Why are so many pre owned Rolex's for sale?

[Watchgeek5000]

Following this and other watch forums for a while, and it seems to me that Rolex is the leading Brand that most people buy and their main concern is "how much will it be worth when I sell it"? There are many ways to phrase the question , but it comes down to the same thing. "Which will hold its value", "what will be worth more down the road", "which will be easier to sell" and so on and so on. Why are there so many pre owned Rolex's for sale? Why aren't they bought and kept! Why can you buy a one year old Rolex and it already had four owners? Forget about just compairing the statistics to other watches, what other "any" item is bought and sold as quickly as a Rolex????
The most classic one is....."I'm looking to buy my first Rolex, which one is the easiest to resell"?

[Bigsykedaddy]

Good question. If you are asking why are there so many Rolex's for sale here it's because TRF is home to a bunch of compulsive flippers (myself included.) I know for myself it took a couple tries to find the one that fit me correctly and my lifestyle and others just get bored and want a new one to enjoy.

That being said now that I found my sweet spot this baby isn't leaving me EVER! Down the road I may buy another model that I don't really fall in love with and flip again for something else until I find another keeper. I do think it's great when someone finds a special piece that stays with them for life and gets handed down to the next generation

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Part of the fun of owning Rolex is owning more than one Rolex. For some it's owning many Rolexes. And at a million watches a year there are many Rolexes out there to own.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by Watchgeek5000

Following this and other watch forums for a while, and it seems to me that Rolex is the leading Brand that most people buy and their main concern is "how much will it be worth when I sell it"? There are many ways to phrase the question , but it comes down to the same thing. "Which will hold its value", "what will be worth more down the road", "which will be easier to sell" and so on and so on. Why are there so many pre owned Rolex's for sale? Why aren't they bought and kept! Why can you buy a one year old Rolex and it already had four owners? Forget about just compairing the statistics to other watches, what other "any" item is bought and sold as quickly as a Rolex????
The most classic one is....."I'm looking to buy my first Rolex, which one is the easiest to resell"?

Yearly watch sales worldwide are 1,200,000,000 units.

Rolex sells only a million + watches each year and that does not make them even close to the leading brand that most people buy??.

In the background some Rolex watches are sold or traded in for new models.

Are there any other items bought and sold as quickly as a Rolex?

I'd say there could be a few...

[Chewbacca]

Why are there so many pre owned Rolex's for sale?

i suspect its because people there's a lot sold to begin with and they're an easier re-sell asset

Why aren't they bought and kept!

can't really answer but i also suspect people stretch to buy them so they use the same dollar over and over again to try new ones - maybe?

Why can you buy a one year old Rolex and it already had four owners?

i don't think i've ever come across that one but i'm sure its possible

[amg55]

Why are there so many used cars?

[GB-man]

Because you're looking on the "Rolex forum" that's why

Not trying to be a dick, I get your point but step back and look at the context

[Onikage]

Rolex, the buyer's remorse brand.

[Maxy]

Simple reason - the higher the sales, the higher pre-owned sales. Even if it's actually very small % in seconds sales it still stands out as Rolex has huge number in sales per year!

- Sent from Tapatalk

[BristolCavendish]

Why are so many pre owned Rolex's for sale?

Just guessing. (1) model upgrades; (2) eventual boredom; (3) compulsive spending habits/patterns and perhaps the most obvious, (4) availability.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by amg55

Why are there so many used cars?

Not to mention used houses.

[amg55]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Not to mention used houses.

Bingo! Mon. Philosophically speaking, everything we "own" in life is temporary.

[LuminousMaximus]

I would say that since you have 1142 posts, you would be the one to answer that...

WatchGeek..."You tell us..."

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by amg55

Bingo! Mon. Philosophically speaking, everything we "own" in life is temporary.

I also noticed there's a lot of ex wifes on the market.

[SeaDweller50]

Originally Posted by Onikage

Rolex, the buyer's remorse brand.

You hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately for me, though, is that I keep coming back for more.

[Loevhagen]

Philosophical question indeed.

But, it's really the same as asking "why do we eat food, when it goes south 1 day later?".

The answer is the same: It's possible to enjoy stuff for a limited amount of time - and move on.

[amg55]

Originally Posted by MonBK

I also noticed there's a lot of ex wifes on the market.

Did you ever see this famous eBay listing on wedding dress?

http://worcester.typepad.com/pc4medi...ed_husban.html

[ukflyboy]

I suspect it is a case of variety being the spice of life. Rolex make a lot of very nice watches but few of us are rich enough to be able to afford them all (or even several!) so many buy watches, where them for a bit and then try something new. There are also a set of people for whom the looking, lusting after and buying of a new (to them) watch is the fun bit, so they buy and sell regularly.

Either way, I don't think the number of watches on the used market is any reflection on the status of the brand, people's regard for the watches etc. Just simply that a lot of people don't buy for life!

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by amg55

Did you ever see this famous eBay listing on wedding dress?

http://worcester.typepad.com/pc4medi...ed_husban.html

Very funny.

[Eatapp]

I suspect it is hard to quantify how many "a lot of used" Rolexs would be. Maybe, since they do hold their value well, people are more likely to sell/trade because they can do so without too much hit on their pocket book. Not to mention those who potentially overreach on their purchase or have a life event happen, selling assets may be necessary.

[superstarmar]

Originally Posted by MonBK

I also noticed there's a lot of ex wifes on the market.

Right on right on ...
Let's not forget ex husbands too ...

[77T]

Depends on where you look...
Of course on watch forums Rolex leads in number of listings - Omega is far behind - half as many.

Non-scientific survey of eBay search yielded:
36,270 Rolex for sale on eBay
17,052 Omega

Oh, and the others...
46,837 Seiko
52,080 Casio
22,130 Timex

So I guess it's the lens you use that shapes your perspective.

[Rebel]

I put several used ones on the market as I have migrated to my varying tastes over the years. I have always been a one Rolex (or Tudor) guy. I have traded several times. I currently own a 75090 black Tudor Submariner. Will trade it one day I'm sure. Not sure when. Pretty sure for an Explorer. Again, traded several to suit my taste at the time.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Because you're looking on the "Rolex forum" that's why

Not trying to be a dick, I get your point but step back and look at the context

Yes it really only applies to TRF and it is the smart question, as anyone surfing this forum for a few months will find themselves enabled and drawn to different watches all the time and flipping is the best way to sample them all unless you have unlimited pockets. Outside this forum most people buy just for the name/status factor or to finally have one really high quality time piece and so rarely flip.

[beer]

there are plenty of people who don't mind buying used to save some money, and equally as many people who don't mind losing a bit of money to enjoy a new watch every so often - much like the used car market

[R G]

Originally Posted by MonBK

I also noticed there's a lot of ex wifes on the market.

Yeah but I'd say they are more expensive than most used Rolexes.

[Chiboy]

I have a few thoughts:

1) Rolex seems a bit more "liquid" than many other watch brands or jewelry, so the ability to sell it without losing half the purchase price may be important when people decide to raise money.

2) When I was shopping for a platona, the first one that came up here was a 2016, which the second owner was selling. I was surprised that two people would have made the decision to buy a fairly serious watch and changed their minds so quickly.

The one I got was *almost* two months old. I can't imagine the hit that one takes buying that watch and changing their mind in a month or so. I almost wonder if some of these virtually new watches for sale are from jewelry stores who decided they didn't want to keep it in inventory, although the selling price (with TS markup) was still less than AD cost, so perhaps that doesn't make sense.

3) TRF attracts a very, very unique, tiny segment of the fine watch market, IMO. The way people here buy and sell five digit watches, sometimes monthly (!!!!), is not indicative of the way even one percent of Rolex buyers behave. IMO. Not based on statistical study. No facts to back this up.

[superstarmar]

Originally Posted by R G

Yeah but I'd say they are more expensive than most used Rolexes.

[varkom]

because Rolex is one of the few luxury brands that actually holds its value.

remember, most luxury items are a way for people to splurge, so the value drops like a rock 5 second into ownership.

With Rolex your ownership cost is way lower since it holds its value so much. Which is why its actually "cheaper" to own a Rolex than it is to own some second tier luxury brand like Tag.

[japenney]

1. People need money

2. Rolex is a good brand to sell because they retain the best value of all brands. So its tempting to sell and try another.