watch on an unsolicited basis. Someday when I find that must have gen and don't have the money I will give in. But for now I am very happy.

[hank7502]

I agree that bargains are rarer. I use the second hand market to buy some watches because there are QC issues on the originals. I will pay closer to initial cost and take a ding or two to get one which has been functioning correctly on someone else's wrist. It is true that more and more people are trying to get as much as they can. After all you know that next purchase is only going to be more expensive.

The modded prices astound me though. It is clear that folks will often pay more than what you have into a watch to get it already done. I have been offered $1,000 + for more than one watch on an unsolicited basis. Someday when I find that must have gen and don't have the money I will give in. But for now I am very happy.

A lot of members, like me, enjoy a 2 day delivery when I buy from someone in the states.

[archibald]

A lot of members, like me, enjoy a 2 day delivery when I buy from someone in the states.

I think that's the biggest factor. After all, we're addicts and we need our fix now. As long as they're honestly disclosing every ding dent and hairline, I don't blame sellers for getting every dime they can--that's the way selling works, after all--but I refuse to pay for "serviced" movements, which I usually assume is just a way to make watches look like bargains, unless I contact the person who serviced the movement and they say "Yeah, I did it."

I can see paying a premium for modded watches--I don't see why mods have to be discounted along w/ the watch. If I buy an unmodded watch at a discount, I still have to pay full price to get it modded. So I'm willing to pay full price for a mod and even a little extra since I don't have to pay for shipping to a modder, wait a couple of months, and (since modders are human) worry that my watch is not going to turn out as well as the one being offered.

That being siad, there are plenty of bargains--you just have to compete with the people that hit the trading section 29 times a day and snap them up as soon as they're listed. My strategy is to choose in advance two or three watches I'd buy immediately, take a couple minutes break several times a day to do a quick search for those watches and ignore everything else--Sure, I've passed on a lot of very sweet deals, but I preserve my watch budge fir what I want most and usually get a bargain on whatever watch I'm looking for within a few weeks.

[randstad]

Sorry Guys but I have to have a go at this one

I'm not trolling but "Where Have all the Bargains gone" and "Good Deals" well a bargain generally stands for "I managed to steal this from the guy who did'nt know what it was worth" and good deal is a very one sided argument and the "good deal" is generally from the buyers perspective....

I dont know about you guys but a good deal should be where both parties feel they have come out of the transaction feeling happy and that there was no money left on the table so to speak..

I personally have a watch up for sale and I tried my luck at about 30 GPB off retail without postage and packing and then have dropped recently to a price which has created more interest... Now It's a no-brainer surely to try and get as much for your piece as possible not give the bl**dy thing away. I'm sorry my life does not revolve around giving other people the deal of the century cos the thing is secondhand.... Secondhand does not equal inferior goods try using a term I Used when selling cars "Previously Loved" .

In my experience everyone has 3 ideas on pricing

1. What they would Like

2. What they will accept

3. What they end up taking after a chat and a cup of coffee

I can understand some people who just want to pick up cheaply a beaten up well used piece and give it a bit of TLC to get it back to tip top condition quite right and proper someone has had a great deal of use out of it previously and the price should be adjusted accordingly.

What I take umbrage at are the individuals who expect to pay bottom dollar for a immaculate piece which has hardly seen any wrist time... I think we all know that a large percentage of us are very careful with our pieces and that the majority of watches for sale are in almost as new condition.

Sorry YT74 I just dont see your point this is'nt a charity shop and I think I'd rather keep my watches than give them away...

[Usil]

I have gotten some good deals from members and yes, they do move very quickly so you have to be fast. As for price, any sale is a good deal when the customer and the seller are happy.

There is a car dealer I used to hear on the radio that I thought was humerous. He would extoll the virutes of his cars and always end by saying - '...and I ain't married to none of them'. A good philosophy when we get rid of things - get the best price we can for them and move on.

Usil

[fotoman]

havng sold dozens of reps i can say the "good deal" pricing means it will sell in less than 1 hour. competition is way up over the old days. probably because of the high prices.

and there are atron market forces. sometims i list to high i will drop it then no action. drop it again all of a sudden i have 3 pm's

i think the market is working very effeciently and hence you dont see many good deals. that is the downside to a good working economy.

like ebay. there are goo deals but there used to be more. way more

[Jumbie]

I don't think the prices asked are horrible. I wasn't around in the old days to know what the "going rate" was but it doesn't matter to me if the watch is second hand if it was [supposedly] worn only a few times. If it's still in good condition, I see no reason that it should be sold at 50% off. In any case, like with people who spend $500+ on "super reps", that's what the market will bear so there's no reason for the price to be lowered. I guess people post a higher price and only if it doesn't sell they will consider lowering it to move the product.

Also, I do factor in shipping (as on eBay - ooh, great deal. Wait, shipping is $90. Hell no!) and lack of customs issues when looking at a used watch.

As I said earlier regarding watches supposedly only worn a few times, I admit that I am very skeptical when I see something that the buyer said was bought 6 months ago and only worn 5 times. Especially when those are sometimes heavily modded e.g. a Davidsen PAM. Like there was a guy on RWI selling an UPO that was relumed with gen hands and a gen rubber strap that was "only worn a half dozen times".

Nothing against this guy. He has good feedback, is a member in good standing, etc. and IS NOT a scammer as far as I am concerned. I'd buy from him with no hesitation. Maybe the watch is a recent purchase and he needs the money for something else (as he did state in his sale) but things like that give me pause. Why go through all that trouble and extra expense for something and then only wear it 6 times?

[crystalcranium]

When I sell a used watch, I usually sell it at 80% because the next owner is getting a watch with very light use, few if any cosmetic problems, and usually regulated.

[offshore]

supposedly only worn a few times,

I have a couple only worn once....put them on.... and took them off 6 months later

[KB]

I think the good deals are still there but one needs to move quickly to nab them, I know I have a few watches bought second hand back in the old days and back then you often had time to think it over for a day or two before you pulled the trigger, due to the large membership base we enjoy today those days are well and truly gone..........it's the quick or the dead folks.

Ken

[Victoria]

Is it me or have the good deals in our trade forum disappeared? I have bought several of my reps over the years from fellow members in the trade section, but I can't tell you the last time I was tempted. It seems to me like 90% of the reps I see in there are hardly even discounted. I understand when you see modded MBW's and the like. But -$20 under dealer list for a used fake watch does not appeal to me. Am I alone in this?

Many reasons, I hazard:

1) As time goes by, the reps get more authentic, have more attention paid to them, and thus the original owners feel they are worth more.

2) Sentimental attachment. The longer you wait, the more return you want for a long-worn piece.

3) Narikaa mentioned that a cultural angle. I second that idea.

4) As others said, they are super-modded and thus the discounts are not as steep, since they've been "improved" beyond anything available even from Josh and Andrew.

5) The housing bubble has burst. Maybe the rep watch bubble has too?

[Raijor]

I see the trade section as the free market at work. It is a case of supply and demand and prices a result of such. I have purchased and sold on the trade forum and have both given and gotten good deals. I do not expect good deals but look for them and act when I find the watch I want at the right price. Acting fast is the only way to get that great deal. I will not pay a premimum for a used watch unless there is some value added to it. If I am going to pay a premium I'll buy new watch from a seller who does not drop ship and does not charge extra for shipping. A little research and that seller can be found. Cheers

[Febus]

It all depends on the watch surely.

I sold two recently- a now discontinued and not often found TW best Seadweller in very good condition for

[Pugwash]

Where I think people are 'extracting the urine' is when they have a 'rare' replica watch and want more than they paid for it in the first place.

If a replica isn't available new and you want it, you should expect to pay over retail, I'm afraid. Like my Speedmaster, I'd never sell that for retail as if I ever wanted a replacement, I would be fighting with other people for one, and supply and demand will always effect prices.

If you don't like prices, don't pay them. However, if someone is selling second-hand for more than it costs new on an in-stock and readily available watch, that's scamming, unless they're adding value in some other way.

[piratedzeus]

Adding value can already be the watch being in EU.

[Febus]

If a replica isn't available new and you want it, you should expect to pay over retail, I'm afraid. Like my Speedmaster, I'd never sell that for retail as if I ever wanted a replacement, I would be fighting with other people for one, and supply and demand will always effect prices.

If you don't like prices, don't pay them. However, if someone is selling second-hand for more than it costs new on an in-stock and readily available watch, that's scamming, unless they're adding value in some other way.

I guess I agree broadly with what your saying, particularly that the market will always set it's own price. I guess we are all mostly living in capitalist regimes. However for my own part I don't think my conscience would allow me to charge more.

[Pugwash]

I guess we are all mostly living in capitalist regimes. However for my own part I don't think my conscience would allow me to charge more.

We're hardly in a regime here.