Buying just to flip

[Malren]

Let’s say you walk into a boutique and see there is a “hot” or semi “hot” piece available for purchase. However you currently aren’t looking for a new purchase for yourself or you don’t even like the piece, but the premium difference at going grey is obvious. Would you purchase it just to immediately flip? Or is that a big no no that will potentially harm the relationship with the boutique? (although not sure how fast or if at all they will figure it out and it might even strength the relationship as you did make a purchase at the end of the day).

What are your thoughts?

[Polar Bear]

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain...

I'd leave it for someone who wants it

[illiguy]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain...

I'd leave it for someone who wants it

With power comes great responsibility.

[shaunylw]

If it’s a boutique i plan on working with, i wouldn’t buy it to flip.

[mnl]

i hate people who buy to flip, i firmly believe that you should only buy if you actually want to own it, otherwise you should leave it available for the next person who wants to own it can have the opportunity to buy.

so no, i would definitely not buy just to flip it.

[SoylentGreenChi]

Originally Posted by mnl

i hate people who buy to flip, i firmly believe that you should only buy if you actually want to own it, otherwise you should leave it available for the next person who wants to own it can have the opportunity to buy.

so no, i would definitely not buy just to flip it.

This, 100%.

[nollie85]

If you don't buy it someone else will buy it to flip. Leaving it for someone else there is 0 guarantee that person is also not a flipper and these days 99% of buyers are flippers.

This is the reality of the market currently.

[Malren]

Originally Posted by nollie85

If you don't buy it someone else will buy it to flip. Leaving it for someone else there is 0 guarantee that person is also not a flipper and these days 99% of buyers are flippers.

This is the reality of the market currently.

This is what led me to the question! Great point

[Andad]

PayPal me $30 and I will give you an answer.

[arcadelt]

I would. I understand some would hate me for it, but that is the state of play and I can use the cash to pour into other watches I am interested in. After all, it just a commodity, like a car, a pen and a pot.

[ukbbc]

My wife and I walked away from a black ceramic and a some of the 2021 APROOs, waiting for the colour that I wanted.

Kicking ourselves for not taking the black ceramic…wouldn’t flip it so soon, but good to hold to see how far it would go.


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[kaiserphoenix]

With AP you will get banned the moment they find out you flipped it. The online registrations give it away.

[ShinyVenusaur]

Would you say no for an overpaid job? ;-)

[Malren]

Originally Posted by kaiserphoenix

With AP you will get banned the moment they find out you flipped it. The online registrations give it away.

Interesting!
Is that really the case? Would love to hear more opinions on this

[cascavel]

I would buy it and flip it in an instant. Whether or not the boutique would offer you another watch is questionable under any circumstances and, chances are, your SA and the boutique manager will have moved on to other jobs soon, so memories are short and black lists get scrubbed clean.
The question itself is a fantasy since there are no hot or semi hot models lying around in boutique cases.
Under no circumstance would I leave it there for some mythical "deserving buyer". If I felt guilty about committing some economic crime I would donate my profit to a
local food bank where there are "deserving" people, not just some other schmuck who wants his 10th watch.

[Goin2drt]

Originally Posted by nollie85

If you don't buy it someone else will buy it to flip. Leaving it for someone else there is 0 guarantee that person is also not a flipper and these days 99% of buyers are flippers.

This is the reality of the market currently.

This right here. Buy it, flip it on the down low and use that extra $$ to fund something you really want. All these self righteous folks that are saying don’t flip would all sell their current collection at “market value” in a heart beat. Watches aren’t charity. If you are lucky enough to just walk in and find a watch trading much higher, consider yourself just that, lucky.

Buy with no remorse.

PS if I ever get the call on the white face Daytona from my AD you can bet it will be for sale the next day. I wanted one but not as these current market prices. I will make the dough. However because of karma I will probably never get the call.

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Goin2drt

All these self righteous folks that are saying don’t flip would all sell their current collection at “market value” in a heart beat.

That doesn't make any sense. Easy to see that many here are holding on to their collections regardless of market value.

Currently, the premise of a hot piece sitting in a boutique waiting for a random flipper is laughable.

[Goin2drt]

Originally Posted by VogelPhoenix

That doesn't make any sense. Easy to see that many here are holding on to their collections regardless of market value.

Currently, the premise of a hot piece sitting in a boutique waiting for a random flipper is laughable.

Makes plenty of sense. Many folks telling him to not buy and flip and pass along to the next person are also the same examples on here of those same (maybe not the specific ones that replied) that buy and after a few days are selling because the watch "didn't speak to them" and guess what they are selling at "market value" not the MSRP what they paid for it.

And your second point, agreed. Hot models aren't sitting waiting in the case. However if there were then the OP should absolutely buy it and flip it. Apparently just put it on your wrist and then take it off and sell because it didn't speak to you.

[Mbbgysam]

Originally Posted by kaiserphoenix

With AP you will get banned the moment they find out you flipped it. The online registrations give it away.

You're right in that the online registrations give it away. My SA knew that I had sold one of my watches. Granted, it was a watch I'd purchased ~5 years prior from another SA, but he still acknowledged that he knew from their system records. I sort of interpreted the comment as a warning.

IMHO buying something off the shelf and flipping it isn't a big deal. It was there and the opportunity presented itself. I wouldn't personally go through the hassle, but to each their own.

Now what I can't stand are customers who plead with their SA to get an allocation claiming it's their "dream watch, ultimate holy grail" only to flip it for a profit. That's disingenuous and puts your SA -- who likely had to vet and vouch for you -- on the line.

[rolexest]

Originally Posted by mnl

i hate people who buy to flip, i firmly believe that you should only buy if you actually want to own it, otherwise you should leave it available for the next person who wants to own it can have the opportunity to buy.

so no, i would definitely not buy just to flip it.

So by your logic, don't buy a house for rental income. Leave it for someone who will purchase it to live in.

[Hpozzuoli]

Originally Posted by mnl

i hate people who buy to flip, i firmly believe that you should only buy if you actually want to own it, otherwise you should leave it available for the next person who wants to own it can have the opportunity to buy.

so no, i would definitely not buy just to flip it.

I agree. I can’t stand seeing people gobble up items from stores only to resell at crazy prices.

[m3jasper]

Originally Posted by Malren

Interesting!
Is that really the case? Would love to hear more opinions on this

Yes, once you're flagged, you're done. You'll never get another piece.

Originally Posted by cascavel

I would buy it and flip it in an instant. Whether or not the boutique would offer you another watch is questionable under any circumstances and, chances are, your SA and the boutique manager will have moved on to other jobs soon, so memories are short and black lists get scrubbed clean.

It doesn't work that way. The CRM doesn't forget, once you're flagged, you're done.

Originally Posted by rolexest

So by your logic, don't buy a house for rental income. Leave it for someone who will purchase it to live in.

If you only care about making money and have no desire to have a relationship with the brand, then flip it.

[mnl]

Originally Posted by nollie85

If you don't buy it someone else will buy it to flip. Leaving it for someone else there is 0 guarantee that person is also not a flipper and these days 99% of buyers are flippers.

This is the reality of the market currently.

while this is true i still believe in treat others how you wanna be treated, hopefully the person who ends up getting it after i decline to buy is someone who actually wants the watch, just as i’d hope if someone else is offered a watch i want and they don’t they’d say no so i have a chance to get it

Originally Posted by Hpozzuoli

I agree. I can’t stand seeing people gobble up items from stores only to resell at crazy prices.

exactly, i find it very annoying that you can’t buy things at the store but you can easily find lots of brand new ones sold by resellers at ridiculous markups.

Originally Posted by rolexest

So by your logic, don't buy a house for rental income. Leave it for someone who will purchase it to live in.

that’s different in my mind, rental income is something you’ll keep getting every month and you still own the house. flipping a watch will get you a couple grand (or more depending on what you’re selling) once.
plus i guess it’s just a different way of thinking about watches, i don’t really think of them as investments they’re just watches, altho i guess with the current market like it or not they kinda are investments…

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Goin2drt

Many folks telling him to not buy and flip and pass along to the next person are also the same examples on here of those same (maybe not the specific ones that replied) that buy and after a few days are selling because the watch "didn't speak to them" and guess what they are selling at "market value" not the MSRP what they paid for it.

So, who of Hpozzuoli, SoylentGreenChi, mnl, illiguy, m3jasper (or myself) are the "same examples" you are referring to?

[chiscott_29]

In this world we’re in, I say you do you.

I personally don’t like the “buying to flip” attitude and I would never blatantly flip something I received from a boutique or AD I actually wanted to work with.

You have a very high risk of getting caught and blacklisted, but don’t for a second think the AD/boutique gives two squats about a you as a new customer.

Why don’t you simply give it some time? Watch prices aren’t crashing in 2022 unless there is some sort of cataclysmic event (which is of course possible). Buy it and wait a few months. You’d likely be fine taking this approach unless it’s something you’ve clearly stated an interest in and you worked with them to actually get an allocation. If you flip/sell a watch you worked to get and stated an interest in, I have some select words for the type of person you are. LOL :-)


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[Ichiran]

I will skip and let the next person have it. Hopefully I'll get the watch that I really want from the SE.

[bmaier]

Originally Posted by Goin2drt

Makes plenty of sense. Many folks telling him to not buy and flip and pass along to the next person are also the same examples on here of those same (maybe not the specific ones that replied) that buy and after a few days are selling because the watch "didn't speak to them" and guess what they are selling at "market value" not the MSRP what they paid for it.

And your second point, agreed. Hot models aren't sitting waiting in the case. However if there were then the OP should absolutely buy it and flip it. Apparently just put it on your wrist and then take it off and sell because it didn't speak to you.

You are making so many assumptions and blanket statements about collectors its actually comical. This buyer profile you seem to have pulled out of nowhere sounds like a self report.

[bmaier]

Originally Posted by chiscott_29

In this world we’re in, I say you do you.

I personally don’t like the “buying to flip” attitude and I would never blatantly flip something I received from a boutique or AD I actually wanted to work with.

You have a very high risk of getting caught and blacklisted, but don’t for a second think the AD/boutique gives two squats about a you as a new customer.

Why don’t you simply give it some time? Watch prices aren’t crashing in 2022 unless there is some sort of cataclysmic event (which is of course possible). Buy it and wait a few months. You’d likely be fine taking this approach unless it’s something you’ve clearly stated an interest in and you worked with them to actually get an allocation. If you flip/sell a watch you worked to get and stated an interest in, I have some select words for the type of person you are. LOL :-)


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We're "in this world" because of people, like you, that advise others to flip watches for money. Yall are to blame.

[chiscott_29]

Originally Posted by bmaier

We're "in this world" because of people, like you, that advise others to flip watches for money. Yall are to blame.

OK buddy…Maybe all of those that are watching these forums can send me a cut since I have this power I wasn’t aware that I have to encourage all of this “flipping”…

In your next useless comment, can you share stories of the days of yore when all of you “honorable collectors” were all gathered around the table and you respected this wonderful world of horology for the lovely hobby it was? What a day it was…when you lost 50% of the price you paid for a watch. Enlighten us, oh chosen one!!!


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[HMHM]

Originally Posted by bmaier

We're "in this world" because of people, like you, that advise others to flip watches for money. Yall are to blame.

I think you need to understand Chiscott_29 more before you judge him. Truth is there is money on the table for the taking. I don't condone it, but if someone else does it, its their choice. It's up to AD/Boutiques to do their due diligence and blacklist these people. Unless we want to start imposing North Korean dictatorial style behaviour whereby we control what people do with their watches and money, the market is a free place.