Omegaforumisti

(just came up with that one... am I infringing any TM's? )

Someone please help me understand why dealers don't put prices on instagram... they put up stuff FS all the time, but you have to DM them to have the utmost priviledge to know how much they would sell it for. Half the posts are "ma que bellissima", whereas the other half is "price?".

Makes no sense to me. They are looking to sell. Why not state the price upfront, instead of having to handle 54's DM's that say "Hello, can you tell me the price of itemXYZ please? thanks!" (or, more likely in IG world "price? thx" ... and possibly not even the "thx" bit... anyway), or, worse, put off people who would be possibly customers...

Can someone who's a seasoned IG dealer please enlighten me? What am I missing?

Cheers,

Paul

 

I don't get this either. I follow a bunch of mid century modern dealers who do the same thing. It's like they are embarrassed or think its a trade secret.

 

Dealers who do this drive me up a tree. They do it based on two beliefs: (1) If they showed the (inflated) price they wanted, no one would be interested. (2) They think they are such super salesmen that if they can engage someone in a conversation, they can sell they watch.

I don't follow dealers who do this.

 

How can you tailor your asking price to each potential buyer if you state an asking price in the post? If you have to DM me, I can check out your profile and possibly assess if you can pay more $$$ based on what I see there

 

I guess none of you have been in sales before and do understand the sales process. Dialog with a customer is always good and you can address concerns and point out additional details that might not be apparent in the pictures. If you think the price is high as a customer, point out your reasons and the seller might be convinced to lower the price. The seller might also like to establish a relationship to a potential buyer so he can promote other watches that he procures in the future.

 

Yes you’re right it’s that I don’t understand “the sales process”.

Why can’t the process start with the price posted ?

 

I tend to agree with this.

Not to mention « if asking for the price » is such a pain in the neck for you, then you probably do or want to own that particular object enough.

How about a boutique that doesn’t show prices in their window, do you also run away or do you enter and have a chat?

 

Given how much money I have spent on watches these last 5+ years. I am better off if I run away.

Actually I have been visiting the OBs when I travel but it is not the same as when I enter my local OB in San Diego, as I have developed relationships with those staff. At this point when I go to the OB when I travel I ask if they have the Snoopy for sale and why they have a large poster of Justin Beiber on the outside window (or where ever it is located). I may not be as funny as I think I am....

 

There was a Q&A that one of the big dealers did a while back and someone asked this question and they gave some BS answer about being scammed if they put up the price on their website. Totally didn't answer why they couldn't list price on IG, but if you search for it here, there was another discussion on this recently.

It's probably a combination of snob appeal, tailoring price, and getting people to put their foot in the door (once I reach out with the slightest bit of interest they can follow up with me... the negotiations have already started).

I think it's annoying, but it's one of things that is much more annoying only because OF makes you list a price and it can never be removed.

 

The sales process is not Quantum physics. I want to know a price so that neither of us are wasting time, mine more so than yours, you the seller. If your price is ballpark correct I am interested in talking and engaging in a dialog. If you are asking silly money I don't want to hear any of your nonsense and I don't want to waste my time wondering if you are going to fill me with nonsense. I want straight talking, honest and realistic without a side order of bullshit.

 

I've done it on Instagram before but for a reason different than any other that I've seen - sometimes, particularly in a community as small as this one hobby (on the forums as well as IG), the ultimate buyer prefers that the price paid is not public knowledge. I know I prefer situations like that personally.

 

Big pet peeve of mine. I'm the same way with used car shopping, If I'm driving through the lot and the price isn't clearly posted and I have to talk to sales I'm not bothering with you. If you can't post the price, I'm not spending the money.

You would think these sales people would realize that by doing this you are going to lose a significant percentage of potential sales.

 

There are several reasons imo.

1. They don't list the price as they know most people would not be interested. They need to engage in conversation to try and justify their high price.

2. So they can inflate the price further to a seemingly wealthy customer.

3. So they can inflate the price if the market suddenly shifts.

All are complete bollocks and I don't bother asking anymore.

I must've pm'd about 20 various people who listed a watch as poa or pm for price. Every time the price was significantly above market (usually ridiculously so), and was often revealed with an elongated sales pitch trying to justify said price.

 

Same reason most prices on websites are POA. If dealers always state the price publicly it will make buying watches more difficult. People see the price and expect to get paid the same level when they sell to the dealer even though the dealer need to make profit.

 

In about five minutes of searching online you can find out the price of almost every watch on planet earth. I really don’t think this is a concern and if it is, it’s stupid

 

Tell that to people that sell to dealers. It is also a thorn in the side to people when they see the dealers add 30-40-50% on-top once the watch is listed.

Overall it is a simple way to not have to discuss their prices in public. Dealers sell for profit. It is their profession and in order to survive (become rich) they need to have hefty margins.

 

Don't sell your watch to dealers then.

 

Or stop complaining that you can’t see the price.

Depending on watch and situation dealers can be useful. Either when you have super expensive pieces or if you have few or none connections in the market. When it comes to rare and niche pieces dealers can often fetch a much higher price than the average collector. They are easy to sell to and you do not have to worry the same as when you sell to someone you don’t know. That can sometimes be worth the cost of doing business with them.

 

We can speculate on why sellers don’t disclose prices & there are probably several schools of thought that might apply, depending on the individual.

The catch-all reason is simple...

The dealer believes it will give him or her an advantage.

A secondary catch-all, though I admit one that is less plausible...

To troll OF members & generate rant threads such as this one.