I guess we have to agree to disagree.
: Hi Steve
Hi Georges
: I have checked three years ago bidjan's website
I've never heard of Bidjan, do you have a link to his website ?
: where he proposed one for $1800 but with a
: very ridiculous warranty of 3 months.In 2005
: I rechecked the same item and saw its price
: at $3000!!! $3000 for a watch with only a
: three months warranty and I am not even sure
: it was correctly serviced. I also have seen
: one at Timeman unserviced and at $2500 with
: no warranty!!!!
The current prices you quote, seem to ( unfortunately ) be the current market prices on the websites that I check. Some eBay watches even reach these heights.
Those prices are irrealistic
: seriously especially when a watch is not
: serviced nor in perfect condition (not the
: smallest ding, scar and original dial and
: hands with original lume) and not
: warrantied.
I'm afraid as long as watches sell at these prices, dealers will set their watches at these prices. I'm sure dealers even mark them up a bit, to see how far they can go. So, I think these prices are realistic.
I don't buy watches at these prices but there seem to be plenty of people who do.
It is like restoring a car it
: will cost you more to restore and or repair
: a very average condition car than buying one
: in excellent condition, serviced and
: warrantied.
Not always. If the watch/car has a high enough market value & the purchase price is cheap enough, a full restoration CAN be the best way to go. A good example is my recent flightmaster/Bienne restoration. I reckon the total costs are still about $1000 under the market value of the watch.
Another example is a car that I own. I have owned it for almost 20 years now. I have "invested" about 3 times its market value in it.
Was it worth it ?
If I ever sell it, I will probably loose a lot of money, but ( here's the point ) it is NOT for sale.
I hope it will NEVER be for sale ( that's the plan anyway ). So it is almost irrelevant to me what the total cost is. BUT it is MY car, the paint is as I want it, the interior, engine, radio, chassis ( I have plastic coated it ) are as I want them.
I'm sure some car freaks will dislike MY car. I don't & my opinion carries alot of weight in my house :-)
: Now about Ebay,it is a buy at your own risk
: game,
Yes, I'm very aware of this.
most of the items have very often
: patined dials,unserviced movements
: (sometimes wrong movements),no
: warranty,unoriginal bracelet and buckles and
: sometimes you can have the baddest surprise
: like a ruin to restore.
I disagree with this statement. Please let me break it down.
most of the items have very often / I disagree TOTALLY with the word MOST there.
:- patined dials / not most of the watches I look at (or consider buying). & if they do, I factor this into the price.
:- unserviced movements / possibly, again I factor this into the price. But to be honest I'd rather buy a cheaper watch that MY watchmaker can service than a more expensive watch that has been serviced by a watchmaker that I have never heard of.
:- (sometimes wrong movements) / NONE of the watches that I consider have the wrong movement.
:- no warranty, / A warranty from a stranger in a forgien country is of little use to me.
:- unoriginal bracelet and buckles / Again, NOT the watches I look at, or I factor it into the price
:- and sometimes you can have the baddest surprise / with over 600 successful deals, this has only ONCE happened to me & that was my "fault". I should have looked at the pictures better.
I think the basic difference between us, in our opinion of eBay, is that your opinion seems to be that "most of the items are crap" - put in simple words.
My opinion is. Some items are crap. But there are some GREAT items out there. Educate yourself & you can find some great bargains.
After all, that is one of the reasons for Forums like this.
: like a ruin to restore.
Some people like doing this. If I buy a wreck ( car or watch ) & restore it, I KNOW who has done the work, how good it is & when it was done. Buying the results of anyone elses work can be a lottery. And, to be honest, I can't afford to pay the prices that some of the more "trustworthy" dealers charge.
: From an experience that happened to a friend
: who baught a datejust from a power seller
: and got burned.
Yes, that can happen. Maybe your friend should have done more/better research ?
It taught me some good things
: that not all people who are calling
: themselves "professionals" are
: really professionnals. They are not all
: proposing a real customer service (refund
: policy I don't call that customer service),
: no warranty (very often the item is sold in
: as is condition)and they are not watchmakers
: but collectors. An amateur however good he
: might be will never be considered as a true
: profesional.
I don't base my decisions on 1 case ( or a few cases). I have a feedback rating of over 550. I like eBay.
: Those are my thaughts and everyone can agree or
: disagree with them. (to take with two grains
: of salt)
I guess we will never agree on eBay.
: regards and have a nice day
: georges
All the Best
Steve
