All right, get ready to dive deep,
because today we're looking at the world of custom G-Shocks.
Oh, cool.
Yeah.
We found this YouTube video by a guy named Stevie Sells,
who wanted to see if he could make some side cash
by tricking out G-Shocks.
Nice.
Yeah, so we got to find out, is this actually
a viable business model, or is it all just hype?
Well, it's smart that Stevie didn't just jump right in.
Right.
He noticed that customized G-Shocks were selling for a lot
more money than regular ones.
Interesting.
Yeah.
And Stevie was already a big G-Shock fan.
He loved how durable they were, but that they
were pretty affordable.
Yeah, makes sense.
But seeing that price difference for the custom ones
really got him thinking like an entrepreneur.
Yeah, it really makes you wonder,
like what can you spot that's kind of like that?
Yeah.
That you could capitalize on?
So like a good internet slew, Stevie
does some research on Instagram and eBay,
and finds that custom G-Shocks are going for like $150 to $300.
Wow.
Yeah.
And a normal G-Shock only costs around $70 to $100.
Yeah, so that's a big markup.
It is a huge markup.
But here's what's really interesting.
Stevie figures out that he can get the parts,
the bands and the hour markers and stuff,
super cheap from Alibaba.
Really?
Yeah, like way cheaper than buying them retail.
Wow.
Yeah.
So suddenly those profit margins are looking pretty good.
Hold on.
So you're telling me he can just buy the regular G-Shock
and then just swap out the parts with cheap Alibaba parts?
Pretty much.
Yeah.
That sounds almost too easy.
What's the catch?
I mean, there is some skill involved in actually
customizing the watches.
I guess so.
And then there's all the business stuff,
like you got to market it and take pictures and deal
with customers.
Right, of course.
But Stevie saw that he could get the materials for really cheap
and then add value by customizing them.
I see.
That's actually a pretty classic business strategy.
OK.
Yeah, that makes sense.
So it makes me wonder who exactly
is buying these customized G-Shocks.
Yeah, good question.
They're cool watches, but we're not
talking about like a Rolex or anything.
Right, it's all about knowing who you're selling to.
So Stevie saw this one G-Shock model, the GA2100,
that was really popular for customizing.
OK, why is that?
Well, it kind of looks like a watch
from this luxury brand, Audemars Piguet.
And those watches cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Right.
But you could get a customized GA2100 that
looks pretty similar for way less money.
Oh, so it's like the poor man's Audemars Piguet.
You could say that.
Ha, ha, interesting.
It really makes you think about why
we like those fancy brands in the first place.
Definitely.
There's a lot that goes into branding and how much
we think something is worth.
For sure.
So this was perfect for Stevie.
Yeah.
He knew people wanted that high end look.
Right.
So he could make a more affordable option.
Exactly.
So Steven decides to go for it.
He buys eight new G-Shocks in different colors
and a bunch of bands and hour markers from Alibaba.
All of this cost him around $675.
That's a pretty good investment.
It is.
Especially since he's getting those parts at wholesale prices,
that'll help his profit.
Exactly.
And you know what?
He even made up a brand name, Carrot Customs.
Wait, Carrot Customs?
What's the story there?
He just said, your boy likes carrots.
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
I kind of love that.
It's not too serious, you know?
So he's got the watches.
He's got the parts.
He's got this cool brand name.
What happens next?
Well, all the G-Shocks finally arrive,
and Stevie's ready to start customizing.
OK.
But the actual process turned out to be pretty simple.
Really?
Yeah.
He basically takes off the bands, opens up the watch,
and swaps out the parts.
That's it.
Pretty much.
There are even a ton of YouTube tutorials if you need help.
So why isn't everyone doing this?
If it's so easy, I'm about to start customizing watches, too.
Ha, ha, right.
It is pretty easy to get started.
Right.
But that also means that there could be a lot of competition.
I guess so.
So Stevie really leaned on his market research
to figure out how to stand out.
Good point.
He even made some custom G-Shocks
that he didn't personally like.
Uh-huh, OK.
But he knew from his research that they would sell.
That's smart.
Give the people what they want.
Exactly.
He just copied the designs that were already popular on eBay.
Oh, very smart.
But I'm sure he had some designs that he did like.
Oh, yeah, definitely.
And who were they?
He really liked one that had a black bezel, a silver band,
and Tiffany blue accents.
Oh, that sounds cool.
Yeah, sounds pretty stylish.
Yeah.
OK, so he's done all the prep work,
and he has all these cool watches ready to go.
Yeah.
How does he actually sell them online?
Well, first he has to show them off, right?
Yeah, good point.
So Stevie set up a simple spot to take pictures of the watches,
kept the lighting pretty basic.
Makes sense.
And he did some simple edits in Lightroom
to make sure the photos all have the same look.
So nothing too crazy.
Nope, he wasn't going for super fancy photos.
He just wanted good, clear pictures
that showed off the watches.
That's a good reminder that sometimes good enough is good enough.
Oh, yeah, for sure.
You don't have to be perfect right away.
Absolutely, especially when you're just getting started.
Right.
And he even talked about how the quality of the photos
matters depending on where you're selling.
Yeah, like for eBay, he figured simple photos would work just fine.
Totally, that makes sense.
OK, so photos are taken, the listings are ready.
Now it's time for the scary part,
figuring out how much to charge.
Yeah, pricing is tricky.
It is.
Stevie wants to make good money, so how did he pick a price?
OK, so he decided that he wanted to make at least $160
profit per watch.
OK.
That's after paying eBay fees and shipping.
Right.
So he set his starting price at $200.
Got it.
And that includes the new custom band, right?
Yeah.
And he even included the original G-Shock band, too.
Oh, nice.
Good little bonus.
OK, so he has nice photos, detailed descriptions,
and good prices.
Yep.
How does he actually get people to see his listings on eBay?
There's got to be a ton of stuff on there.
Right.
So Stevie was really clever about this.
Instead of trying to make his own brand really popular,
which takes a lot of time and work.
Yeah, of course.
He decided to use a brand that was already popular.
You mean G-Shock.
Exactly.
He made sure to use G-Shock in the titles and descriptions
of his eBay listings.
Oh, that's smart.
Yeah, because when people search for G-Shock on eBay,
they'll see his custom watches, too.
That's a great idea.
So he doesn't even have to pay for advertising.
Nope.
It's like he's using G-Shock's popularity to help him.
Very, very clever.
So did it work?
It definitely did.
Yeah.
Right away, he started getting tons of views
and people were watching his listings.
Awesome.
And then he made his first sale.
Let's go.
Which one was it?
It was the Black Steel G-Shock with the custom blue hour
markers.
Oh, cool.
How much did he sell it for?
He got the full $200 for it.
So that's $160 profit.
No way.
That's awesome.
All that work really paid off.
It did.
And over the next two days, he sold even more.
Really?
Yeah.
Someone bought two watches.
The orange camo one and the green one for $165 each.
Nice.
That's a bulk deal.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
The profit on those was a little less,
but it was still a quick and easy sale.
Makes sense.
Yeah.
Gotta keep that inventory moving.
Exactly.
He made another $120 in profit from those two.
OK, that's great.
What about his favorite one?
You mean the one with the black bezel, silver band,
and Tiffany blue accents?
Yeah, that one.
Did that one sell?
It did.
He sold it for $189.95.
Nice.
So that was $149.95 profit.
And then he kept selling more.
No way.
Yeah.
Both the rainbow face with navy strap and the steel one
with red accents sold for $175 each.
So he made another $130.
You got it.
Wow.
So he sold six watches in just a few days?
Yeah.
This is amazing.
It seems like he hit a gold mine with this idea.
He definitely was doing really well.
Yeah.
But then things slowed down a bit.
That's too bad.
Yeah, sales were slow for a couple days,
so he had to get creative to get people buying again.
What did he do?
He decided to lower the prices a little
on the watches he had left.
Oh, that's a classic sales tactic.
It is.
And it usually works.
And it did.
He sold the last rainbow face G-Shock for $175.
Sweet.
Another $130.
Yeah.
So let me get this straight.
In a little over a week, Stevie sold almost all of his watches.
Yeah.
Seven out of eight.
And he made almost $700.
That's right.
Not bad for a little side hustle.
Not bad at all.
And he even got to keep one of the watches for himself.
That's right.
He kept the last one as a reward for all his hard work.
Nice.
But Stevie's a stickler for details.
And when he was looking over his numbers,
he realized that he forgot about something.
Uh-oh.
What was it?
He forgot about that $80 shipping fee
he paid to get the watch bands from Alibaba.
Man, the hidden costs of international shipping.
Exactly.
He totally forgot about it because it's so long ago.
Yeah.
It's so easy to forget about those little things.
It is.
So how did that change his final profit?
Well, it basically added about $10 to the cost of each watch.
OK.
So his real profit was more like $630.
Still pretty amazing.
Yeah, for sure.
But it's a good reminder that you have to keep
track of every single cost, even the little ones.
Absolutely.
They can really add up.
They really can.
OK.
So even with that little mistake,
Stevie still proved that this custom G-Shock thing could work.
Definitely.
He wasn't just happy with those first sales either.
Oh, so he's thinking bigger now.
Exactly.
He wanted to figure out how to scale things up
and make even more money.
OK.
I'm hooked.
Tell me more.
Well, he started noticing other eBay sellers who
had thousands of custom G-Shock listings.
Thousands.
I could barely keep track of eight.
Uh-huh.
Right.
It made Stevie wonder if they actually had all those watches
or if they were doing something different.
Interesting.
What could they be doing?
He thought maybe they were doing customization on demand.
What's that?
So they'd take pictures of all the different parts,
like the bezels and bands and markers.
OK.
And then they'd use those pictures
to show a bunch of different custom designs online.
Whoa.
So it's like they're making a digital version of the watch.
Yeah, exactly.
So the customer picks what they want,
and then the seller builds it after they order.
Exactly.
That's so smart.
Right.
It's really efficient.
Yeah.
They don't have to spend as much money upfront,
and they don't have to worry about having a ton of watches
that don't sell.
It's like the perfect system.
It is a really good system.
It gives them a lot of flexibility.
Wow.
Stevie's really thinking like a real businessman now.
Ah, he is.
But did he just stop at G-Shox?
Nope.
He had even more ideas.
OK.
Like what?
He started thinking about other things he could customize.
Interesting.
Like AirPods, Apple Watches, and even hats
from popular sports teams.
Yeah.
Nice.
Yeah, he realized he could take popular brands
with simple designs and then customize them.
Exactly.
You're tapping into something that's already popular,
but making it unique.
Exactly.
And remember those G-Shox that kind of looked like Audemars
Piguet watches?
Oh, yeah.
That was really clever.
Well, he saw that people were doing the same thing,
but with Rolex.
Whoa.
A Rolex G-Shox.
What does it even look like?
I'm not sure.
But it definitely got me curious.
Me too.
People are always coming up with new and creative ways
to combine brands and styles.
Totally.
Makes me wonder what other cool combos are out there.
This whole deep dive is making me look at everyday things
totally differently.
Ha ha.
I know what you mean.
That's what's so cool about learning new things
and seeing things from different perspectives.
Yeah.
Totally.
It opens your mind to a whole new world of possibilities.
Yeah.
But I think the bigger question is,
what did Stevie really learn from this whole G-Shox experiment?
Good point.
For me, the biggest thing is that you
don't need a ton of money or a super complicated business
plan to get started.
Stevie showed that if you pay attention, do your research,
and aren't afraid to try things out,
you can actually create a business that makes money.
For sure.
And it's also really important to be organized and keep
track of your finances.
Right.
That shipping fee really tripped them up.
Yeah.
Ha ha.
It did.
So what's the final verdict?
Is the custom G-Shox business worth it?
Yeah.
I think Stevie proved that it definitely can be.
OK.
It doesn't cost much to get started.
Yeah.
There are people who want to buy these custom watches.
For sure.
And you can be really creative with your designs.
I love it.
But just like with any business,
you need to know what's going on in the market,
have a good process, and be ready to work hard.
Makes sense.
But oh, and I forgot one more thing.
That carrot custom's name is genius.
I know, right?
It's so catchy, and it makes you smile.
Yeah, exactly.
OK.
Adding a little bit of personality
can really make you stand out, especially when there
are so many other people doing the same thing.
Great point.
So to everyone listening out there,
if you're inspired by Stevie's story
and want to be an entrepreneur like him,
here's what you got to do.
See what's popular, do your research,
pick a product you really like,
and don't be afraid to get creative.
Great advice.
And most importantly, what's that?
Have fun.
Yeah, absolutely.
Being an entrepreneur should be an adventure.
You never know where your ideas might take you.
Well said.
It looks like we've reached the end of our G-Shock deep dive.
Yeah, that was fun.
We hope you enjoyed it, and that it gave you
some ideas of your own.
Me too.
Keep exploring, keep learning, and keep
those creative juices flowing.
Yeah.
See you next time.
Bye, everyone.
Bye.
So he's got all these cool looking G-Shocks ready to go.
It's time to get them online, right?
Exactly.
Time to make some sales.
How do you do that?
How do you actually get these in front of buyers?
Presentation is key.
I bet.
Stevie sets up a simple little photo area,
takes some decent pics.
OK.
Does some basic editing in Lightroom.
Keeping it simple.
Yeah, just keeping it consistent.
Right.
Not trying to make them like magazine quality or anything.
Just clear, well-lit, showing the watch as well.
Makes sense.
That's a good point, though.
Sometimes good enough really is good enough.
For sure.
Especially when you're just starting out.
Yeah.
No need to get bogged down in all the details.
Right.
Can always improve later.
Exactly.
So he even mentioned this balance.
Oh, yeah.
Between quantity and quality.
Yeah, yeah.
Like it depends on the platform.
Sure.
eBay.
Yeah.
Just keep it straightforward, clear photos.
That's what people want to see.
Yeah.
OK, it makes sense.
So photos are up.
Listings are all prepped.
It's the moment of truth.
I know.
The big question.
Pricing.
How did Stevie find that sweet spot?
He wanted at least $160 profit per watch.
OK.
After eBay fees and shipping.
Makes sense.
So he decided to start at $200 each.
OK, OK.
Oh, and he threw in a little bonus too.
What's that?
He included the original G-Shock bands.
Oh, smart.
Along with the custom ones.
Yeah, that's a good value add.
Exactly.
Sweetens the deal a little.
So OK, eye catch and photos.
He's got his descriptions.
Good prices.
How does he actually get those listings seen on eBay?
Well, here's where Stevie got real smart.
OK, tell me.
He didn't try to like build his own brand from scratch.
Yeah, that takes forever.
Exactly.
Takes time, takes effort.
So instead.
What do you do?
He leveraged the power of an existing brand.
What do you mean?
G-Shock.
Oh, OK.
Exactly.
He made sure G-Shock was all over those listings, titles,
descriptions, everywhere.
So smart.
People searching for G-Shocks on eBay.
Boom, they'd find his custom creations.
He doesn't even have to pay for ads.
Nope.
Riding that G-Shock wave.
Brilliant.
That's really thinking outside the box.
It is.
Did it actually work, though?
Oh, it did.
Oh, really?
Hours after posting, views are piling up,
watches are coming in.
That's awesome.
And then Cha-ching.
First sale.
Let's go.
Tell me everything.
The black steel G-Shock with those custom blue hour
markers.
OK, OK.
Sold for the full 200.
$160 profit, just like that.
Boom.
Instant validation.
I bet he was pumped.
Oh, yeah.
And then what happened next?
Over the next couple days, things kept rolling.
Nice.
Keep that momentum going.
Someone snagged two watches, the orange camo,
and that green one, Steve, you really liked.
OK.
For $165 each.
A little lower profit.
A little lower.
But hey, quick and easy sale.
Right, exactly.
Another $120 in profit.
Sweet.
OK, what about his favorite?
The black bezel, silver band, Tiffany blue.
Someone buy that one.
They did?
Come on, Hemma.
$189.95.
Nice.
$149.95 profit.
That's awesome.
And then he sold the rainbow face with the navy strap
and the steel one with red accents.
OK, OK.
$175 each for those.
Another $130 profit.
Let's go.
Yeah, he was on a roll.
But then, you know, things happen.
What do you mean?
Sales slowed down a bit.
Oh, no.
It happens.
So Stevie, he didn't panic.
He tried a classic sales tactic.
That hits you, dude.
A little price adjustment.
The old reliable sale.
It works.
It does.
Drop the prices a little and sure enough.
Come on, tell them.
Sold that last rainbow face G-Shock for $175.
Another $130.
There it is.
So wait, just a week and a half,
he sold seven out of eight watches.
Yeah.
Total profit drum roll, please.
Almost $700.
Insane.
He struck gold with this.
He was definitely killing it.
I know.
But then there's always something, right?
Oh, yeah.
Stevie, be in Stevie the profit tracker.
Uh-oh.
What happened?
Realized he missed an expense.
No.
What was it?
That $80 shipping fee from Alibaba way back when.
Oh, I hate when that happens.
It happens.
Slipped his mind because it was so long ago.
Yeah, those hidden costs.
It's cuff.
All right.
So what that do to his profit?
It about $10 to the cost per watch.
OK.
So final profit, a little over $630.
Still amazing.
Still a fantastic result, but it's a lesson.
For sure, track everything.
Got to track everything.
Even those little things.
Every penny counts.
It does.
So even with that, Stevie proved it.
You can do this custom G-Shock thing.
He proved it.
And you know what?
He wasn't just content with those sales.
Oh, so what's next?
He starts thinking bigger.
I like it.
He's on a roll.
He is making that money.
But he's not going to stop there, right?
What's he going to do to make this even bigger?
So he sees these other eBay sellers.
OK.
They've got thousands of G-Shock listings.
Thousands.
How do they even keep track of all that?
That's what Stevie's wondering too.
Yeah.
I could barely handle eight.
Right.
What's their secret?
He thinks they're using this customization on demand thing.
Customization on demand.
What is that?
So they take pictures of all the different parts, right?
Bezzles, bands, markers.
OK, yeah.
Then they mix and match them digitally.
Make all these different custom designs online.
So it's like a virtual G-Shock builder.
Exactly.
Customers pick and choose, and they only
build a watch when it's ordered.
That's so smart.
Saves so much hassle.
Right.
We've got to spend a ton of money up front.
Yeah.
No piles of watches just sitting around.
Super efficient.
Yeah.
Stevie's really thinking like a pro now.
He is.
But did he stop at G-Shocks?
What else was he thinking about?
Oh, his brain was going.
Uh-huh.
He started thinking about all these other products,
like AirPods.
Those are hot.
Yeah.
Apple watches.
Even hats from sports teams and stuff.
I see where he's going with this.
Find those popular things easy to customize.
Exactly.
Use that existing demand, but make it unique.
So smart.
Oh, and remember those G-Shocks that looked kind of like
Audemars Piguet?
Oh, yeah.
Well, Stevie found another trend, Rolex G-Shock mods.
Whoa.
Rolex and G-Shock.
That's wild.
Right.
What does that even look like?
I'm not sure, but I got to see it.
Me too.
People are so creative.
They are.
Always pushing the boundaries, mixing brands, styles.
It's awesome.
This deep dive has me looking at everything differently.
That's the beauty of it, you know?
New ideas, new perspectives.
Totally.
But beyond the products and trends.
Yeah, what's the big takeaway here?
What did Stevie really learn?
Exactly.
I think the biggest thing is you don't need a ton of cash
to start.
For sure.
Stevie proved that.
Just got to pay attention, do some research.
Yeah.
Be willing to try stuff out.
Experiment.
That's key.
And you can make a real business.
That's the entrepreneurial spirit.
But listen, I forget.
Organization is important.
Oh, yeah.
Those little costs can sneak up on you.
They do, like that shipping fee.
Exactly.
Got to track every dollar.
OK.
Final verdict tie.
Is the custom G-Shock business worth it?
What do you think?
I think Stevie showed us.
It can be.
Yeah.
Low startup costs.
All right.
People want these custom watches.
Definitely.
And there's so much room to be creative.
I love it.
But like any business.
Oh, yeah.
Got to be aware of the market.
Yeah.
Have good systems and put in the work.
And don't forget that entrepreneurial spirit.
And hey, a little personality goes a long way.
You're telling me.
Cara Customs is brilliant.
It is.
Ketchy, quirky, makes you smile.
Exactly.
So to everyone listening in.
What would you say?
If you're feeling inspired by Stevie
and you're thinking about starting something yourself.
Go for it.
What should they do?
Pay attention to what's hot.
Do your research.
Find a product you love and get creative.
Love it.
And most importantly.
Have fun.
Yeah, exactly.
It's an adventure.
You never know where it'll take you.
That's a great way to put it.
Well, looks like we've reached the end of our G-Shock Deep Dive.
This was fun.
It was.
We hope you enjoyed it.
Yeah.
Hope it sparked some ideas.
Keep exploring.
Keep learning.
Keep those creative wheels turning.
Absolutely.
Until next time.
Happy customizing, everyone.
We'll see you soon.