When you are looking for a place to buy or sell a designer watch, you have many options. There are tons of auction sites or person-to-person sales apps that you can use. However, smart buyers and sellers know that their local pawnshop is their best bet when it comes to buying or selling a designer watch. Keep reading to find out why your local pawn shop is a great place to buy or sell a designer watch, what to look for when buying, and how to get the most money for your watch.
Why a pawnshop?
Buying or selling a designer watch is a unique experience. It is not like selling other, less valuable items, such as a video game console. When you want to sell a designer watch, you must carefully consider your options. Buying through other avenues, such as online, from a jeweler, or an individual, put you at risk of being defrauded or overpaying. Additionally, selling a designer watch through these same methods is time-consuming, expensive, and can even put your safety at risk.
All of these concerns can be alleviated by using your local pawnshop to buy or sell a designer watch. Pawnshops are safe and secure, and you will get cash in hand in minutes.
Buying a designer watch
Buying a designer watch is an investment. As such, you owe it to yourself to do your due diligence and make sure you are buying a genuine article at a reasonable and fair price. Although every pawnbroker works hard to ensure that they have only authentic designer watches in their shops, you should still know how to spot fakes.
How to spot fake watches
You should always make sure you are getting what you are paying for. The market for fake watches is big and potentially dangerous business.
Counterfeiters are becoming more advanced, making it increasingly difficult to spot fakes. Some are even so well done that they have fooled experts. However, here are some ways to spot a fake:
Buy in person
Many buyers are lured by low prices online and depend on a designer watch’s photos to determine that it is real. This is why you should always buy in person. You will be able to examine the timepiece carefully and use your knowledge to ensure it is real.
When you visit Azusa Pawn for your designer watch, here are some things we will encourage you to study:
- Material – the metals of counterfeit watches are usually slightly off-colored or are missing designer hallmarks.
- Weight – counterfeit watches tend to be lighter than expected due to the low-quality materials used to make them. Also, they often feel rough in hand because they are not made by artisans.
- Typefaces and engravings – genuine luxury watches do not have typos or inconsistent design. On the other hand, counterfeit watches sometimes have awkwardly mispositioned letters or numbers, or rough engraving.
- Movement – always closely examine the action on any luxury watch you are considering buying. Even the most experienced counterfeiters will have trouble mimicking the immaculate movement of genuine designer watches.
- Sound – you should also examine the sound of the watch’s movement. Fakes tend to be louder than the nearly silent operation of genuine watches.
Selling your designer watch
If you are looking for quick cash-in-hand for your watch and are ready for your watch to find a new home, your local pawnshop is the place for you. Here’s how to get the most for your watch:
Clean it up
Your first step is to clean your watch as well and non-intrusively as possible. Do not use abrasives or solvents that may damage the face, strap, or links. Use a small, soft-bristled brush to clean the casing and straps of dust and debris. Use a soft cloth like the type that is typically used to clean eyeglass lenses for the face.
Locate the paperwork
Like other high-end luxury items such as cars or antiques, a designer watch’s value directly correlates to the records that accompany it. For example, receipts, certificates of authenticity, serial numbers, original packaging give your watch provenance. This reassures your pawnbroker, and potential buyers that you watch is authentic and has been cared for. Also, it will make it easier for your pawnbroker to resell. The more paperwork you can provide, the more confident you can be about the price you’ll get.
Find additional links
One of the many benefits of a designer watch is the ability to customize the fit by removing or adding links to the band. If your watch has additional links, including them when you attempt to sell will make your watch more attractive to your pawnbroker. Having the original links will make it easier to resell. Your pawnbroker will appreciate being able to offer the watch to a wider variety of customers, which will be reflected in the price.
Know the current value of your designer watch
Before you head into your local pawn shop, do your research on the current market value of your watch. Prices on designer watches fluctuate according to a variety of factors. A good rule of thumb is to expect around 40- 60% of the current value. Start your research by going online and finding out how recent auctions or sales went for watches like yours. This information will give you a ballpark idea of its current market value, which is sometimes vastly different than its perceived or former value.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
The more homework you do, and the more educated you are about your watch’s value, the better position you will be in to negotiate. Your local pawnbroker is open to working with you to figure out a price that works for everyone. You can do your part to arrive at this ideal price by being knowledgeable and open to negotiation.
Without a doubt, the best place to get top dollar for your designer watch with minimal effort or risk to you is at your local pawn shop. Your local pawnbrokers are professionals with years of experience with designer watches of all kinds. When you bring your watch into a shop with as much expertise as Azusa Pawn, you deal with someone who is a reliable member of your community and who will work hard to give you a fair offer for your watch. Visit us today to see how we can help you buy or sell your next designer watch!