What Mistakes Did You Make As A Novice Collector? What Did You Do Right?

gbesq · Oct 27, 2023

For myself:

Wrong: bought a gold plated watch (sold at a loss); bought a chrome plated watch (sold at a loss); sold several watches at a profit that I now wish that I had kept; drastically underestimated maintenance costs; didn’t join OF soon enough; didn’t let Erric buy my entire collection for an obscene profit (just kidding, Erric 😁).

Right: never thought of watches as investments; did my homework; never bought on impulse; never got scammed; went after my grail; have been an honest and honorable buyer and seller; met some terrific people and great mentors on OF; started the annual OF Mid-Atlantic G2G with some other members who are far more knowledgeable than I am.

Niloticus · Oct 27, 2023

Wrong: underestimated the maintenance costs of vintage watches -> absolutely. Struggled to find good places for servicing. Buying little known brands which made them harder to move on when I wanted to.
Right: have always bought and sold at cost or at a profit. Joined and participated in this forum.

Regrets: have kicked myself on a few deals I missed where said timepieces are now out of reach (I'm thinking of you A&F Seafarer selling for $7k at the Miami Antiques fair ten years ago). Still hunting for the grail(s)

peatnick · Oct 27, 2023

Wrong - did not read or understand eBay listings or believed sellers who may not have known what they were writing

Right - joined this and other collector forums, met collectors in person F2F, wear all I own in rotation

Regrets - been banned on several forums for varying reasons from time to time but eventually got reinstated

noelekal · Oct 27, 2023

A really great Forum topic gbesq!

I didn't always shop in the right places, those places being Ebay in its early days. I came, I saw, and I purchased back then. Some of those watches still reside here. I even have affection for some of them. My finest acquisitions were found on foot then rather than online.

Oh, and I also didn't find the Forum soon enough.

What I've gotten right mimics your thoughts on what you got right though I'm not as discriminating as you are, comparing my menagerie to yours as seen in WRUW.

Bruce235 · Oct 27, 2023

Wrong:
My first purchase was a redialed 50s Seamaster bought at auction before I knew that OF existed. I tried to figure it out on my own before the auction ended. Paid at 3x too much. Luckily the watch movement was ok and it presents decently.
Emphasized low cost over collectibility, i.e. trying for a deal.

Right:
Found OF and read a lot. Branched out to YouTube videos on watchmaking and horology.
Learned to vet purchases here before pulling the trigger. The hive knows more than me.
Learned there are lots of good quality watches, both vintage and modern, and to wait for something I like. There is always another good watch just around the corner.

hronists · Oct 27, 2023

Wrong - my first nice watch had an integrated bracelet.

Right - almost never bought on impulse. I researched best deals and as a result I believe I never lost any money of watches. Best decision I made some 15 years ago - don't buy brand new watch, wait a bit and you'll get almost new way cheaper.

Oh, and follow your dream. I have watch I set my sights on some 25 years ago, it was and is way out my league financially, but I worked my way up and now I have it.

Duracuir1 · Oct 27, 2023

Mistake: Joined Omega Forums. I was happy with my Bell & Ross, Vulcain Cricket, Tag Heuer F1 and Seiko. Now I have my masters (sea, speed and flight). That stuff cost a lot!

The upside. Joined Omega Forums and made some wonderful contacts Worldwide. And I learned a lot.

RevZMan123 · Oct 27, 2023

I feel personally attacked.

wrong: buying a fake casio g-shock on ebay, buying on impulse, buying no-name stuff that i'll never be able to move along ... also joining Omega Forums as now I can see too many great watches to purchase on impulse

right: joining OF to find quality Omegas and found quality friendships instead, learning to ask BEFORE i purchase, learning to buy Limited Editions

gbesq · Oct 27, 2023

RevZMan123
I feel personally attacked.

wrong: buying a fake casio g-shock on ebay, buying on impulse, buying no-name stuff that i'll never be able to move along ... also joining Omega Forums as now I can see too many great watches to purchase on impulse

right: joining OF to find quality Omegas and found quality friendships instead, learning to ask BEFORE i purchase, learning to buy Limited Editions

It’s not you, Erric, it’s me. 😁😁😁

sheepdoll · Oct 27, 2023

I am glat it took me 18 years to find the forum. Otherwise I would be even deeper into this. Not sure if that is wrong or right.

I would have to say wrong: Buying too many cheap uncased projects. Or watches missing parts. Giving into the impulse emotions.

right: Buying my Speedmaster in 1995 or so before the film came out. I was not really into wist watches. I wanted to learn more about mechanical dolls (automata.) I then went on to buy a dozen or more Omega watches. There really is a difference.

I have enjoyed the last year and engaged more here than any forum I have been on.

High Hope · Oct 27, 2023

Wrong: Buying watches that were unusual and caught my eye, and then never wearing them, and then selling them (often but not always at a loss.) I “collected” in two phases, around my college years and a bit later, I was into American tank watches, the $10 gold-filled ones you could buy at flea markets. That itself was wrong, but then I compounded my error. Having carted a bag full of broken tanks from move to move, I finally chucked them into the trash.

Right: Finding OF, learning from my mistakes (mostly), and winnowing my collection down to two fine watches, a Moon Watch and a dressy IWC Portofino chronograph. I’ve bought additional ones (2nd gen Heuer Jochen Rindt and similar,) but they don’t stay for long. It’s a bonding issue. 😀

Braindrain · Oct 27, 2023

I really don't regret any of my purchases, as they've helped me shape my current collection.

However, the only thing I DO regret is not buying vintage when it was still dirt cheap. I remember in the early/mid naughts, seeing Rindt Autavias, Tri-Compaxes, and A386s going for about $1K. I thought to myself, meh, I'll get them later as they'll stay cheap forever. 🙁

arturo7 · Oct 27, 2023

What did I do right?

I joined this forum soon after I became a vintage watch enthusiast.

Mistakes?

Nothing glaring thanks to OF.

Dsloan · Oct 27, 2023

Me in 2014: wow! eBay has vintage mid-century watches for $5!

mydeafcat · Oct 27, 2023

I’m still a novice collector. Well, if 12 watches is considered a collection!

Right: Bought a 2254 brand new in 2008. Weighed it against the Submariner but went with my heart and style but not Crown as brand (that said, I’ve always preferred Omega as a brand). Still happy. Found OF in 2017 before learning about RF and WUS. Read before I leapt. Still have the SM30 linen dial Troels suggested. My first OF purchase. I’ve only made 4.

Wrong: discovered OF 3-6 months too late. SMDV, the newbie gateway drug, were cheap as chips in mid 2017, as were Connies and other vintage beauties. Learned to love Speedmasters only after they became pricey (OF wisdom made sure my full set 3570 was a winner). Not collecting with a focus yet I’m not at all unhappy with any of the pieces I own. That said, I need to move some along that see no wrist-time.

Biggest disappointment: waffling for months over a mint Tudor Jumbo rather than pulling the goddam trigger. If you see it, love it, can’t live without it, and can afford it, buy the fakkin’ thing.

Dan S · Oct 27, 2023

Wrong
Spent too many years bargain shopping before having the confidence to invest in top notch collectible models and examples. Upgrading a mediocre collection is a lot more expensive and a lot more work than starting with a good collection.

Wrong
Spent too many years buying without enough selling. You learn so much as a seller that gives you a better perspective on collecting in general.

Right
Connecting with people who knew more than me and sharing my passion. It’s amazing to look back and see how generous and patient experts were with their time when I asked them for advice. If I had fully understood the stature of some of those people, I probably would have been too intimidated to contact them.

thelinendial · Oct 27, 2023

Wrong: Not listening to my girlfriend in 1999, that I should get a watch and all the times after that. Missing out on all those watches which I would have surely bought multiples of back then.

Right: Married my girlfriend who decided to just buy me my first watch in 2018 (which I felt overpriced at $75 CAD). Humouring her and trying it on for the day (thinking I’d secretly return it). Enjoying the hobby together ever since.

Shabbaz · Oct 28, 2023

Wrong and right:

Mad Dog · Oct 28, 2023

Right: Attending and graduating from AWCI build-a-watch school with our oldest kid unit, Hannah, in 2018. We each built and purchased our ETA 6497-1 fliegers during the three day school. Not only was it a great father-daughter experience, but it taught me to NOT fυck with my watches…

Wrong: Attempting to use a McLovin ID during AWCI build-a-watch school registration…

Mam · Oct 28, 2023

Right: joining this forum is the vest move I made when I started to get into this hobby.
Wrong: this hobby can become easily a rabbit hole.

What Mistakes Did You Make As A Novice Collector? What Did You Do Right?

gbesq

Niloticus

peatnick

noelekal

Bruce235

hronists

Duracuir1

RevZMan123

gbesq

sheepdoll

High Hope

Braindrain

arturo7

Dsloan

mydeafcat

Dan S

thelinendial

Shabbaz

Mad Dog

Mam

Similar threads

What Did You Do to Your Watch Today?

What did you buy recently ........ this CD 166 032!

And what did you sell today (watches)

What did YOU do?

What did you make today / what are you making today?