I’ll hijack this with a story, I bought a watch for my dad many years ago that was a nice gold cap Seamaster Cal 501 on BoR bracelet. Quite patinated dial but ran well, advertised in the trading post which was a physical paper similar to craigslist in its market segment.
So I drive over there and I was a bout 22 at the time, its an old house in an old neighborhood, bunch of cars parked outside and a fence with some dogs, and 4 people in the front yard standing around, talking quietly, one holding a closed umbrella, one doing some gardening.
I ask one of them about the watch and he offers to guide me up the stairs into this old house, I get to the top and in the entryway there are a few more people sitting on the floor talking quietly. Then in the next room its a living room area, large couches and an assortment of odd chairs all filled by people, probably 15 or so sitting around watching a tiny old CRT television playing some religious sermon. So through into the next room there are a bunch of people with old computers and bundles of leaflets and flyers, brochures, all really low quality MS Publisher stuff stacked up in bundles and about 10 people working on various things.
Then the next room is the kitchen and a bunch of people are sitting around with bibles, more flyers having quiet conversations, and one offers me a drug rehabilitation flyer. Then into the next room which is another living room and a bunch of more tables and chairs are there with more people sitting around working on flyers, and this bloke comes over who is the leader and asks if I’m here to see the watch, so I say yes and he hands it to me. Then he starts talking about his group and how they’re preparing for the end times and all about his mission, and asks me to stay. I’m like yea I have to get home for dinner I’m afraid but let me take some flyers and I’ll give you a call, the watch was $180, I gave him 200 thanked him, and started leaving slowly unwinding back through this house that probably had 50-60 people in space intended for 4.
As I’m walking down the stairs hes coming after me wanting to further the conversation and offer me $20 change but I’m like an I’ve got to go, and the dude in the yard with the umbrella runs over to shield me from the rain on my way to the car, the others in the yard aren’t even paying attention to the fact that they’re getting wet. Boss guy follows me and umbrella guy out to my car and is trying to talk to me about his mission as I’m starting the engine, locking the doors and driving off.
Still don’t know what that was all about, but it put me off face to face watch buys for a long time.
