That's not surprising at all.

The dealers and auction houses couldn't get enough Heuers when the market was flying high. They fanned the flames and earned some good profits and commissions.

Then we saw the nonsense / noise -- top-tier auction houses offering "put together" or Franken watches, and getting called out for it, in some cases very publicly. In other instances, buyers discovered what they had bought and tried to put them back to the auctions houses / dealers. So in some instances, we saw a bit of "pass the trash" . . . the same watch being relisted, but in this instance with the previous auction buyer becoming the new seller.

There was so much garbage being offered (post Heuer Parade) that many buyers were scared away. I bought one fantastic watch, that drew only one bid, at the opening price (one quarter what it would have fetched at the peak of the market). GVM just did the same thing (with an Autavia GMT) at a Bonhams auction that was full of lousy Heuers.

So if you were an auction house, with little real expertise in the vintage Heuers, how many would you be accepting for your next big auction? They are afraid of the fakes; they are also afraid that the buyers are afraid.

I believe that most of the "good stuff" is still OK, and selling quietly in private transactions.

Would love to hear more about other recent experiences.

Jeff

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

: interesting experience of late. .was looking to sell a very nice
: 7753SND carrera (lightly polished, but not overpolished and mint
: dial / great looking watch

: 2 dealers i have used in the past and a very prominent auction
: house basically said not taking any heuers at present

: i am not sure if this means the sky really is falling price wise or
: this is what we need to stabilize the market. . the pandas i
: thought were easy to sell even in the current pullback. .and i
: have seen seafarers and skippereras sell for prices near the old
: peaks, but i was pretty surprised the folks i showed it to would
: not even entertain a heuer consignment