I have been collecting watches for a couple decades. I never sold a watch but traded many watches with friends and dealers. I am thinking of getting rid of the watches that I have multiple examples of. I am not getting rid of my high end watches but the lower end to mid grade stuff. I will use the funds to upgrade my collection. My plan is putting them on Ebay and hope for the best. Very low reserve and let the market dictate the selling price. Every time I think about selling them I think what the hell why bother So the watches go back into the collection and are never worn. The watchmaker I deal with tells me to service the watches prior going on Ebay which would be an added cost to me. He feels they will bring more $$ The watches run fine but the service history is unknown. Any thoughts or advice?
Sell them and buy a handful of watches you really want/ like and will wear. As far as eBay goes, do you have much in the way of reviews? You might have a hurdle on the more valuable pieces if you are a seller with no/ almost no feedback. As far as figuring potential values, you can always search eBay for completed auctions.
Plenty of feedback as a buyer none as seller as a buyer things watch parts, straps and other small items. VBG I just purchased a main spring for a cal 260 these are the small type items I purchased.
I think if the watches are running well and you intend to go low reserve auction, skip the cost of servicing. It is a guaranteed additional overhead that may or may not see a return on investment. Put that information into the description of the individual pieces. In past discussions on these forums, preferences seem split from members on paying more or not for recent service.
If I were the buyer, I'd want my own watchmaker to service it because I don't trust any listing saying "just serviced". I know I can trust the quality of the work from my watchmaker.
I agree, too many times I've had watches that even though they say serviced I have had to take for service myself once they are in my possession. Doesn't add any value for me
+1 on no service. Personally, I like to put watches on ebay as BIN OBO so you can let potential buyers make offers. This format allows for the watch to be on the market for a longer period of time so more buyers can see it. Research past sales, and always figure in ebay costs. Good luck!
Agree with others, don't both servicing. Especially with that many. Would cost a bit to service them all and that would be cumbersome.
When I get some time I will I need to get my camera out the bad smart phone pix's do not cut it I am not interested in flipping them here I figure I will take my chances on ebay This is NOT a sales ploy I am just a guy with too much junk
How I wound up with this stuff I know I couple resellers. When they want to part out stuff they may have a bag of 5 or 6 divers some good some bad. The deal is take all or nothing Hence my junk pile I had to rob peter to pay paul In the end it worked out fine for me. I was able to make some great examples for myself. Since my keeper stuff is squared away the parts locker is time to go.
One Sunday at a watch collectors meeting I picked up a few hundred vintage nos Hamilton straps all sizes and colors Damn I gave most of them away to friends. If I did not have a Hamilton watch in that strap size I gave them away to friends that did
I should have used the word surplus instead of junk. On the Sunday morning brunches I would attend. Retired watchmakers, jewelers, resellers collectors would attend the brunch and the wheeling and dealing would start . Some guys would walk into the brunch wit a box full of 300 or more watches. Any say any watch in that box XX bucks each. That is how I wound up with a lot of watches. Those lots were picked by the reseller prior to the brunch. Damn I seen some fantastic finds in those boxes. But those were watches that were cherry picked prior to me getting into the boxes. Some of the rarest high end watches were cherry picked. I never had any dibs on those but I was able to purchase them at bargain prices. The guys that had that stuff knew what they were worth and I could get them for fifty percent off or less of the real value. They just wanted a quick cash flip.. Those days are gone but it was fun while it lasted. My wife did not mind me going and spending some money. Every now and then a jeweler would have a great pair of earing's or some other high end bobbles. That I would purchase for my wife she always looked forward to me coming home especially if I found an item I knew she would like Around Christmas time my wife was bugging me she wanted a pair of 18k earrings. She ran me around every nearby jeweler looking for her earrings. One Sunday morning I attended the brunch. One jeweler said to me I can't take my eyes off the curvex you are wearing. That curvex was a beauty 18k with a 18k period bracelet. That watch was nos when I picked it up and still looked as new. I asked him what do you have in mind he showed me what he brought to the brunch. He had a pair of huge 18k earrings with diamonds and rubies. Those earrings were gorgeous. He said give me that curvex and you can take the earrings. Well I traded, the earrings were worth a hell of a lot move than that curvex. The stones alone were worth more than that watch Best move I ever made momma was very happy with those earrings. The jeweler even sold me the matching broach for next to nothing. One has to take care of the better half. I miss that curvex but to see the joy my wife has from those bobbles was well worth it.
Guys, this thread started innocently with the OP asking for advice. It had deteriorated into a feeding frenzy sales thread. This has necessitated the thread to be heavily purged of evil thoughts and envious greed Knock it off before the whole thread is deleted.