I’ve been buying and selling online for over 10 years. Ask me anything!

I have several vintage watches purchased through ebay but do not wear them anymore and feel I would like to sell them to make space, but not sure if I should sell through ebay as I only have history as a buyer so worried no one will buy, what do you think?

I have been concerned about scams, especially sending a watch to a buyer, and then them claiming falsely that they got an empty box (or other such scams) and getting their credit card to stiff the seller while the buyer essentially steals the watch and doesn’t pay.

How frequent are these types of scams?

It can’t hurt to try! Everyone starts somewhere. I would just try to be very descriptive and open about the watch. Take high quality pictures of the watch. These two things can make for a very professional post, which will ease the mind of a potential buyer.

That’s a very valid concern and something I think about every time I post a watch for sale. I would say that while scams do happen, they aren’t happening too often. Just as much as you have to “buy” the seller, you also need to “buy” the buyer, as the seller yourself. Nothing is perfect but I’ve found that just chatting with the buyer a bit can give me a pretty good feel for them as a person. I’ve had 2 scenarios where I chose to not sell a watch to someone because they gave me fishy vibes. Never rush the sale. If something seems off, walk away immediately. There will always be another buyer to come along. Reddit allows for tracking transaction history. If I’m selling a more expensive piece, I will not sell to someone with 0-2 transactions.

Still seems too risky for my taste. What you propose doesn’t give me enough confidence to ever send a watch off to a stranger. Too easy for people to act nice until they screw you. Too many con artists out there r that runs good yarn until they pull a ‘Timepiece Gentleman’, LOL!

Fair enough. It’s 100% a risk. You have to be ok with that. For peace of mind, you can always trade in or sell to a dealer, but it’s not uncommon for a dealer to only give you 60-70% of what they plan on selling it for. You’re just paying for that peace of mind.

I have a couple low end, affordable watches that I want to off load. Are affordable watches easy to move? It’s a two tone Armitron watch that’s dive-style

Yes, I would say so. Selling on Reddit is easy and there’s very little chance of a scam on inexpensive watches. Scammers typically shoot for things that cost a bit more. Not guaranteed, but an observation over the years.

Yeah I got a question.

[Jokes aside, this is a good post. Carry on sir!]

I just watched this movie a few weeks ago. Classic!

I am too lazy to liquidate. Is there someone that I can pay to get rid of my watches?

There are certainly people that can help you for a small fee. A dear friend of mine from my watch club does this exact thing. If you shoot me a message, we can work on getting you two linked up!

I have several quartz and a hearing aid remote control watch I would like to move on. Is there a market for such watches.

Thank you! Sounds like we have similar risk aversion levels. :)

I have sold and bought watches on eBay, Reddit and Chrono 24.

eBay pros

• Safe

• Authenticity guarantee for >$2K

• Easy to use

• If one is patient and do the right search there are many deals to be found

eBay cons

• The selling fees will eat a big chunk of the sale price

• There are scammers. I use Fakespot, a browser extension that is really good to alert you

Chrono 24 pros

• Payment goes through escrow. Safe to sell and safe to buy

• They make sure private sellers actually have the watch

• Professional sellers have to accept returns

Chrono 24 cons

• If you are selling it forces you to have the watch solely posted there for 3 months

Reddit pros

• No sales tax

• Can negotiate directly with the buyer/seller

• Can trade watches

Reddit cons

• Purchases and sales are based solely on trust. No guarantee the seller will send the watch or that the buyer will pay

• There is a risk the watch you receive is not as good as the pictures show

I take the risk with sellers that have multiple sales with good feedback. I only buy expensive watches if I can meet with the seller in person. I bought two Tudors this way. A BB58 and a BB36. Excellent deals.

I never sold/bought on Watchuseek or Facebook marketplace. No experience to share here

This is pro level advice right here. Thank you for sharing! 👊

I recently sold my SPB143 on Ebay and had no problems, Ive purchased two watches online and sold 4 on ebay along with guitars with no dramas actually. My only complaint is I reckon ebay gouge you a bit much now on their commissions.

They do get you on the fees. No doubt about that.

Absolutely, some people ask dodgy questions and ridiculous crap and I have told people just place your bid , don’t try and hustle me . I am not going to offer you the watch before the auction ends . Lots of that crap , genuine interest and questions are fine .

I want to know what platform I can sell on without giving up my SSN to do so

I’m looking to offload a few lower end microbrands and seikos. Any suggested platform?

I dont recall ever having to enter that information to use a platform. A reddit account is probably your best bet.

For microbrands specifically, I think R/Watchexchange on Reddit would be your best bet. I think you'll get much more traction there since they are familiar with the microbrands.There are many people over there that love the micros just as much as we do here on WC. They also love their Seikos over there!

Yeah, in the US, you sell in an account and make over $600, you’re paying taxes. New tax law from 2022.

It didn’t actually go into effect until 2023. This only applied to certain payment methods. For example, PayPal friends and family, cashapp, Zelle, etc… don’t report those to the IRS. PayPal Goods and Services, eBay, chrono24 will all report to the IRS and you’ll get a 1099 from them. Also, if you have a receipt from the original purchase, you’ll only pay any taxes on the sale if you made a profit. I’m almost always breaking even or losing a small amount when selling. In this case, there’s no taxes to be paid.

Appreciate the suggestion!

Are there any legal or regulatory considerations I need to be aware of when selling watches online? As an e-commerce entrepreneur delving into the realm of luxury timepieces, it's crucial to navigate the complex landscape of laws and regulations governing online sales, especially in the realm of consumer goods.

Moreover, the issue of lead data enrichment arises as a significant consideration in online retail. Lead data enrichment involves enhancing existing customer data with additional information to better understand consumer preferences and behavior. While this practice can be beneficial for targeted marketing and personalized shopping experiences, it's imperative to handle customer data ethically and in compliance with data protection laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States.

I’m in the US so I only really know how things work in my country. The only thing I can really think of is selling watches outside of your home country, there may be import fees and customs papers that need filled out. I’ve bought watches outside of my country before. In that case, the seller has always filled out all of the paperwork and then I pay duty/customs fees on arrival. If you’re sending a watch out of the country, there’s paperwork that the seller needs to fill out and unfortunately I don’t really know how that process works as I’ve only ever sold in my country.