Making money buying and selling watches?

[D1on]

Does anyone on here do this? I imagine it could be a good interest whilst earning some spare cash.
How did you start and do you have a certain niche?...

[Super Sonic]

D1on said:

Does anyone on here do this? I imagine it could be a good interest whilst earning some spare cash.
How did you start and do you have a certain niche?...

Have a look at the 'rolex bubble' thread

[Love Labradors]

forget it unless you have contacts at AD's who will sell you in demand models out of the back door

if you try and buy privately you could very well get caught out with the so called 'super fakes'

easier ways to earn risk free money

[AmosMoses]

I've dabbled here an there, mostly with mid range Seiko's. Buy a slightly ratty one, restore it and sell back on eBay. Made a fair bit of cash doing that, but nowadays everyone is doing it and its hard to stand out.

[Jamescrs]

I think you are probably too late to the party so to speak.

Lots of people are doing it but unless you have the contacts somehow you don't have a great chance.

There's better things to get into buying and selling

[Freshprince]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EVuvymfjtAU

[JEA1K]

Jamescrs said:

I think you are probably too late to the party so to speak.

Lots of people are doing it but unless you have the contacts somehow you don't have a great chance.

There's better things to get into buying and selling

With the current frenzy, there are hundreds of grey dealers and personal flippers who've sprung up, especially following the BBL scheme. Then there's all the cash floating around from self employed handouts (while many were getting cash in hand) and then those who've not been spending as much money on holidays, meals, clothes and their choice of narcotics, this list goes on.

All in all, you have to be in the right place at the right time (which won't happen continuously) or, as others have suggested, have an established relationship with a AD of a popular watch brand. There's no point buying something which isn't desirable if you want to make money and you're firmly at the back of the queue if you want something that is.

I've tried to buy watches that have been bought paid for and collected in an hour of being advertised and I'm just a regular buyer. Dealers will be motivated and highly mobile, ready to travel the length and breadth of the UK to stock up and flip to make their margin. So thats what you're up against.

[sneijder]

“Just like you I was getting tired of paying inflated prices to mainstream manufacturers to cover cost of marketing, salesmen and high street boutiques. I want straight to the source to a wise old hobbit in Switzerland etc etc vegan etc carbon neutral etc timeless design etc”

https://www.made-in-china.com/products-search/hot-...

[gregs656]

I used to trade in all kinds of things and avoided watches because even at the time it was a crowded space, it must be on a totally different level now.

[nikaiyo2]

It’s an odd market.

Where would you get stock to sell?

The specialist auctions seem to sell popular watches at almost retail. Speedys, subs, GMTs nice vintage stuff seems to sell at almost dealer prices.

The local auctions are all online now so very little slips under the radar, sometimes obscure brands are sold for well under what a specialist auctions would realise.

There are a LOT of very very good fakes about.

Small gold and vintage seem to sell relatively cheaply, but that’s because they are deeply unpopular right now, a 70s gold AP for £2.5k seems great value compared to modern stuff, less so if it takes 18 months to sell.

[hungry_hog]

I'm not sure it's viable.

The dealers have their market because they offer warranty and some comeback and a premises where people can try the watches on.

You can set up a small business and sell on (say) Chrono 24 but where do you source the stock? I guess you have to buy from individuals (huge risk of fakes / scams) or auction (competing against the hundreds of dealers out there).