At what price do you become what you hate? A flipper
A friend of mine got to try on a green dial nautilus which retails for 35k and has a market price of like 400k. Many of us in the watch community hate flippers and vow that it is something we would never do. I have even turned down opportunities to flip watches
With that said if I was offered a watch I could instantly flip for 350k profit I would shamelessly and without giving a rats ass flip that watch faster than a speeding bullet. I could buy my family a house and pay off my daughters future college expensive all within an instant. At one point my Rolex Op was valued at like 27k where I paid 5.9 so I could have made about 20k profit and I didn’t sell it, so where is my magic number? I don’t know. Maybe it depends on the economy and other factors. What is your tipping point where you become the thing you despise most? 20k, 50k, 100k, 1 million? Even the most die hard flipper despiser has their breaking point I am sure.
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I know how you feel, but flipping is so common now that I think I wouldn’t feel too shameful being part of it. It’s ingrained in watch culture.
350k I’ll turn into a gymnast to flip that watch 😂🤷🏾♂️
350k I’ll turn into a gymnast to flip that watch 😂🤷🏾♂️
Exactly haha 😂
Your standards are a lot higher than mine. I bought an AnOrdain for £1,800 & sold it for £3,300 4 months later. I felt dirty but I needed the funds to buy my Aqua Terra Summer Blue. £3,300 was £1,700 lower than the next cheapest that I could find on the grey market at that time, so I did exhibit some shame in the price I was looking for.
If I had no attachment to the watch, I’d flip if I was making 2x or more. I think you’re a “flipper” if it’s your main source of income. If you bough a watch with the intention to wear it and then decided to sell it for a profit, hell yeah make some money for the next watch.
I know how you feel, but flipping is so common now that I think I wouldn’t feel too shameful being part of it. It’s ingrained in watch culture.
I just didn’t want to ruin my connect and now it has paid off as I get offered better watches now
Your standards are a lot higher than mine. I bought an AnOrdain for £1,800 & sold it for £3,300 4 months later. I felt dirty but I needed the funds to buy my Aqua Terra Summer Blue. £3,300 was £1,700 lower than the next cheapest that I could find on the grey market at that time, so I did exhibit some shame in the price I was looking for.
No shame you waited long enough and got another watch I’d consider this more of a level up
If I had no attachment to the watch, I’d flip if I was making 2x or more. I think you’re a “flipper” if it’s your main source of income. If you bough a watch with the intention to wear it and then decided to sell it for a profit, hell yeah make some money for the next watch.
Yeah at some point it’s considered more of a trade up than a flip I’d say especially if you get another watch. Insane to think that’s someone’s main income out there
If one can turn 35k into life-changing money, ie pay off most mortgages, then it is totally ethical to do so. Neh, I posit it would be unethical not to do so! 😜
#financialsecurity #familyfirst
Great question. I dislike Rolex (dickhead ADs and I refuse to forgive the brand), so watches gaining value isn’t a thing for my collection 😂
One exception : my Alpinist has maybe doubled or tripled? Sounds amazing, but starting price was like $750, so no life changing profits if I sell, BUT it would piss off my wife who helped me get it from Japan. 😬. So no sale of course.
I think if the amount gained feels like it would make a significant difference in your life (different for each of us) you should let go of that watch you love.
… OR if it’s a watch that doesn’t do anything for you and you’ve thought about letting it go … flip it! ASAP !
Depends on how much i value the watch and how desperate for money i am at the time.
If one can turn 35k into life-changing money, ie pay off most mortgages, then it is totally ethical to do so. Neh, I posit it would be unethical not to do so! 😜
#financialsecurity #familyfirst
Your spot on, family definitely comes first and that’s the only real obligation you have in life is that to your family
Great question. I dislike Rolex (dickhead ADs and I refuse to forgive the brand), so watches gaining value isn’t a thing for my collection 😂
One exception : my Alpinist has maybe doubled or tripled? Sounds amazing, but starting price was like $750, so no life changing profits if I sell, BUT it would piss off my wife who helped me get it from Japan. 😬. So no sale of course.
I think if the amount gained feels like it would make a significant difference in your life (different for each of us) you should let go of that watch you love.
… OR if it’s a watch that doesn’t do anything for you and you’ve thought about letting it go … flip it! ASAP !
Part of me wishes I flipped the Rolex OP at 27 and traded up for like an H moser or maybe even a vacheron or Lange. Could have been my one shot at getting a grail level watch. However, at that point I already wore it for my daughters birth so it was far to sentimental for me.
Depends on how much i value the watch and how desperate for money i am at the time.
Definitely
I don't see much wrong with flipping. I believe it's just how capitalism and supply and demand works. Sure, us as enthusiasts see something wrong with buying something that should be loved and is instead passed on. Well, if one would love the money more than the watch, that argument no longer holds. The next owner would surely love it. My price is fairly high, because I didn't take a 1000 USD profit, which is enough money to make a few changes in my life. I liked the watch more and paid nothing for it.
Hard question with so many variables,the magnitude of 10x profit would test the strongest anti flipper.
I’d flip that ugly Nautilus any day of the week.
Heck, I’d flip it for 1K profit.
I see no problem with flipping for profit. I owned an Air King and Submariner which I sold. Not because I'm a flipper, but actually my preferences changed having owned them for a couple of years. Yes I took advantage of the prevailing market conditions and profit opportunity, which then financed my current Grand Seiko collection. If I could make a living flipping watches I'd probably do it, in the same way I would do it with cars, Pokemon cards or any other commodity. I just don't have the desire or energy to do so.
But back to your post. Yep, with that kind of return I'd flip, flop and somersault to sell it on!
I'm with you. For that type of profit....
BTW, I also could have flipped several watches for big profits but haven't/didn't.
Your standards are a lot higher than mine. I bought an AnOrdain for £1,800 & sold it for £3,300 4 months later. I felt dirty but I needed the funds to buy my Aqua Terra Summer Blue. £3,300 was £1,700 lower than the next cheapest that I could find on the grey market at that time, so I did exhibit some shame in the price I was looking for.
Honestly I can’t blame AnOrdain flippers since they are so damn hard to get. Of course you want to make that profit as the demand is there. Same for any limited or hard to get watch . . . You’d be crazy not to inflate price and meet the most desperate of buyer.
I think I start to get more annoyed by flippers of sub 1.5k watches that aren’t really limited but might sell in smaller batch cycles like Studio Underd0g . . . For a non limited several hundred dollar watch that will come back into production? I’ve seen 2, 3k prices on Chrono and EBay and that’s just insanity and greed. Nothing fair about that.
I bought my Seiko SNK805 for $90 and just sold it for $160. IRS is gonna be at my door shortly 🤑💵
Why hate flippers for trying to make a buck? Flipping is neither unethical, immoral, nor illegal.
Absolutely. Those against usually justify by two things, the industry is hurt by flipping….how? Or they take pseudo high road…if you really cared about the watch you wouldn’t flip…it’s a watch not a love interest. The second reason misplaces an object for a personal relationship and that is messed up.
I bought my Seiko SNK805 for $90 and just sold it for $160. IRS is gonna be at my door shortly 🤑💵
Taxation is theft
Absolutely. Those against usually justify by two things, the industry is hurt by flipping….how? Or they take pseudo high road…if you really cared about the watch you wouldn’t flip…it’s a watch not a love interest. The second reason misplaces an object for a personal relationship and that is messed up.
I reserve my frustration for the ADs who have these unrealistic demands of a spending track record to get access. That’s another story.
I'd sell a kidney for 350k. That watch would be gone in an instant!
I wouldn’t hate myself for flipping a watch if I purchased with the intent to flip it.
I think 100K
I see no problem with flipping for profit. I owned an Air King and Submariner which I sold. Not because I'm a flipper, but actually my preferences changed having owned them for a couple of years. Yes I took advantage of the prevailing market conditions and profit opportunity, which then financed my current Grand Seiko collection. If I could make a living flipping watches I'd probably do it, in the same way I would do it with cars, Pokemon cards or any other commodity. I just don't have the desire or energy to do so.
But back to your post. Yep, with that kind of return I'd flip, flop and somersault to sell it on!
I agree here that interest change or you sell one to fund another. That is just the market.
I also support the gray market or flippers meaning that it is supply and demand. If they have a watch and you want it, you can decide to pay what they ask. I say this because if not you’ll most likely never get the watch. If you can afford it and are cool with it, you decide the value of that watch.
I stated my limit at 100K, that’s simply because I’m too lazy to go through the hassel and yes, I’m just not going to perpetuate lesser value watches for that. I feel safe that at 100K it is a very limited run higher retail $ piece anyway and I’d actually be helping someone maybe acquire it in that regards.
As long as you're not buying watches with the intention to flip it, then you're not a flipper. Sometimes watches just happen to elevate in value, and selling it can become necessary when that money is needed elsewhere.