the "Ask a Grey" thread

[Mosco]

In my humble opinion, the timing is about right for this one. The purpose of this thread is to answer any and all (well, most ) questions about the secondary watch market. Since the physical amount of pre-owned watches absolutely trumps that of the 'new, sealed' ones - methinks that it is useful for buyers to make wise, educated decisions.

Feeding off buddy Chris - The GMT Master's "Ask an Insider" thread pertaining to AD purchases, I want to be able to answer questions about the other aspects of watch trading business. And face it, for many of us it is business to some degree, even if you're only buying one piece. The goal is to get it at an absolute best value, making sure that it has some equity, that it is a liquid asset, either now or in the near future. Naturally, input from the other TRF professionals is welcomed and appreciated .

Two of the most frequently asked questions are:

“How do you get these watches?”

Where do I start… The timepieces are sourced by many different scenarios, from trade-ins, to wholesale shows, to placing large orders with AD’s (and therefore obtaining goods at discount), every piece is different. Most greys work as hard on sourcing the goods as they do selling them.

“How do I know this watch isn’t fake or stolen?”

You don’t. Key is to do your homework. If you are dealing with a ‘bad guy’, do you think he will tell you that his product is a replica, or obtained by illegal methods? Of course not. BUY THE SELLER, and you will be fine.


Have a good day everyone, and let’s get some questions answered!