Buying and selling on WC?

I just logged in to post something similar. 😅

That Seiko is B-E-A YOUteefull (Bruce Almighty anyone?). I think having a buying and selling tab would be brilliant honestly providing the Sea Lions don't take over (flippers-geddit?). We know what other enthusiasts are looking for in a sales listing-last service, name of AD purchased from, etc.Your thoughts @Max?

The watch and the strap combo look amazing indeed!!

That Seiko is B-E-A YOUteefull (Bruce Almighty anyone?). I think having a buying and selling tab would be brilliant honestly providing the Sea Lions don't take over (flippers-geddit?). We know what other enthusiasts are looking for in a sales listing-last service, name of AD purchased from, etc.Your thoughts @Max?

I love the idea of buying from fellow enthusiasts - that way you know you’re getting something well-loved and cared for. 

However, I worry about selection effects. What if the introduction of a marketplace also brings with it all the meatheads who see ”watches as investments” and instead of wonderful discussions about pin lever movements, EVERY post is now a wrist shot in front of the steering wheel of a BMW M car (the choice of the discerning meathead - and I’m allowed to make fun of M car owners, as I used to own one)?

At that point, we all abandon WC and look for the new WC! Either that, or we all become Instagram meatheads ourselves, I guess. 

Interesting. Do you think a marketplace section would attract that kind of crowd? ☹️

I would hope they'd get enough kicks from Instagram to bother with our comparatively tiny little corner of the internet, but maybe that's wishful thinking 🙄

Yeah, I don't know.  Just speculating.  Ultimately, it's an empirical question, yeah?  But, that being the case, I'd prefer not to experiment, only to find out that worst case scenario has come to pass.

I mean, @Aurelian had that great post where he asked, "Hey, why do you think there are all these posts here on WC where somebody has just created a profile, and they only ever post once, and the post says, 'Hey, I found this watch.  I was rummaging in a magic wardrobe and as I pushed past all the fur coats, I ended up in forest.  There was a lamp post in the middle of all the trees!  And this satyr came by and handed me this watch.  Can you help me identify it?'"  And, I think everyone sort of came to the conclusion that these must all be grifters soliciting input from true knowledgeable enthusiasts trying to figure out how better to fake the watches, in order to defraud unsuspecting buyers.

If fraudsters are able to find our little corner of the Internet, I doubt WC is safe from all the bros who heard that the way to make money is to buy watches, because, you know, "it's the new form of currency, man!  Like, I read that people are taking luxury watches as down payment for their houses, man.  Like, they won't even accept cash, because inflation.  But, watches...  yeah...  watches.  Hey, wanna check out my sweet ride?  I got a M3.  With gold wheels, dude!"

Finally, I would imagine that if we all really wanted to buy and sell watches to each other, it wouldn't be that difficult, even without a marketplace.  For example, if you @Deeperblue were to create a thread that said, "Hey all, check out this watch of mine.  I've loved it.  I've taken care of it.  Here's what it's meant to me.  But, because I love the new Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari so much (thank you so much @celinesimon for turning me onto this gem - this will always be my go-to reference now) I'm mortgaging my house and selling this watch to help fund the purchase.  I hope it goes to a new, loving home."  Wink, wink...  At that point, if there were an interested buyer amongst the community, somebody would reach out to you via DM, yeah?  I mean, I would.  And we've seen that already, no?  People have posted about their watch mods, about their products, etc., etc., and many of us have already bought stuff from one another.

What I do worry most about, though, is the sustainability of this site.  At some point, Max is going to need to figure out how to monetize WC, without killing the enthusiast fervor.  Maybe a marketplace is one way to do it.  Advertising is obviously another model.  I've already offered to introduce him to VCs and growth capital types I know, and I'm sure there must even be a few members who are professional investors, but he's not acted on any of my offers.  Maybe he's independently wealthy and is simply funding all of this out of the hundreds of thousands of dollars of loose change between his couch cushions?

Yeah, I don't know.  Just speculating.  Ultimately, it's an empirical question, yeah?  But, that being the case, I'd prefer not to experiment, only to find out that worst case scenario has come to pass.

I mean, @Aurelian had that great post where he asked, "Hey, why do you think there are all these posts here on WC where somebody has just created a profile, and they only ever post once, and the post says, 'Hey, I found this watch.  I was rummaging in a magic wardrobe and as I pushed past all the fur coats, I ended up in forest.  There was a lamp post in the middle of all the trees!  And this satyr came by and handed me this watch.  Can you help me identify it?'"  And, I think everyone sort of came to the conclusion that these must all be grifters soliciting input from true knowledgeable enthusiasts trying to figure out how better to fake the watches, in order to defraud unsuspecting buyers.

If fraudsters are able to find our little corner of the Internet, I doubt WC is safe from all the bros who heard that the way to make money is to buy watches, because, you know, "it's the new form of currency, man!  Like, I read that people are taking luxury watches as down payment for their houses, man.  Like, they won't even accept cash, because inflation.  But, watches...  yeah...  watches.  Hey, wanna check out my sweet ride?  I got a M3.  With gold wheels, dude!"

Finally, I would imagine that if we all really wanted to buy and sell watches to each other, it wouldn't be that difficult, even without a marketplace.  For example, if you @Deeperblue were to create a thread that said, "Hey all, check out this watch of mine.  I've loved it.  I've taken care of it.  Here's what it's meant to me.  But, because I love the new Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari so much (thank you so much @celinesimon for turning me onto this gem - this will always be my go-to reference now) I'm mortgaging my house and selling this watch to help fund the purchase.  I hope it goes to a new, loving home."  Wink, wink...  At that point, if there were an interested buyer amongst the community, somebody would reach out to you via DM, yeah?  I mean, I would.  And we've seen that already, no?  People have posted about their watch mods, about their products, etc., etc., and many of us have already bought stuff from one another.

What I do worry most about, though, is the sustainability of this site.  At some point, Max is going to need to figure out how to monetize WC, without killing the enthusiast fervor.  Maybe a marketplace is one way to do it.  Advertising is obviously another model.  I've already offered to introduce him to VCs and growth capital types I know, and I'm sure there must even be a few members who are professional investors, but he's not acted on any of my offers.  Maybe he's independently wealthy and is simply funding all of this out of the hundreds of thousands of dollars of loose change between his couch cushions?

Yeah, I don't know.  Just speculating.  Ultimately, it's an empirical question, yeah?  But, that being the case, I'd prefer not to experiment, only to find out that worst case scenario has come to pass.

I mean, @Aurelian had that great post where he asked, "Hey, why do you think there are all these posts here on WC where somebody has just created a profile, and they only ever post once, and the post says, 'Hey, I found this watch.  I was rummaging in a magic wardrobe and as I pushed past all the fur coats, I ended up in forest.  There was a lamp post in the middle of all the trees!  And this satyr came by and handed me this watch.  Can you help me identify it?'"  And, I think everyone sort of came to the conclusion that these must all be grifters soliciting input from true knowledgeable enthusiasts trying to figure out how better to fake the watches, in order to defraud unsuspecting buyers.

If fraudsters are able to find our little corner of the Internet, I doubt WC is safe from all the bros who heard that the way to make money is to buy watches, because, you know, "it's the new form of currency, man!  Like, I read that people are taking luxury watches as down payment for their houses, man.  Like, they won't even accept cash, because inflation.  But, watches...  yeah...  watches.  Hey, wanna check out my sweet ride?  I got a M3.  With gold wheels, dude!"

Finally, I would imagine that if we all really wanted to buy and sell watches to each other, it wouldn't be that difficult, even without a marketplace.  For example, if you @Deeperblue were to create a thread that said, "Hey all, check out this watch of mine.  I've loved it.  I've taken care of it.  Here's what it's meant to me.  But, because I love the new Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari so much (thank you so much @celinesimon for turning me onto this gem - this will always be my go-to reference now) I'm mortgaging my house and selling this watch to help fund the purchase.  I hope it goes to a new, loving home."  Wink, wink...  At that point, if there were an interested buyer amongst the community, somebody would reach out to you via DM, yeah?  I mean, I would.  And we've seen that already, no?  People have posted about their watch mods, about their products, etc., etc., and many of us have already bought stuff from one another.

What I do worry most about, though, is the sustainability of this site.  At some point, Max is going to need to figure out how to monetize WC, without killing the enthusiast fervor.  Maybe a marketplace is one way to do it.  Advertising is obviously another model.  I've already offered to introduce him to VCs and growth capital types I know, and I'm sure there must even be a few members who are professional investors, but he's not acted on any of my offers.  Maybe he's independently wealthy and is simply funding all of this out of the hundreds of thousands of dollars of loose change between his couch cushions?

🔥 The dial, bracelet, jewelry…perfection! Such a great looking combo. 
 

I’d actually prefer if WC didn’t launch a marketplace section too soon. It would change the whole vibe of this platform, I think.

But I’m sure a sell/buy option is coming in the future - it always does.