Watch collector reveals how she’s picked up designer timepieces worth more than £6,000 for less than HALF the price by shopping closing down sales, browsing TK Maxx and driving a hard bargain on eBay
- Sharron, 58, has a collection of 22 designer watches worth over £6,000
- Shopping secondhand has saved over £3,000 by finding bargain prices
- She once saved £250 on a Gucci Marina silver stainless steel wristwatch
A watch collector has shared her tips for buying designer timepieces at a fraction of the price.
Admin worker Sharron, 58, of Newcastle, has been picking up watches since the Eighties and now has 22, including 14 different Gucci models, one Longines, one Tissot, one Christian Dior, one Tag Heuer and one Vivienne Westwood.
Rather than splashing out on a full-price watch, Sharron looks out for bargains on second-hand sites, on online marketplaces, and at stores like TK Maxx that specialise in cheaper designer goods.
She estimates her entire collection is worth £6,000 but that she spent less than half of that.
Admin worker Sharron, 58, of Newcastle, has been picking up watches since the Eighties and now has 22, including 14 different Gucci models, one Longines, one Tissot, one Christian Dior, one Tag Heuer and one Vivienne Westwood
Rather than splashing out on a full-price watch, Sharron looks out for bargains on second-hand sites, on online marketplaces, and at stores like TK Maxx that specialise in cheaper designer goods. Pictured, her collection
Sharron got the Gucci Silver Horse (left) for under £200 as this was for sale new at £426.56, saving her £226. Right, Sharron’s best bargain was the vintage Gucci stainless steel Mod3900 which was going online for £221.86 but she got it for under £100
Speaking to LatestDeals.co.uk said: ‘I now have such a big collection that both my sister and best friend are at loggerheads as to who will receive it in my will.’
‘Some of my best bargains from this collection include the Gucci Twirl, which is quite quirky in that the face spins right round.
‘I got the white stainless steel model, and while it was retailing online at £423.45 I purchased it for under £200, saving £223.
‘I got the Gucci Silver Horse for under £200 as well, and this was for sale new at £426.56, so I saved £226.
‘I have looked online for my Gucci Marina silver stainless steel wristwatch, and it is advertised at £382.50. I got it for £150, saving over £230.
‘I got the Gucci Ladies 1400 model in stainless steel for under £200 when it was retailing for £427, saving £227, but my best bargain was the vintage Gucci stainless
Sharron’s interest was first piqued when a friend was given a Gucci watch from her then-fiancée, a slim gold-tone watch with a black rectangular dial, and a bangle bracelet.
Now she is a pro in finding the best deals around and said it’s important not to accept the first offer you see on eBay.
‘Many a purchase has been made on eBay and if I think the price is too much, I will make an offer or scroll on by,’ she said.
‘The company my husband works for has a private company selling site and this proved fruitful for me, with the purchase of a Gucci at a good price.
Sharron’s collection includes a Tag Heur watch, which was also bought for a discounted price
Speaking to LatestDeals.co.uk, she said: ‘Only three of the Guccis were purchased new.
‘Even then, two of them came from duty-free and the other one was from a jewellery store that was having a closing-down sale.
‘The others were bought second-hand from eBay, Facebook Marketplace, pawnbrokers and pre-owned from a jeweller.
‘I know if the watches had been purchased brand new at full price, then the total value of my collection would be well in excess of £6,000.
‘However, I would estimate that I have saved well over half of that amount.’
She added: Brand new Gucci wristwatches are not cheap, but I just think it’s silly to pay such high prices and would rather wait to pick up a bargain pre-loved timepiece.
‘After all, once it’s on my wrist who knows how much it cost.’
Sharron will scour eBay for deals and if she thinks the price is too high, she will make an offer or scroll past. Above, a Gucci watch from Sharron’s 22-piece collection (left) and another design
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