We love flash sales. That little surge of joy that runs through us just around lunch time when our inbox is flooded with the day’s daily sale email. In fact, I can’t even bear the thought of paying full price for a pair of designer jeans anymore because I just know in a week I’ll get the Gilt Groupe alert that they can be mine for 40% less than I saw them for on Newbury St.
However, we’ve noticed lately that sites like Gilt, Beyond the Rack and Rue La La have been hosting curated sales of one-of-a-kind vintage & pre-owned luxury goods. From Chanel & Louis Vuitton handbags to couture fashions from boutiques like What Goes Around Comes Around to, of course, watches from the more notable brands like Cartier & Rolex… So how does the flash sale model measure up when it comes to the pre-owned luxury watch market?
Well, you guessed it, the answer is- not well. Yesterday, our beloved Rue La La launched an exclusive Cartier & Rolex pre-owned watch sale. In terms of breadth of inventory- the sale was certainly impressive. We panned pages and pages of Tanks, Roadsters, and Datejusts- all appearing to be in impeccable condition…
But what wasn’t impressive was the pricing. $6000 for a Pre-Owned Stainless Steel Rolex Submariner? Seemed a bit outrageous- especially when you considered there was no indication of box or papers with the watch and the Final Sale / No Returns policy in small print.
Theirs:
What would that same stainless steel Rolex Submariner watch, pre-owned, in like new condition, go for on eRelyx? Well, we currently have one listed here for $5390. And that includes original box and a 3-day window for returns.
Ours:
We’re certainly not trying to hate on RueLaLa (we are huge fans) and we adore them for their amazing prices on apparel and accessories from our fave contemporary designers- but we do think its worth shopping around for a better deal when it comes to making that pre-owned luxury watch purchase online.
