Prices are Down

Submitted by plainsmen on January 2, 2015 - 1:31am

Buy em up boys!  I'm seeing some really quality Bulova's going for next to nothing!  Seems like the prices are in the dirt right now.  Perfect time to buy a pile of old Bullys and wait for it to come back.  That way you'll have the inventory to liquidate when it's back up to buy your high quality pieces you've been after! =)

Reverend Rob
Posted January 2, 2015 - 5:35pm

I'm seeing the opposite. The models I'm looking at, anyway. 

Geoff Baker
Posted January 3, 2015 - 5:48am

Yeah, I think the difference Rev, is that you and I are looking at the watches we want to buy and can't afford. Plains is buying 'flippers'  - nice old Bulovas that need to be cleaned up and have nice photos taken for resale. I think you're BOTH right. He's picked up some dandy watches in the past month, one of them is in the mail to me right now.

Richard Callamaras
Posted January 4, 2015 - 5:46am

I agree. I have bought a ton of watches since July for next to nothing. April 2014 prices were sky high but since the middle of summer fair to fixers have been in a buyers market. The higher end serviced watches are getting listed at higher prices, but are not selling either. People are selling those at more reasonable rates through PM's. Sometimes half of what they are asking. I bought a watch running, timed and "serviced" in October for .99! It was clean as a whistle and running strong as promised!! It was an "around the world watch"! !!!! Just needs a lume and redial. Listed as "unusual watch Bulova." Plainsmen......I agree:) let's get out there and get them:)

1955mercury
Posted January 4, 2015 - 12:44pm

I've got to find out where you guys are shopping. I'm having to pay over 4 times as much for them now as I was about 4 years ago.

William Smith
Posted January 4, 2015 - 12:49pm

I think the "fixer-uppers" may be closing/selling a little cheaper than a couple months ago, but the higher end Bulova, or the Bulova which are in great shape are in line with 1955mercury's observations.

bobbee
Posted January 4, 2015 - 4:00pm

Yeah, "buy it now" prices still seem a little high to me...

...but then the US market is mostly closed to the UK/Europe, most sellers won't ship abroad, and those that do mostly want big shipping prices, and then Customs&Excise want a bite too...

1955mercury
Posted January 4, 2015 - 4:33pm

In reply to by bobbee

It's not the sellers Bobbee. It's our governments shipping tariffs or something. I've bought a couple of watches for Doneg. They are shipped to me with tracking numbers for average of $4.50. If I shipped them to him in Spain with tracking it's over $30. Shipping without tracking is over $12 and all you can do is cross your fingers and hope it gets there. You have no way of knowing where it's at. Canada borders the US and I think they must charge $15 for an envelope to cross the border. Shipping charges from the UK to the US are ridiculous also. Yet I can buy something small from China and the shipping is usually free. Doesn't make any logical sense.

timerestoration
Posted January 13, 2015 - 9:27am

In reply to by bobbee

I have shipped hundreds of watches Internationally over the years. I have lost a few thousand dollars in "lost" packages as well, until I wised up.

I will now only ship USPS Priority Insured. I can track the package, and I am covered if it disappears along the way. BUT, I have had insurance claims denied because it was illegal for certain buyer's countries to import Jewelry/Watches.

I have had buyers BEG me to send their watches using a cheaper method, claiming that they had excellent ebay ratings, or that they never had any problems before in not receiving a package. That may be true, but it does not mean a package won't get "lost". I even had promises that they would take full responsibility if something happened to the package, and they ended up filing a claim and getting a refund anyway.  

I understand that it is a lot of money on top of the purchase price, as well as any tarifs or customs fees imposed by their own postal system. I even get accused of tacking on additional shipping costs when they end up have to pay customs fees in their own country. I even had a buyer leave a negative feedback because of this. My only other way of protecting myself is to no longer ship Internationally...which many other sellers have ended up doing. 

Anyway...just another side of the story. By the way...I also have many International buyers that have no problem with any of it!

bobbee
Posted January 13, 2015 - 10:43am

In reply to by timerestoration

I don't blame you when you are selling a watch for several hundred dollars, but when you have bought some cheap model/non-runner/fixer-upper/junker for top prices of say $50, having to pay triple that in postal/tax/handling charges, then it's beyond a joke!

[quote=timerestoration]

I have shipped hundreds of watches Internationally over the years. I have lost a few thousand dollars in "lost" packages as well, until I wised up.

I will now only ship USPS Priority Insured. I can track the package, and I am covered if it disappears along the way. BUT, I have had insurance claims denied because it was illegal for certain buyer's countries to import Jewelry/Watches.

I have had buyers BEG me to send their watches using a cheaper method, claiming that they had excellent ebay ratings, or that they never had any problems before in not receiving a package. That may be true, but it does not mean a package won't get "lost". I even had promises that they would take full responsibility if something happened to the package, and they ended up filing a claim and getting a refund anyway.  

I understand that it is a lot of money on top of the purchase price, as well as any tarifs or customs fees imposed by their own postal system. I even get accused of tacking on additional shipping costs when they end up have to pay customs fees in their own country. I even had a buyer leave a negative feedback because of this. My only other way of protecting myself is to no longer ship Internationally...which many other sellers have ended up doing. 

 

Anyway...just another side of the story. By the way...I also have many International buyers that have no problem with any of it!

[/quote]

donegd
Posted January 13, 2015 - 11:01am

In reply to by timerestoration

[quote=timerestoration]

I have shipped hundreds of watches Internationally over the years. I have lost a few thousand dollars in "lost" packages as well, until I wised up.

I will now only ship USPS Priority Insured. I can track the package, and I am covered if it disappears along the way. BUT, I have had insurance claims denied because it was illegal for certain buyer's countries to import Jewelry/Watches.

I have had buyers BEG me to send their watches using a cheaper method, claiming that they had excellent ebay ratings, or that they never had any problems before in not receiving a package. That may be true, but it does not mean a package won't get "lost". I even had promises that they would take full responsibility if something happened to the package, and they ended up filing a claim and getting a refund anyway.  

I understand that it is a lot of money on top of the purchase price, as well as any tarifs or customs fees imposed by their own postal system. I even get accused of tacking on additional shipping costs when they end up have to pay customs fees in their own country. I even had a buyer leave a negative feedback because of this. My only other way of protecting myself is to no longer ship Internationally...which many other sellers have ended up doing. 

Hi Jeff

Yes but your charges for postage are still a lot less than  Eb global system, and ive been very pleasd with your service

Regards

George

Anyway...just another side of the story. By the way...I also have many International buyers that have no problem with any of it!

[/quote]

Reverend Rob
Posted January 4, 2015 - 4:49pm

I get parcels from the UK, fastest shipping of all, and not expensive, either. I see a lot of US sellers pushing up their shipping prices to Canada, once it gets past $30, I don't even bid. 

donegd
Posted January 12, 2015 - 11:36am

Yes to both sides of the augument l find that items from the USA might be cheap to buy but when the postage is added it sometimes doubles the cost, especially when the vendor uses the ebay global system, which automatically adds customs duty. I live in spain and there is no duty charged. Neither have l had any problems with postage ,so no tracking is required. I have posted watches and parts to USA  for as little as the equiverlent of $2 or $3. I do believe some vendors using ebay are putting up the postage prices to recover the commission chargd by ebay.

As far as the UK is concerned l was often charged extra customs duty even though the ebay global system states there would be no extra charges by using their system.

I count myself very lucky as one of our fellow members in the US sometimes buys watches on my behalf and sends them on to me. It saves me a fortune in postage

Regards

George

airborne
Posted January 12, 2015 - 2:30pm

I think the prices are rather high on the Bulova watches i want. I usually buy from the USA and when it arrives to me in Sweden i have to pay 20% in tax on the total value including the shipping fee.

And the Post wants a custom clearance fee off about 25 dollars....

So everything will be rather expensive 

donegd
Posted January 13, 2015 - 7:01am

Hi airborne

Wow and l thought l was being hard done by with postal costs

Reverend Rob
Posted January 13, 2015 - 9:46am

The Global Sysytem is a fraud, plain and simple. I have had this discussion several times with border services here. The so-called 'fees' and charges have absolutely nothing to do with customs, and are simply Pitney Bowes inserting themselves, with eBay, into the chain to add on extra fees that are just a cash grab. When I questioned them on it, eBay could not explain what the charges were for, nor could they justify any of them. The claim that there are 'No additional fees or customs charges at delivery' is fraud. eBay suggested I not bid on these if I objected to the additional costs. 

 

 

donegd
Posted January 13, 2015 - 10:17am

Hi R B

Yes that is my opinion on their global system it should be renamed global extortion system, and as far as theIr money back gurantee is concerned . It so open to abuse its a laugh. I have twice had a buyer try to get their mney back by making false claims ,and if it wasn't for the fact that l could prove their claim was false ebay would have just deducted the money from my account, but they wouldn't block that buyers account.

Rgards to all

George

 

plainsmen
Posted January 13, 2015 - 12:05pm

Also to our European brothers, please realize, the US Postal service raised prices last year on priority international shipping. I normally ship with priority international small box. Last year the price rose from $14 shipping to $24 for the same box.

We're not trying to gouge you for shipping at all. It was just raised exponentially very recently.

I've tried keeping shipping down by using 1st Class, but after waiting 2-4 weeks for a package to arrive in Europe to the correct addresses, I swore it off.

Geoff Baker
Posted January 14, 2015 - 6:53am

In reply to by plainsmen

...and don't fail to mention Jerin, that small US Flat Rate Box shipped domestically is $5.25 USD. Basically it's $20 extra for it to cross a border. Shawn lives closer to me than you do, yet it's would be five times more expensive to mail a watch to him! Oh, and shipping to Australia? A two pound box cost me $60. Sheesh, I could drive it there for that price (almost). Know that a large part of the justification for shipping price increases has always been fuel cost. I paid $1.67 for a US gallon of gasoline this week. About .40 a litre. Seems like shipping costs should be cut in HALF right now.

bobbee
Posted January 14, 2015 - 8:22am

Talking of fuel, british petrol (gas) just dipped below £1 per litre, the lowest for years. That is around £4.50 per gallon, or about four times US prices!

Reverend Rob
Posted January 14, 2015 - 9:45am

The Saudis have publicly announced that they are going to keep production high to make prices crash in order to kill off US shale gas and Canadian companies that produce high cost, and in most cases, dirty oil. They have stated they will not back off til this happens, and it has already caused a spike in consumer spending. More money for watches!

How's that for a tie-in?

donegd
Posted January 15, 2015 - 10:09am

Hi Rev Rob

maybe be more money for watch sellers but makes it more expensive for bidders. still you know what they say "its the money that makes the world go around"  just wish more of it would make itself around me.

Reverend Rob
Posted January 15, 2015 - 10:28am

 

Actually, I meant more money for buyers. They have already announced in Alberta that there is a sudden consumer spending spike, despite the 'end of the world' forecast by the oil producers. If you aren't spending a load of money to gas up your car, you can buy more watches! The Sheikhs are saying it will stimulate world economies, and I think they may be right. There is a glut on the market, and there is already enough oil for many years coming from Texas and the Middle East, so additional and high cost shale exploration and tar sand development is essentially counter-productive, dirty and expensive, between 50-60 dollars a barrel. 

Anyway, not meaning to highjack the thread, but we're hearing this is good news, in the big picture. 

 

donegd
Posted January 15, 2015 - 11:35am

Well all I can say is enjoy it whilst it lasts. I worked in the financial sector for 40 yrs and have seen these booms and busts many many times. economies are like big wheels turning they are either on the way up or on the way down but never still.