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Watch people are, on the whole, good people...

  1. M'Bob Sep 19, 2019

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    I debated about posting this, as life seems to have an ironic way of undermining any convictions one harbors, when they are finally overtly expressed.

    But, screw it, I'm going to take the risk: I've been watch collecting, in a disturbingly dedicated way, for over 30 years, and I was thinking about how, in general, the bad deals I've had in that time period are shockingly few. To me, that means that the folks in this hobby generally share some sorts of ethical conviction, a sense of fairness, and an urge to trust, and be trusted.

    I've done things on paper (like that most of you have), that the average person would find unbelievably stupid. Like sending thousands of dollars to complete strangers. Not once, but multiple times. And in turn, I've had them send me watches worth the same amount, only to be told, "Send me the money if you like it; if not, send it back." Who does that? Most people wouldn't do it with $25. Yet watch folks do it every day.

    I had a watch coming in years ago, and the box arrived empty, and the seller sent me the money back. And then there was the time when I bought a gold Omega chronograph and the dial turned out to be refinished, and the guy went radio silent on me. That's it. With literally hundreds of smooth transactions to the contrary. Really unbelievable, considering how the rest of the world routinely operates.

    I know some of you have some horror-story deals, and I always feel bad about that, both for the person involved, and for what it potentially does to the unwritten decorum of the hobby. But in general, all you folks who participate in a way that keeps the the standards of conduct so refreshingly high, I give my thanks and appreciation.

    Bob
     
    Edited Sep 19, 2019
  2. shishy www.hpmor.com Sep 19, 2019

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    Yup, my most recent purchase was a quick phone call with a collector I only knew of on IG.

    An hour later, I wired the money. It showed up as processing, he shipped immediately, and the next morning it was on my wrist. Didn’t wait for it to fully clear.

    Didn’t do crazy background checks on him, or have any anxiety. Felt way too easy, only because the people I’ve met were overwhelmingly good. I imagine he felt similarly.

    Have even crazier stories but this was the time I thought about how smooth it felt and came to the same conclusion as you.

    It’s nice. Also why I enjoy meeting people in this hobby, they’re also generally pleasant to chat with.

    For fun, the watch...:

    4967B4E8-65FE-4529-89B2-91936D8596A0.jpeg
     
  3. Togri v. 2.0 Wow! Custom title... cool Sep 19, 2019

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    When I told my wife and mother that I had bought a watch for a couple of thousand, made a deal with a forum member that the watch was to be sent to him, he would then take it with him across the Atlantic and I would fly to meet him in another country, they looked at me like I was a freckin’ maniac who had just given my money to some obvious scam. Had been on OF about a year at that time. But the most lovely birthyear Speedy came from it and I wasn’t worried a second :)

    I haven’t been in the game that many years but I could imagine that you need to be more careful and have your wits about you more today than before skyrocketing prices of vintage Rolex etc. and online scammers
     
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  4. UncleBuck understands the decision making hierarchy Sep 19, 2019

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    Spend some time and you get to know people, fantastic people.
    Honor and horology are more valuable than money.... and most here agree.
    It doesn't take that long to figure out who's who.
    Spend some time and beware those that won't.
     
  5. Dan S Sep 19, 2019

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    My experience is similar, and I think you will almost always have great interactions if you can ensure that you are dealing with other true collectors. At the same time, there are scammers galore ... just take a look at Chronocentric.
     
  6. UncleBuck understands the decision making hierarchy Sep 19, 2019

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    The mainstay and strength of this forum are the collectors.
    Sales were for culling and refocusing collections and not for monetary gains.

    If we don't refocus on these values........
     
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  7. Ninja2789 Sep 19, 2019

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    I’d be curious what the experience has been for newer collectors the past couple of years.

    I feel that the combination of more platforms (IG, Forums, eBay) as well as the rise in prices for vintage watches has created more opportunities and incentives for bad players in this hobby.

    Still, I’m not really that pessimistic. I know the good things remain. Building and contributing to a community of collectors and making relationships with some incredibly passionate and interesting people inherently shields you from the worse of this hobby. However, if watches are just a transaction to you then you’ll constantly be exposed to the worse the hobby has to offer.
     
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  8. UncleBuck understands the decision making hierarchy Sep 19, 2019

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    Wonderful observation and great reasoning as to why patience is paramount.
    Scammers and profit-takers are time-constrained, whereas the true are here to study hundreds of years.
    Grow old with me, brothers and sisters?
     
  9. KAP Sep 19, 2019

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    I'm one of those newer collectors and have been fortunate to have positive experiences with the few watches I have purchased through OF.
    By the time I am ready to purchase a watch, I have already spent lots of time learning about and narrowing what I am interested in owning. Just as important as the watch itself is that I "buy the seller" which includes checking seller reviews and reading back through their past posts on OF. I think you can really get a good indication about a person that way and I have on occasion passed on inquiring about a sale when otherwise the watch looked good.
     
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  10. Larry S Color Commentator for the Hyperbole. Sep 19, 2019

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    I have met and dealt with mostly nice folks since coming down with this affliction, ahem ... hobby in 2013.

    I certainly hope that as I edit the collection and continue my learning journey, I will still feel as I do. Love the patience wisdom @UncleBuck ... it keeps the a-holes at bay.. Don’t be hasty.
     
  11. Taybharr Sep 19, 2019

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    I’m quite new to the hobby but overall my experience has been good. The only thing worth mentioning on the negative side is a Speedy purchase with a poor description and misleading photos. Thankfully EBay protects folks from such things and I was able to send the watch back and receive a refund. I had a much smoother transaction with a forum member on a different Speedy :thumbsup:

    B53C2F87-37DE-4FE7-956A-4F9351948FB7.jpeg
     
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  12. Taybharr Sep 19, 2019

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    I’ll second this. Really the key for new people like myself to remember. Don’t get too wrapped up in any one piece because there are lots of great ones
     
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  13. 64Wing Sep 19, 2019

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    I've seen things on this forum that I completely disagree with ranging from attacks on religion to between-the-lines political pandering, but that doesn't mean these aren't good people.

    I think your assessment that the watch collecting community is "on the whole" good, based on your experiences in it, is actually applicable to any of several other communities.

    Example: I work in aviation, a tight-knit community of dedicated professionals (and some yahoos). Some of the finest people I know are those I've met in the industry.

    Same could be said for my church, my past classmates, etc.

    What I'm getting at here is that the world is full of good people, and it's important to focus on that from time to time because we really don't get that much time here to truly relish it.

    I'm glad to be part of the watch collecting community, and I'm glad that you've had a positive aggregate of experiences in it.

    Thanks for helping to restore my faith in good people with your post!
     
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  14. lindo Sep 19, 2019

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    In a world that seems to rejoice in put-downs, shock/horror stories and general negativity, it is good to see someone drawing attention to the underlying good qualities of most people, and watch collectors in particular. My experience over forty years of collecting is much the same, with very few regrets. If anything, my regrets are about the good watches I let go. Whatever reasons I had for parting with some of them are long forgotten, but the watches themselves are firmly fixed in my memory.
     
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  15. joeshoup Sep 19, 2019

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    Despite the very occasional political sniping and grumpiness that @64Wing mentions, I really enjoy this forum for the gentlemanly (and occasionally gentlewomanly) conversation and abundant goodwill toward one another that people show here. I also have had good luck with my purchases, even with eBay (except for a Seamaster cosmic that fell apart soon after I received it, but at least the seller was mortified about that!). I can tell that the people here are from a wide range of backgrounds, countries, and belief systems, but we all still keep it very welcoming. Given the political meltdowns happening all over the globe, and movements on all sides of politics which are offering BS excuses to hate someone else, it's nice to have a reminder that it doesn't have to be that way.
     
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  16. eugeneandresson 'I used a hammer, a chisel, and my fingers' Sep 20, 2019

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    Agreed Bob. To me the crux of everything good you say is the following:

    The moment folks are primarily in it for other reasons (an example : the love of making money, be it ‘virtual’ or via sales) then it becomes a different story. But as usual I may be wrong.
     
  17. jeppehh Sep 20, 2019

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    I'm a relative newcomer since February, and I've already spent more time here than I would like to admit. I must admit that I've been blown away by the sense of community here on OF.

    - People here help each other without any demands of reciprocation
    - People here obviously enjoy spending time with each other
    - People here even support each other when members end up in tough life situations (I was so impressed with how the community helped out @watchdaddy1

    It is obvious that people are here first and foremost for the conversations, chatter and horological discussions and secondly for the trading and selling - and this is probably why this is such a safe place for do those things.

    Thanks to all the members who made this place what it is.
     
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  18. oinkitt Sep 20, 2019

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    Watch people are people, some good some not so good. Its as simple as that!!!
     
  19. oinkitt Sep 20, 2019

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    What movement is in this watch??
     
  20. giminix7 Sep 20, 2019

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    Maybe because we all love perfection and details on our watches, thats why we are also very honest and accurate when it comes to deal with people ? I had once a hacked ebay account fraud but was lucky to get my money back, other than that only positive experiences
     
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