How much are you willing to lose flipping watches?

[Addictionist]

1

Nobody likes to lose. But losing is quite inevitable for most watches that you will own. Still, is there a limit untill you will just keep it? Old watches which are purchased correctly can be very good investments, they say...

Whats your limit? 50%? 60% Mine is like 20%!

[Brawler]

0

Well, purchases aren't necessarily based around what you actually want, but what you're able to find which can be purchased for less than it's worth. It takes a lot of patience and searching in non-retail markets for the right item. It's definitely not foolproof as I have lost money on 3 different watches over the years, but overall I'm in the green and have had the privilege of enjoying some really nice old watches.

[Believa]

0

Sometimes losing a lot is better than having a watch sat there that you don't wear...

[Watchidis]

0

I never buy a watch with an exit strategy in mnd; I buy it because it appeals to me at that time. If I fall out of love with it, I may try to sell but more often than not, I don't get off my lazy butt to do a proper job of trying to sell it.

So the short answer is 100%

[LordlyLuke]

0

Hey guys, I haven’t sold any watches. But I have a problem...I’m under the impression I’m going to make money on this adventure. There’s a reason for that, I bought a SARB017 and SARB033 just a couple weeks prior to them being discontinued. Prices popped $100 apiece. But I know this is not the true nature of watch collecting. 

Same thing happened with a Porsche I bought five years ago...I made $17k selling it one year later (minus service costs of ~$4k). 

So, I have this ridiculous expectation I’ll enjoy these watches AND make money. I realize this is irrational. But at least I’ll enjoy them first. 

PS That Porsche was a 964 Turbo, it sold for $50k more a couple years later. Ouch. 

[Naysayer]

1

I am willing to lose the full price, you kind of have to be. Once it's bought its yours, money's gone. Now if you tend to dabble in the safe world and buy watches the forums love then you should do ok but this is boring and limits your growth. There are some great brands out there and you will miss opportunities if you think of resale and loss but the truth is you will probable have a more personal collection if you figure out what you like.

I dont think about resale anymore because this hinders you from buying what you truely love, whether it is an off the beaten path brand, color, shape, design. I have gone through most of the phases of watch buying and now I play it selfishly.

[Fletcher]

1

Nothing to lose! Meaning I love vintage and when selling I never lose out! Just great.

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Yeah....

   

[Chronoscope]

0

In the affordable realm I don't mind flipping at a 20-40% loss (since it's usually $100 or less of losses). After doing the mental math - I'm probably down $500 or so over the course of my watch collecting career, which isn't too bad.

When it comes to entry level luxury watches, I'm far less willing to buy and sell - the potential losses scare me away...

[GroovyGrover]

0

Its not just a percentage, its also dollar amount.  

$80 at 40% may be ok, $4,000 at 40% may not. But what can you do? You are at the mercy of the market, as was said above.

[GoTuna]

0

I've been tracking my watch sales and purchases since December of 2011, and during that time, I've flipped about $21K worth of watches, primarily affordables, and I made a net profit of $60 over those transactions.

My most substantial loss both absolutely and in percentage terms was a Seiko 8F32 perpetual calendar which had a chip in its sapphire crystal, which I sold for 18% of my purchase price. I was okay with that as I got a lot of wear out of that watch, and I no longer wanted it because of the chip in the crystal. In retrospect, I could probably have realized a greater return if I had replaced the crystal before selling it, but I wasn't so handy with tools at the time.

[McCandles]

1

I will quote myself verbatim on this... As long as you don't bump all the time, it is allright with me... No bodyslams either.

   

[Watchfreek]

1

Yeah, and then this happens. Buy it already!

   

[DialDude]

0

I am no flipping' collector I'm a hoarder! Where will I put them? Agony...

[Jefe]

0

I will lose my shirt for the right watch lol... Some are hard to find is all. So I am good mean while.

[Rehaut]

0

It is so straight forward to me - cars, consumer goods, entertainment, etc. . . . money pits! Why are watches supposedly a different animal?

[Mr.Joe]

0

Flippin'? As a collector you pass on the watch, fully serviced and even more beautiful than before... It is a mission.

[SeikoSucker]

0

I agree with most points of view, does that make me a serial flipper? Seriously, just share some joy when selling your watch... nicely serviced, in good condition..

[Americandad]

0

Usually, I do not flip if I get my money back ( get it?). Everybody happy...

[SeikoPsycho]

0

I lose about 99% playing the lottery

[Woody]

0

interesting thread.

i treat it like going to vegas - i lose money when i gamble, and i know a lot of other people do too, but i rarely hear others talk about losing money there, they just mumble 'i had a good time'. but if they win big...oh boy. still, somebody paid for all those shiny casinos...same on watch threads, there are some that rarely lose money on transactions, but they are not in the majority, and they are vocal. i'd imagine that the majority of watch sellers lose something on flipping. and the ones that lose big usually aren't too keen on announcing their losses on watch boards.

...i look at flipping as a losing proposition from the standpoint that most informed people are not going to pay more for a 'used' watch than a new one that is readily available. beyond that, the laws of supply and demand take over. on the front end, it's a sunk cost. emotionally i may not accept that, but on the back end, supply/demand always comes back to remind me who's boss, regardless of my feelings at the moment of sale.

i am also willing to look at flipping 'losses' as part of the cost of the hobby. i got to enjoy a watch on the wrist for a while. there's a cost to that. i also make mistakes in purchase decisions (surprise!), and a 'loss' is part of the price of education (hey, don't do that again!). i also come from the affordables side of the watch world where it is not always possible to walk into an ad or retailer to try on a watch first - sometimes buying on 'spec' or pre-order. there is risk inherent in that approach. so be it.

in short, i'm willing (not happy, willing) to take 'losses' on the back end...supply and demand at the time of sale will determine how much.