ARE LED WATCHES LOSING THERE VALUE OR AM I MISTAKEN

[zoesandra]

I would have to say that looking on ebay lately and selling i have never seen these watches selling for so little money. i'm seeing pulsars under $100 with only a day left. i see other drivers watches even very rare ones only at (gerards-perxuou) $200 dollars with days left on them in the box. we all want to get deals on these watches but we are depleating the value on them. this has been going on for the last 3 years. watches that were selling for 700 to 1,200 dollars are only getting $600 tops.thats not good especially if you bought 2 or 3 years ago and paid that price. ebay has become a place for alot of junk led watches which we all need for parts. but when someone sells a beatup watch for little money or when someone sells one that just does not know the value and it sells cheap. that just dropped the value on that type watch. especially when you have several of those people doing that which there are. also you can't look up led watch anymore on ebay withoput getiing new ones and lcd watches clogging up all the auctions of the vintage ones. we should demand ebay to give us are own section for vintage led watches only. which will never happen but it is a good thought. i don't have the time but maybe someone should make an auction for watches only with different sections for all type watches and we can all get off of ebay. I know many of you sell off your websites but i mean a big auction site just for watches. all watches. it would just have to be advertised long enough for the world to start using it. ebay started that way. but my main concern is the dropping prices on these watches. i am selling watches for way less then i paid for them. By the time i ad my travels to get them and my time to find them among everything else we have to do them it is almost not worth selling them.
I am wondering if anyone else is noticing this value depletion on the led watches. and what can be done to tone it down a little. we all have a big investment on them so it is up to us to safeguard that. if we don't we are all taking a loss and we are all telling any newcomers it's not a good investment to buy led watches.

[Fitron]

Values have been falling I would agree. Spring is here and that normally brings a fall in value as people have outside hobbies in the nicer weather. Yep there's a lot of junk but they usually go for junk prices most of the time but I suspect fashion is playing a part in this. Leds have been popular for a few years now and I suppose that this is coming to an end....this means less demand therefore falling prices.

As for ebay, they don't give a damn about descriptions unless it conflicts with the rules, LED/LCD does not I suspect this annoys the LCD bods just as much as the LeD lot but it'll never happen. We do have the sales forum here but the problem is all watch forums tend to have one too so unless it's possible to unify a whole bunch of forums it's not going to happen unfortunately. As Ebay has near total dominance and is now a verb as well as a noun I think this idea is sadly a non starter. Everyone knows ebay, but the general public are too lazy to hunt down specialized forum/markets. Another effect of ebay is to push the price of junk ones up as people can easily check a watch value with a quick search even though they don't plan to sell it there - even pawnbrokers do it now - bargains have virtually disappeared these days unless you're truly lucky.

Many many items are now not attracting bids until the last minute - snipers are having a field day - it's also the best way to get something for a slightly lower price than otherwise. Not good news for sellers tho'.

Another possibility - have the led "collectors" got all the major ones that they want? If so then that would explain a drop in prices - the demand ain't there. There's not that many of us compared to other watch types.

As for buying led watches as an investment - hmmmm don't know about that and I personally wouldn't recommend it as a way to make money. Of course unlike you i do it as a hobby, not a business so it affects me a lot less but I fear it doesn't look good for the future. :? I honestly don't know what can be done to stop the slide in value - market forces are a bitch.

well tim if your selling all this watches why am i still waiting on my two watches that i bought for 500 dollars

[rewolf]

.... i see other drivers watches even very rare ones only at (gerards-perxuou) $200 dollars with days left on them in the box....

The problem with the current 2 GP auctions is that one does not have it's original bracelet and the other has a starting bid at just about what I'd consider the max value. So the 1st is worth les than usual and the 2nd probably won't even get a bid. And it's still 4/5 days to go.

My observation is that prices for high-range LEDs in perfect condition (my personal top 5 like HP-01, GP, Longines, ...) are still rising. usick recently sold a HP-01 for 2500EUR, IIRC.

[retroleds]

Answer "A"
I'm with rewolf - prices haven't been falling, but standards are. "Deal" watches on ebay : I have had perrsonal contact with an untested P3 that buyer "A" bought for $75 - sent to me, dead as shit. "A" turns around and sells to "B" for $120 - "B" sends same watch to me. I tell him it is dead, he photographs nicely and gets $150, on ebay. There is a lot of this "churn" and many buyers hate it, so they won't buy off ebay. Much on ebay is sold "As-is" or with notable defects . One of the people in this thread has sold(or tried to sell) too many pieces with known problems(your reputation is f'n shot, just f'n shot man ) or under odd condtions such as,"I have new glass and will put it in before shipping"? Say what"!" Most people who hold themselves out as quality dealers wouldn't bother to put something up for sale that isn't good to go!! The lack of standards from those selling is the #1 enemy of stable or rising prices, IMO. Sure, "Usick" may have high reserves, but the man doesn't knowingly sell crap. Myself, I may bid like Satan on untested lots, but I never send them back out into the market....more than one person is doing that and dropping the "percieved"(not actual) cost of owning a quality piece. Hang tough for the summer guys....this forum continues to pick up 20-some new members a month, and people are still finding their watches from yesteryear and getting excited.

Answer "B" - yes, you are mistaken.

[azimuth_pl]

I agree.
junk watches tend to go down (great as we need cheap parts) whereas properly described and pictured watches from reputable sellers tend to remain on a satisfying level or go up slightly every year (especially top-shelf watches - I wish I could buy nice Omegas for 300$ like in the old days).

however most of us sell their bargain watches after renovation or repair and make some money but don't expect to resell your mint watches with plenty of profit in a few years timeframe.

as for making money I would suggest to diversify.
LED watches only might harm your wallet because the fashion or other trends might decrease demand sooner or later.
Mechanical watches, especially jumphours will always be trendy as they will always be repairable.

[retroleds]

My attitude obviously got away from me on this...I feel very strongly about people ruining the credibility of this fine collectible genre by selling broken items to the unsuspecting. Some folks can afford(financially and mentally) to buy some "duds". Some other people don't enjoy that and don't consider that FUN, and those people are an important part of the overall collector base - I'm thinking they may actually be in the majority. All I would ask of anyone is that if you buy a "dud" and you can afford it, throw it away or dissect it for your knowledge, just don't pass it on to some unsuspecting soul. Justify it however you want, it is still stealing.

[digibloke]

I couldn't agree more. Whenever I get a dud (and there have been many - and not always untested...). I break it up, bung the useful parts in the spares box and bin the rest.

I really don't like the "I tried batteries and couldn't get it to work but maybe you'll have more luck :D" attitude. If someone who often sells watches says this then what they generally mean is that they've spent weeks poking around a watch without knowing whats wrong with it and if it wasn't dead when they got it then it certainly is now. Selling such a watch is simply a bad thing to do.

As for price levels. Looks to me like they've gone up for good collectable watches and also for the original condition none workers. The lcd market has definately gotten more expensive. Not many people gave a toss about them a couple of years ago but recently even getting hold of parts for first generation lcds/dsms has been a pricey affair. Which is a good thing, as it means more people are showing an interest.

[CompuChron]

Hi,
when I talk about LED watches around me here in France 90% of the people don't even know what I'm talking about even people who know and like watches.
I think they are still underrated because not very well known.
They are not so many led watch sites around compared to vintage electronic games for instance.
I think the prices haven't changed much in the past years and it's hard to point a trend.
It's mostly because if 2 people fight for the same thing and if only one is on holydays , the price can drop by half.
I usually put my led watch for sale with a reasonnably high starting bid and I sell 90% of them very often with only 1 bid.

Concerning the duds , I put them in a drawer ,when I have too many I sometimes sell them as a lot "tested and non working".These duds can be good parts for someone else , and even someone more skilled than me could repair them???
I sent 9 of these duds to Ed who has been able to repair a vast majority (6) whereas they were completely dead for me.thanks again :D
If I see little1up ,ulisick,majestyk...selling a dead watch , I will suspect that it's dead but if I see someone who doesn't deal with led watches , I often believe that it's really untested or badly tested (like the 2 Zenith analog/led that I bought recentlyfor around 20 euros each , both working)

I think ,but I might be wrong , that they will go up in value in the next years

[retroleds]

I really don't like the "I tried batteries and couldn't get it to work but maybe you'll have more luck :D" attitude.

For me that situation is not crystal clear, what galls me is the person who is regularly selling workers AND regularly selling stuff as "untested". You don't buy an odd lot, test 1/3 and then call it a day. The percentage of fixable pieces in a truly untested lot is much higher than a batch that someone has already gone thru. For truly untested pieces you might find a working "Gem" every third piece, but for pieces that have already been gone over, you could buy dozens without finding a worker, unless the seller just doesn't know what they are doing.
Interesting thread - I applaud the high standards set by many reputible sellers, on and off ebay. 8)

[Fitron]

Right, so junk is coming down in value :? and the very best is holding or even increasing. What about the so far unmentioned middle market - which is a numerically significant one? It's also the most likely entry point for new enthusiasts who are unwilling to pay top dollar for the truly perfect watches - which are pretty thin on the ground anyway. Prices for these mint/nearmint (Dwf definition) specimens have fallen - Bigblocks were going for about £120 and are now lucky to fetch £75 and witt pols have fallen too by about the same, approx 1/3rd to 2/5ths. Trust me on this, I've got these watches and watch their value closely -I am a Scot after all.

Could currency exchange values be at play here? As the dollar weakens a US watch becomes cheaper, and why pay £120 for a watch from the UK when I could get one from Uncle Sam for £80 or so This means British sellers are going to have to match the US prices therefore UK prices fall, while in america no one sees a change

This is just a theory and I've no idea how it works with the Euro, any of our EC bretheren care to comment on this one.

If you get a dud and like me don't repair give them to anyone else who might just be able to save them. Hell, offer them here on the forum, someone will take them.

[richard_uk]

I've re-sold some of the none workers I've had in the past, never as untested, and often I've still made a profit even though I bought them as untested, gotta love ebay :) I've also bought my fair share of bullshit untested watches etc though, and it's not nice, for me the LED game is coming to an end its just not the fun it used to be...... I'll be having a clear out soon so keep a look out for a HUGE lot of spares coming up for sale ;)

[redled]

The only way i'd sell a dead led watch is as a dead led watch. For me the fun of this hobby does not include ripping people off.

[LEDWatchStop]

To me...untested is just a euphemism for "not working". My immediate instinct is that it is usually a dishonest statement.......because who would not test an LED watch to get the most value out of the product on auction?

I mean..hey..if you test it..and it works..then it is worth more than untested or dead. Right?

I have loads of junk LED watches that I stick in a bin for parts ..and I have drawers of good vintage LED watches that just need some tender love & care (might get ED to clean them up for me)....but I don't have time to give them the attention they deserve.

I agree....just too much junk LEDs on ebay. But..hey..what do ya do?

Troy

http://www.ledwatchstop.com