For some collectors, once you’ve added a watch to your wristwear rotation, it will never leave. Your collection is perfectly curated, with just one grail watch per necessary genre of timepiece. Most of us however are not that way inclined and, for those looking to sell, eBay is quickly becoming the marketplace for discerning watch buyers.
Watch collecting isn’t a static hobby. Tastes change over time and what you’re enjoying on your wrist today might not feel quite right for you later on. You might fall in love with a timepiece only to find that you never actually put it on. That’s not the watch’s fault; it’s not yours. That’s just how things go sometimes – and if like us you buy enough watches, probably quite a lot. There’s only so much room on one person’s wrist – and so you may well end up with a good number of watches simply gathering dust on the shelf.
That’s a tragic life for a decent timepiece but, more importantly, it’s doing nothing for you while it’s sitting there. Not only is it taking up space that could be better used, perhaps on another watch, but it represents a chunk of change that could instead be spent on something you really want. Perhaps on another watch.
For some watch lovers, buying and selling is all part of the game, knowing what pieces to invest in and when to sell for the biggest payoff, watches as speculation as much as something to enjoy. And there’s certainly plenty of credit in that way of thinking. It’s easier to justify buying a serious watch if you know it’ll go up in the future. Watches are generally a solid investment; hold onto a steel sports Rolex long enough and it’ll almost certainly go up in value.
Right now, however, there’s a bit of a lull. This means that, while you might want to hold onto your more serious pieces for a little longer, it’s the perfect time to be trading up. The less expensive a watch, the less you gain by holding onto it anyway, so combining a handful of pieces into one doesn’t just save space, doesn’t just get rid of timepieces you don’t wear, but is a great way to get a couple more rungs up on the investment ladder.
Of course, knowing that you need to sell is different from actually selling, which to a first-time seller can be daunting. There are many different platforms on which to offer your timepiece these days. eBay however isn’t just one of the most straightforward to use platforms on the internet, but thanks to their Authenticity Guarantee programme, they’ve become one of the most trusted.
Any watch valued at over £1,500 goes through a stringent third-party authentication process, where both authenticity and condition are double checked against its listing. This not only means that the end buyer gets what they paid for, but means that there’s more trust between buyer and seller – meaning far quicker turnaround on sales than other, less trusted platforms. Best of all? It comes at no extra cost to buyer or seller. This is one of the main reasons both private and professional watch sellers have been joining eBay in their droves – safety means trust and trust means conversion.
So, whether you’re looking for the best place to get the most out of watches that would otherwise be gathering dust or you’re looking for your next trade-up grail watch, eBay has you covered. Safe, secure and trusted by buyers and sellers alike, there’s no better way to make your unworn watches work for you.
Tips & Tricks For Selling On eBay
- Include photos from as many different angles as possible, including boxes, papers and any other collateral that comes with the watch.
- Enable the ‘send offer/make offer’ function on listings, which allows serious potential buyers to quickly make a fair offer.
- Respond to potential buyers within 24 hours. You don’t want to run the risk of them finding the watch elsewhere or simply losing interest.
- Get the title right: go for brand then model and, if you have it, model number – and cover the obvious, like the year and, importantly, the word ‘watch’.
- Make sure listings are accurate. You might be tempted to embellish to get the best price, but being honest about any flaws will help your watch pass the Authenticity Guarantee inspection.
More details at eBay.
