The biggest watch resellers in the UK during the past year are from London, Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow, and Birmingham, according to a recent report from Vintage Cash Cow, the easy way to sell old stuff. Over the past year the company bought over 58,000 watches, the timeless leader being London with 1,605 watches sent in. The second in place belongs to Manchester with 945 watches, while Nottingham comes in third with 839, followed closely by Glasgow (770) and Birmingham (761).

Andy Hepworth, watches specialist at Vintage Cash Cow, says, “We have definitely seen a resurgence in the demand for watches in recent years. After the heyday of the Swiss watch in the 1960s, watches have become more affordable, low maintenance and available to everyone. Their feature in film and TV has also had a huge influence on this trend. When Ryan Gosling sported a vintage Omega in the film ‘La la land’, this style of watch made its way back into current fashion, much like the Seiko watch worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the classic 80s film ‘Predator’. The wide range of brands, models and styles as well as the craftsmanship has made watches a popular collector’s piece.”

In addition, the report reveals that the top 10 UK counties making the most money from their pre-owned goods while contributing to a more sustainable economy are Greater London, Essex, Hampshire, Greater Manchester, West and North Yorkshire, Cheshire, Devon, Kent and East Sussex. Since March 2020, a total of 130 tonnes of items have been submitted to Vintage Cash Cow, all worth over £1.5m. More details can be found here: www.vintagecashcow.co.uk/about/2020-21-in-review/.

To mark the start of this new annual report, Vintage Cash Cow launches its biggest campaign to date, the Spring Clear Out: www.vintagecashcow.co.uk/about/spring-clear-out/. This takes place until 14 May to encourage new and existing customers to declutter their homes by reselling their unwanted, unused, old or vintage items. The company has set itself a target of rehoming 40 tonnes of goods between the campaign dates, progress which can be followed in real time on the landing page. This sustainable goal could be achieved with the help of over 8,000 customers sending in an average box of 5kg.

Any existing or new customer who sends a box until 14 May will be enrolled into a prize draw where one winner will be picked to receive £1,000 and this amount will be matched with a donation to a charity of his/her choice.

David Weaver, co-founder of Vintage Cash Cow, explains, “We find that people are usually sitting on untapped opportunities so we want to help the whole country realise the potential of the items they’re about to throw away as part of their spring cleaning efforts, or which just lie around the house or are stored in their attics. It’s a shame for them to take up space when they could actually increase people’s income in a sustainable way. We’ve got the system in place to resell and rehome their goods and extend their life cycle, keeping the items out of landfill and creating a positive environmental impact.”

How does this work? Turning clutter into cash is now an easy three-step process. The Hunt: customers hunt around the home for old and once loved treasures they’d like to sell and pack them into a box. The Appraisal: the box is posted to the Vintage Cash Cow head office with a choice of free Post Office drop off, or a free home collection. The team of experts carefully appraise the items and make the customer a cash offer for it all. The Decision: the customer can accept the offer and receive the payment via same day bank transfer or cheque in the post, or choose to have the belongings returned for free. A no
obligation, free of charge service to help take the hassle and haggling out of selling.