Rolex vintage prices

[Kayaker52]

I know this may be a really redundent topic but I have to go there.In 1986 I purcased a 1016 Explorer from Lewis&Son in NYC for 465.00,this was my 3rd Rolex purchase since 1971.I believe that the 465.00 price was relative to the times.That year I paid 78,000 for my home on Staten Island NY,before the big dump in 2008 it was valued at 489,000,it has now dropped to 356,000.That 1016 that I had is now about 5500.00(correct me if I am wrong experts).Being some what middle class,I can not afford to purchase another 1016 for the prices they are asking.I just can not get my head around the CRAZY prices of older model Rolex watches.Have more folks tuned in to the so called vintage Rolex market?I know hind sight is 20/20 but this throws me out of the game on ever buying another Rolex GMT,Explorer 2,Submariner etc,which I have had 2 of each model 20 years ago.....thanks Brian.

[Puffy]

hmmm prices only go one way mate

if you want something cheaper the iphone has a much more accurate clock

[matt4hand]

Originally Posted by Puffy

hmmm prices only go one way mate

if you want something cheaper the iphone has a much more accurate clock

[dddrees]

As you said even your house cost more than it did back then. Prices don't stand still, however you are right vintage Rolex prices did go up substantialy due to greater demand.

[Kayaker52]

Thanks,key word DEMAND...

[Felix.H]

Whats your point of posting this thread?

[mike]

I think it's important to remember the vintage market is driven by more than $$$$. Passion plays a big part. Have prices gone down? Sure. Only a few years back select references were going up at a rate that couldn't be sustained.

Internet hype fostered some of this IMO. Look back at the bubbleback "bubble" that burst a few years ago. I'm not sure that's ever recovered to it's heyday.

Stainless professional models have had a good run, but they will only pull what collectors are willing to pay and collectors are getting more savy.

Heck look at the silly money some parts are going for.

[Warnsboy]

Originally Posted by Felix.H

Whats your point of posting this thread?

The beginning of an urge to splurge!! Welcome to vintage Rolex. It's the ones that got away that we always regret and talk about.

[cdweller]

It is a scientific equation: (High Supply x Low Demand) + (Internet Hype x TRF enabling) = Higher Prices I am with you man, I am also being priced out of the brand. It is definitely a bummer if you want to buy a new piece, but it is nice to watch the value of your current piece rise. Congrats on your home equity, btw!

[Kayaker52]

What`s my point of posting this thead?because this is America free speech!!!

[MP5]

Originally Posted by Kayaker52

What`s my point of posting this thead?because this is America free speech!!!

You really posted that? Just making sure.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by Kayaker52

I know this may be a really redundent topic but I have to go there.In 1986 I purcased a 1016 Explorer from Lewis&Son in NYC for 465.00,this was my 3rd Rolex purchase since 1971.I believe that the 465.00 price was relative to the times.That year I paid 78,000 for my home on Staten Island NY,before the big dump in 2008 it was valued at 489,000,it has now dropped to 356,000.That 1016 that I had is now about 5500.00(correct me if I am wrong experts).Being some what middle class,I can not afford to purchase another 1016 for the prices they are asking.I just can not get my head around the CRAZY prices of older model Rolex watches.Have more folks tuned in to the so called vintage Rolex market?I know hind sight is 20/20 but this throws me out of the game on ever buying another Rolex GMT,Explorer 2,Submariner etc,which I have had 2 of each model 20 years ago.....thanks Brian.

Well, I think comparing a vintage watch to a investment in property or the like is not fair and might not not always go well like with the appreciation you experienced with your watch v/s your property investment:). I wouldn't think any bank in 1971 would have lent 70K to purchase investment watches unless you were willing to have a collateral in gold or other property. The beauty of investments like property is that you can really use the banks money to leverage and invest bigger, when you invest in more stable assets. Same as now, no bank would lend 356000 if told them was for investing in vintage watches unless they had a collateral in assets deemed as stable. That's because investing in vintage watches as with any other collectibles is a highly risky business, best to buy them because you love them and long term value/investment wise, hope for the best but also be prepared for the worst if things and peoples tastes go south;)!

[springer]

One thing about the vintage Subs, GMT's and Explorers and some of the other sports models, many of them can be purchased for less than the cost of their new counterparts which makes them very attractive to the collector since they usually appreciate in value.

[fusionstorm]

Wonder if the OP complains every time he buys a hamburger, gallon of gas, bag of chips, etc. at how prices of those items have gone up as well.

[sishac]

I would bet that, with the exception of a few here, most of us bought a vintage Rolex as a luxury...I would love to say that I bought my GMT twenty years ago right out of college...stupidly I never made the purchase because I couldn't believe that it was $1000...oh well, lesson learned. Maybe some bought them as investments, but personally I bought mine because I always wanted one, and I finally had the means to buy one (and I finally pulled the trigger). If it goes up in value great, but if not, I still have a great watch that I've wanted for a long time, that I can hand down to my daughter when she turns 21, and one that I can proudly wear every day.

I think that it is very unfortunate that many of the prices of these watches have made them unattainable for many people...but that is the way it is.

With vintage cars, I think its the same...most Shelby Mustang owners today, for example, aren't people that, in 1972, picked up a worn "used" GT350 off a used car lot for $300 because it had just lingered there for years, unwanted. Today, if you want a vintage Shelby, expect to pay a major premium for the car....but if you're buying one, chances are that you can afford it.

Personally I love running into someone who's worn the same beat up old sub on their wrist for the last 30 years, or has owned that gorgeous 1965 GT350 since the mid 70's (even if it is a little worn around the edges)...its got character and isn't that what we are all lookning for when we buy vintage?

I often wonder if those people would have made the same decision today...

[hatidua]

I bought my first Rolex in high school. Long before the internet so I don't know if other 15 year olds had the obsession that I did. I saved every penny I made and bought a 5513, brand new, for $395. Yes, I'll admit, when I found this site a year or two ago, I was rather shocked at what people were willing to pay for a watch that I had less than $400 into.

Those of you skeptical of the OP's post, imagine that $8K Rolex on your arm. Now think that in a few decades it might be sought after by folks happy and willing to pay $80K cash for it and scoffing at your unwillingness to buy them repeatedly at $80K a pop as they collect them like potato chips. Make any sense yet?

[hatidua]

Originally Posted by sishac

Personally I love running into someone who's worn the same beat up old sub on their wrist for the last 30 years,.....I often wonder if those people would have made the same decision today...

They have largely become jewelry now, with folks posting photos of their uppity German automobiles to impress fellow forum members. When I purchased my first Rolex, my obsession was diving, hence the 5513 that spent every single weekend deep underwater in Southeast Asia (I find it amusing that folks dissuade others from buying a 5513 if they plan on being around water - that's what it's made for!).

A Seiko would have worked for me at the time but I bumped it up a notch. Now, a computer on the wrist deals with decompression limits and most Submariners and Sea-Dwellers have never had saltwater touch them