Twice recently I have tried to source more information regarding a watch, only to find that it was sold before the buyer could answer (on eBay and Gumtree). Am I being too cautious? should I spring when I see good watch at a reasonable price? Your thoughts are appreciated. PS. The first watch was an unnumbered 1995 apollo edition Ref. ST 345.0808 with a 1450 bracelet (the detail i was verifying) for $AUD3300- but had an incorrect chrono hand and something else wrong i can't remember, the second only moments ago was an ST-76, with some blurry pictures on gumtree (the aus version of craigslist i guess) but seemed complete and in good nic for $3650
Nothing wrong with being cautious if you're not sure, but as dero says, you need to be prepared and move fast whenever a good deal presents itself. Too bad mwo doesn't fit in the pocket, huh?
Bottom line. You need to get so good at spotting issues that your BS detector goes off right away or stays silent. Anything good is going to move quickly. Buy the seller.
The problem is everybody wants a speedmaster at the moment, so you're competing against a lot of buyers who don't have a clue. While you're being careful and asking the correct questions, they're going for it. I still think a patient approach will pay off, just be prepared to move like a ninja.
You could always ask a member who has knowledge of that model, by PM. Don't get too trigger happy doing this though as you will soon piss off the people who can help you if you inundate them with messages.
When i started out collecting watches, i missed a lot of these deals because i kept having to check & double check details. After a while, you start remembering what to look for. In addition to buying any reference books i could lay my hands on, (AJTT was fantastic when it came out, before that, you had to go on Amazon JP for specialist "collector magazines"), i spent at least 4 hrs every night looking at listings, visiting blogs (Whatever happened to 30T2.com?) & reading old posts on forums. In particular, posts from people like Chuck Maddox, MSNWatch, Bill Sohne & Gatorcpa always contained a wealth of info. In fact, i found OF very intimidating when i first discovered it, everyone seemed to know so much that i just lurked for years. For specific models that i wanted to buy, i kept cheat sheets, with pics, that i annotated (Ref no: 2xxx, Cal:30T2, look out for flat top A in Omega, no serif on 7, flat top 4, must have fixed lugs...) that i could refer to immediately should the opportunity come my way. Hope that helps, good luck with your search
As someone who sells (and buys) a lot, I believe the two above bits of advice (both saying the same thing) are probably key. Be informed, and be diligent, but be ready. You want to know what you're buying - 100%. There is nothing wrong with asking questions to verify things to make sure the watch in question ticks your boxes - after all, we're (usually) talking about fairly large investments. Perhaps for buying from an Aussie seller (like myself) the best approach is to call them or text them so you can not only get hold of them straight away to ask your questions, but you can also get to know the seller and gauge their trustworthiness. At this point, if it's a watch that you want (which it should be - why would you contact a seller otherwise?) and your questions are answered (assuming they are answered to your satisfaction), you should be in a position to tell the seller "OK, I'll take it". There's nothing more frustrating for a seller than someone who contacts you, asks a load of questions, is interested in the watch, and then says "OK I'll think about it", only to come back in a week after the watch is now sold. If you still need time to think about a watch purchase, you probably shouldn't be negotiating yet! In short, the best way to buy a watch - do your research, make sure you know what you want, know what questions you want answered, know what you want to spend, and be ready to snap up the deal... or walk away!
I can honestly say I lost a count of how man deals I missed because I was cautious and didnt know squat (I still dont know squat) 1 of them I missed because I wasnt sure of the price (Japan moonwatch 2004 version for $3100) and few others because I wasnt sure what I was looking for in terms of figuring out if it was fake, redial, relume, etc. I am pretty sure I missed a bunch more without even realizing they were great deals. It is part of learning process. I jumped on one way too fast, without asking fine folks of OF, and it turned out I bought a complete fake. From that moment on I pulled the brakes, and made sure I know at least enough to differentiate between total fake and real watch. Newbie tax can be mighty expensive, make sure you dont pay it.