Top 5 hunting tips to help you score your next bargain
Buffy AcaciaIt’s true that some watch finds are so incredibly lucky that you’d consider them once-in-a-lifetime. For me it was the solid gold Universal Genève that I bought for A$6.99, did a DIY restoration on, and then sold to fix my car. However, if you’re not putting yourself in the right places at the right time, then you’ll never be there when luck presents an opportunity. With that in mind, here are my top five tips for bargain hunting.
eBay sorting by “time: ending soonest”
Admittedly, eBay can be a minefield. For every honest listing of a used item, there are ten more dropshippers. Now that access to research is widespread, everyone knows what their items are worth, which makes it even harder to get a good deal. The best way to navigate these listings is to sort your eBay searches by “time: ending soonest”, and spot the auctions which haven’t received any bids yet. Ideally you’ll have enough time to do your own research before bidding, and you may even be able to send a cheeky offer below the starting bid, because the seller may just prefer an easy sale than bothering with re-listing if it ends with no bids. My latest success story was using this method, spotting a 14k white gold and sapphire ring with the opening bid at half the gold scrap value. I won it uncontested with a single bid.
Misspelling, mislabeling, or other mistakes
Just because you’re a watch enthusiast, that doesn’t mean everyone is. In most cases, the best bargains are had because the seller hasn’t done their due diligence with knowing the worth of the thing they’re selling. If you want to find online listings which have been lost in the cracks, then something as simple as searching for “wach” or “wotch” can yield results. Try to resist the urge to narrow down your searches into the correct categories too, because for all you know someone could have put their single red Submariner listing in with the knitting needles or dog shampoo.
Travel to wealthy suburbs
Whether you call it thrifting, op-shopping, or charity shopping, you could be doing it smarter. When on the lookout for physical bargains rather than online ones, take the time to figure out where the wealthiest areas around you are. The chances that people accidentally donate their deceased family member’s nice watches to one of those shops increase drastically if those watches are actually being worn in that area. Fancier antique stores will always be way more expensive, but they’re worth browsing too. Make sure you check every nook and cranny in the op shops, because items can often end up scattered around when volunteer staff are disorganised.
Learn about gold cases
Knowledge is power, especially if you want to spot bargains that other eyes will gloss over. Familiarising yourself with gold watch cases is the most effective way to quickly know if a watch is actually valuable. Vintage ladies’ watches in particular were made in precious metals regularly from the 1910s onwards, and because some of those movements haven’t been serviced in around a century, they can often be found sold for scrap or repair. After I soaked up as much knowledge about gold cases as I could, I have found at least six solid gold cases for far less than the gold scrap value both online and in-store. There is definitely some gambling involved, especially if you can’t physically examine beneath the caseback in person, but a few misses can be worth the hits. There was even one 9k case I found with no hallmarks on any component, but I could see any potential plating should have been worn away judging by the amount of scratches and wear on it.
Avoid common scams or tricky sales tactics
Everybody is trying to make money, but there are plenty of individuals and businesses alike who will do all they can to make you think you’re getting a bargain. They might advertise a watch as being 18k yellow gold, but neglect to mention that it’s only plated brass until the very end of the description. They may show the watch on a set of scales, claiming it’s worth its weight in gold, but there’s a movement in the case which isn’t worth anything. Any ad which claims to be rare, desirable, or a no-brainer investment is probably lying. Very few watches are genuine investments, and they’re not the kind you find on Facebook Marketplace. Many tips for avoiding scammers when selling a watch are also applicable, just in reverse.