Is it just me or are there some utterly ridiculous asking prices sprinkled into the sales forum recently?

I’m not going to point out any in particular but I can’t remember a time when this forum had absolute jokers in this sort of volume asking for prices 3 times what a pretty ordinary piece is worth.

 

You are not alone.

I notice that watches that are priced sensibly usually sell very quickly, and don't need the continual bump, bump, bump, bump, bump................

In fact, they often get grabbed before I've had a chance to even see them! GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

 

One thing that strikes me as odd is how can anyone put a price to anything when they claim no knowledge about the article being offered?

 

Ludicrous asking prices for average specimens with very poor photos and then continual bumps and slow price decreases for months to come.

I have noticed it too

 

This made me laugh out loud. I thought the same thought when reading an ad in the last week which said pretty much precisely that.

I am paraphrasing but it was along the lines of

"I know nothing about this watch but would like $$$$'s for it"

 

I did want to post
“ can you PM me when it’s half the price “
In a FS listing a few weeks ago

On Bumping

Don’t think they realise if you bump something that much your on the second page with only a few $$s lowered your watch isn’t getting looked at.
And if it is getting looked at someone’s thinking why is this still here and why has no one bought it, what’s wrong with it.

We older members call it the....
The bump into oblivion
Once it’s left the first page

 

There are some peculiar listings at the moment, true.

A "large timepiece" looking good on even large wrists - a massive 34mm case.
A "mint" watch at an extreme premium price - with all sorts of scars on the case and aging on the dial.

Then again we have something like this; a beautiful, serviced watch that someone looking for a Seamaster DeVille or similar should seriously go for instead, saving a lot of money in the process.

All a part of the ups and downs of the sales forum

 

and then, there are the obtuse likes that follow some of these..

 

Personally I see no issue on talking openly about FS posts that raise an eyebrow, I don't think there is a rule against it. Just as long as it is factual and respectful and the actual sales post is kept unsullied. Dealers have to eat, so I am taking specifically about Private Sales here.

For instance (just examples not real watches) "That 2846 posted by XXXX is nice but the price is a tad optimistic" seems OK to me, as does "XXXX says that their Connie dial is all original, are we sure, lets discuss?" but I think if it descends into petty squabbling then it is not good. I can see negatives with this approach though, rubbishing a sales post because you want to beat the price down, or you are selling something similar and want to make the competition look bad are not things we should encourage of course.

Walter Mitty traders who post their average wares or Car Boot Sale finds at double or triple their true open market value in the hope of snaring a noob or lazy punter with deep pockets and are happy to clog up the Sales subform for months should IMO have a spotlight shone on them in the interests of the good of the wider collecting community.

Would a mod care to comment on whether I am correct in what I say above, or would a comment on a FS post (not on the actual sales post) be considered a no-no, regardless of where it was posted?

 

I’m pretty new to the forum and watches. I’ve learned a ton here and generally appreciate the tone. You often read about “keeping a watch in the OF family” and such. And I know that many members have become good friends over the years.
Then sometimes I’ll see a FS posting, and it’s hard for me to understand the value & condition without research, but other members seem to pump with “beautiful example” or “won’t last long”. It makes me wonder if the comments are always genuine.

 

Always been, you can talk about any FS listing In the Open Discussion forum.
Happens regularly.
Just no comments in the FS forum or FS listing.

Some members like myself might say “ beautiful example” or “won’t last long” because it is.... That’s it nothing more.

Same as likes And comments in WRUW
Members may already have one in better condition that was several hundred dollars more.
Members may not have the money due to focus somewhere else.


Special note.
( I always look at which member does do the above. Believe me if @LouS does it to a Zenith I’m looking reaching for my wallet )

 

I know exactly which listing you're talking about. The price is also at least 4X more than one would expect. I guess numbers are that seller's strong point. However if I knew little about a watch and didn't care to research it then I would simply blow it out cheap

 

But it reminds him of something worth 4x

 

So I guess it would in that case be OK for us to open discuss it. We are all pussyfooting around a little because no one wants to transgress or act in an ungentlemanly fashion but if we agree it is Ok to talk about price, when its seem particularly egregious, maybe we should do so?

 

We are aren’t we...

 

I tried to sell a gold-plated Geneve for $400 and couldn't give it away....

 

Well I for one don't know which are the listings being namechecked obliquely above. My point was if it is OK to do so, we can be specific.

 

.040 case model from the late 60s early 70s? Those are a bitch to get a high price on, they just don't seem to be in vogue. At some point collectors will get interested. Plated can be tricky too.

 

Yeah, I actually like the case style. Not a fan of stick hands but my watchmaker won't change them. He's kind of a stickler (no pun intended).

 

C'mon folks...

quit



around and push the trigger (please).