Watch Flipr

Through many years of sales and watch buying, I have come across a type of people that fall so head long into watches that reality takes on a different purpose. They think only in watch terms and questions, they frequently test every essence of your watch being by trying to find a wrong (to them) response on a subject they just spent 12 hours studying. They comb the forums as a troll, knocking down any upstart or fresh new idea brought to the industry. The Lost Boys have no life outside of watch questioning and self-proclaimed debunkery of horology itself. They never buy and always diss. Socially they have few skills, but when given a forum or a hide-behind-persona, they will begin to tear your guts out at any given minute.

Oddly enough, in this study I have found these LB’s to have very few real watches of any value. They typically hold dear a piece that was handed down to them, or own some ShopNBC stuff. Still, they treasure those like a Patek and go back to trashing the industry and talking smack about what real watches are. Hypocritical, yes. Sad, even more so.

I can’t quite put a mental profile together, but these are generally the people making watch trading and selling a grand hassle when you post or try to negotiate a deal online or even over the case. So here are some avoidance tactics to rid the LB’s and get on with your business.

1. What is your name and how are you? Sounds simple but LB’s don’t think of themselves as humans but “Blade Runner” mock ups of watch experts, this will scare them immediately.
2. Was this the watch you were looking for? Again, simple is better, LB’s need to put something down or gain ground by questioning you via email, etc. They will not answer this, mark my words.
3. If 1 and 2 fail, go to red alert mode and say the watch is on hold pending funds. Or say you have a call coming in and need their number to call back and talk watches. They will freak, thinking you may know where they live or the area code they were spawned from. LB’s never give out information other than email address. You should be free to conduct real watch trades and sales again after the encounter ends.

Remember, the first person that responds to your sale post with 15 questions about swirlies, dings, box and papers, who owned it first, when was it last serviced, has it been regulated, what series, what country of origin was it purchased, can I get a discount, I only have 3/4 of the money in paypal, and how can I find more about this model is probably an LB. Proceed with caution and use the three step plan.