Selling your watch outright to me is the fastest way to get your money. However, you will not realize as much money selling it to me as you will consigning it. That's because if I put up my own money, I expect a greater return than I do if I don't have to put my own money on the line.

Generally speaking, I will offer you approximately-20-25% less than what I am expecting to sell a watch for. Let's say you have an Omega Speedmaster Professional with NASA engraving. I expect to sell the watch for $950. I will offer you somewhere between $713 and $760.

I say "generally speaking" because the 20%-25% margin usually applies only to watches that I feel I can expect to sell reasonably quickly (within 30-60 days). If what you have for sale is something obscure or that is not in demand, that margin may increase to as much as 50%.

I will not, however, play games with you as some dealers do. If you describe something to me and/or send me an image or a fax of it, I will tell you honestly what I can pay. And if the watch is as described, you will get the promised offer. Other dealers are notorious for playing the old "high-low" game -- they tell you one thing on the phone, and then when they get the piece, their offer is half (or less) of the telephone offer because of supposed "problems" they found with your watch! I don't play such games.

This method realizes you the greatest amount of money for your watch or watches, but also takes the longest to get your money. Generally speaking, you'll receive payment anywhere from 14 to 30 days after the watch goes "on hold." Generally, "on hold" means the watch is sold - the customer buys the watch and keeps it. But sometimes there are delaying factors - I have to wait for payment. If a check is sent, I must wait for funds to clear. The watch can take anywhere from 3 days to a week to get to the customer. The customer then has a 3-day grace period to determine if the watch will be kept. All these factors can delay your payment. The process is even longer when an international sale is involved. So you shouldn't be surprised if payment takes up to 30 days.

My terms on consignments are quite simple and are very competitive compared with others in the market:

1. 20% of the watch's asking price or $35, whichever is greater.

2. You can set your minimum "net" price, or have me price the watch, whichever you prefer. I will always try and get you the most I can for the watch, priced within what the market will bear. This only makes sense; the more you make, the more I make. Of course, we need to agree on price and I reserve the right to decline the piece if we are too far apart on price.

3. I need possession of the piece for at least 30 days to allow sufficient presentation to the public. If the watch does not sell on my site, I will often try it on eBay. Either way, I pay all fees (credit card, eBay commissions) associated with selling the watch.

If the piece does not sell after 30 days on my web site, combined with an eBay auction, there are three options:

a. I can reduce the price (usually 10%) with a corresponding drop in your "net" realization and run the piece again for 30 days;
b. I can offer to buy the piece outright from you for a reduced price; or
c. Return the piece to you (I pay postage).

Generally speaking, I don't want to run a consignment piece on the Web site/eBay for more than 60 days. If it doesn't sell by then, it's probably not going to sell.

For an example, let's take the same Omega Speedmaster mentioned above. I sell the watch for $950; you net $807.50. That's $47.50 to $94.50 more than if you would have sold the watch to me outright. However, you might wait 30 days for your money.

I'll *consider* trading most any of my watches for most anything you might have. The key word, however, is consider. Traders must understand one basic principle: I am not a collector, therefore I cannot trade even up. I am a dealer and dependent upon this venture for a living. Therefore, whatever I might trade for has to be something that I feel I can make a "reasonable" profit on. In this case, "reasonable" is anywhere from 10% to 50%, depending on what the watch is.

Again, let's use the example of the Omega Speedmaster Professional. I might have one on the Web site for $950. You want to trade, and you have the following watches:

1. a LeCoultre Futurematic in gold-filled;
2. a Girard Perregaux Gyromatic in stainless steel;
3. an Omega Seasmaster with a gold shell case; and
4. a box containing 10 common Bulova rectangles in various states of condition.

I estimate the Futurematic will bring $650; the Gyromatic $150 and the Seamaster $175. Total: $950. I will allow you $855 on those watches, 10% less, because I feel I can move all those pieces quickly. The Bulovas I estimate I can sell for an average of $15 apiece for total of $150. However, I will have to sell them piecemeal and it will take a long time. Therefore I can only allow you $75 on those. At that point, you have $930 in trade and could purchase the Omega Speedmaster Professional for your watches plus $20.

Bruce Shawkey
P.O. Box 74
Evansville, WI 53536

Alternate address for UPS/Fed Ex or courrier other than U.S. Postal Service will be given upon request. Please do not write "The Watch Store" on the package! It only invites thievery. Be sure to insure your package for replacement value. I cannot be responsible for shipments sent uninsured which are lost/damaged while in transit. Please be sure to include a detailed packing slip with all contents listed by brand, model, and a brief description. As mentioned before, you may specify a net amount that you need on the piece or pieces, or allow me to set the asking price. And please, please, include a daytime phone or fax number.

Unfortunately, most of my customers are beyond the common watches, which include most Bulova, Elgin, and Gruen (except long -- 42mm or longer -- Curvexes). Common Hamilton mechanicals and Hamilton Electrics are also pretty soft right now, as are common Bulova Accutron 218 models (set with the crown at 4:00 position). Most Helbros and Benrus are cold. Exceptions are the Benrus direct reads and/or cases that are asymmetrical. Most watches from the late 1960s and beyond also have very limited appeal. Most of these are cheap Swiss imports that are "masquerading" as watches from their former great companies -- Elgin, Waltham, Hamilton, Jules Jurgenson, etc. Quartz LED watches are still not collectible yet, with the exception of the first Pulsars and the early Bulova "side of the wrist" LEDs.

This is not to say I won't consider buying/trading any of the watches that are "not hot." However, you can expect that prices and/or trade allowances offered on these more common watches will be lower and, in fact, probably lower than what you paid for them!