ryyannon

I was sure you would. Now for the first part: have you tried Viagra?

I'll second that.

Thanks, but actually I made everything up. Truth is much more boring: selling pigeon guano 9 to 5 out of a fourth-floor walk-up office in Des Moines, Iowa for the last forty years.....

Aren't we already having enough trouble with the subject of avatar and signiature pics?

Selling magazines door to door as a teenager in Chicago; working as a dishwasher in a Chicago hospital; working as a librarian's aid in college; working as a guitar repairman during the folk music boom - still in Chicago - working as a switchman for the Burlington Railroad in the Cicero Yards in the suburbs of Chicago; working as a messboy on a bad-luck Danish tramp freighter just to get to Europe (via North Africa and Brazil); working in the engine-room of an American mixed passenger-frieght ship to get back to the States; working as an editorial assistant in NYC; working as a roadie for the John Hammond Blues Band; working for a friend's macrobiotic food company in NYC; working as an editor and editor-in-chief for a music magazine in NYC; working as the artist-media relations person for Frank Zappa in Los Angeles; long vacation in various parts of the world; English teacher for a call-girl ring in Paris, eventually working my way up (down?) to a stable position at the University - where I entertain my students with stories about the wacky world of replica watches (and show them my pieces) screen great films of my choosing and generally do my best to totally short-circuit the dreadful French academic system. Plus a lot of other [censored] that better remains unsaid.... Avidly looking forward to a well-merited retirement in Bali (ka-boom!).

davidsen is outdoing davidsen. uber-cool.

Miss Understood

It's always a treat to see the results of your patient love-affair with the Panerai past - recreating what would normally be museum-pieces from new stock.... Your work has progressively changed my outlook concerning the aesthetics of these watches and has been nonthing less than a gentle re-education of how I look at them. May you keep up the good work and continue to show us the fruits of your labor, Randy! Did I also mention that you're a friendly and helpful guy?

It's good of you to take the time to resolve that particular mystery, Miss U. From what I hear about the weather up the Succulent Salmon's way, you've certainly made the right move: nothing like a little sea, sun, and since it seems to be to your taste.... some King Crab! Enjoy yourself Dearie, and don't forget your friends here at RWG.... :-)

Neil has been positively jovial for the past few days.... I wonder what's wrong?

I'll second that! A happy birthday to our invisible and (nearly) silent partner.... Thanks for all your even-handed efforts to keep the Good Ship RWG on an even keel!

Another good reason for a Paris GTG!

Like I've said, at least one more year before I make the move - must make a short trip of a few months to get my bearings again, though. Bali is closure - in many ways it was the year I spent there long ago that resulted in the many years I've spent here since....I feel the cycle here is ending, and I've never forgotten the magic of Bali. As for the pigeons, it's not a question of letting them free: they are free. It's just that like Frodo and the Gollum, we've developed this rather special attachment. They're going to miss their Gollum....I'm going to have to set about explaining the situation to them and ask for their understanding and forgiveness.... It's strange, it's afternoon here, and I've just awoken from a series of dreams involving a lovely woman and a land that I know I've been to before in previous dreams....explored and still-unexplored places - and that gracious, lovely woman encountered by surprise..... Good omens. Time to get dressed and feed the little turkeys... @offshore, ken, the Scottish and Aussi Mafias, et.al: Once established, you'll all be welcome for a little Bali GTG and some QLDs: you'll be glad you came and I'll certainly be glad to see you.... As for Jeff, if you're serious about coming through here on your way to Tuscany, I'd love to see you! Remember folks, the rumors of my disappearance into the sunset of Bali are still a bit exaggerated. You're among the first to know, but there's still some time left before I go!

I'm ready for a GTG as soon as we can decide when, guys. As for leaving, I'll still be around for a while.... Still trying to figure out what to do with the pigeons. But in the meantime, let's try to find a moment for a few beers and our new acquisitions.....

Here's one from left field, but I've just got to share it: I've decided to leave Paris and live 9 months of the year in Bali.... Lived there for a full year back in the days when the natives cooked backpackers and surfers for dinner in a big black pot, and although things have changed considerably since, I'm starting to feel the Call once again. I had briefly considered Thailand, but quickly realized it was too small a country to be shared between Neil and myself - and anyway, Neil got there first. Despite bombs exploding in peoples prawn cocktails, Bali is still way cool - I've been corresponding with some permanent expat residents on a forum and everything checks out. Another year or so to shut down the Paris Ops and then I should be off. Thank you, my lucky stars! Thank you Life! Sooooo glad to be outta here....

Somehow it's all deja-vu to me. Not sure why..... "Who are you?" "The new Number 2." "Who is Number 1?" "You are Number 6." "I am not a number — I am a free man!" (Laughter from Number 2.)

I see that someone has paid for an Extreme Makeover of Miss Understood (running short of paper bags, were we Nanuq?) but I don't see what that has to do with Neil's callous indifference to his customers!

Was your name Bres2000 in another life?

Yeah, well I clicked and PAID and as of this morning I STILL have not received my NEW LIFE!!! Not even a tracking number! Neil, if I don't hear from you in five minutes I'm filing a PayPill COMPLAINT! I'm also going to write my Congressman and tell my mother on you! In the meantime, how many other members are still waiting for a life from TTK? How can he get away with such practices? Is there a double-standard on RWG?

By my count, we have at least four RWG members trying to source the best quality Korean and/or Chinese bags, plus Ken who's already offering what people say are the best items within a certain brand-range. As for me, I'm still waiting for someone to come up with a Birkin that doesn't look like a joke. Would have gone for mirror-image Korean that I sourced from Tse this summer, but was told that they were drop-shipped with no guarantee of customs clearance. For a $1,000 order (two bags) I wasn't willing to take the risk. As for the rest, rep bags are just as much an education as rep watches: the Canal St. quality items abound - often touted as 'best quality'. Just like with rep watches, the smallest differences have the biggest importance (slanted stitching on the Hermes bags, and even the accent over the 'e' (as in Hermès). There are soooo many dreadful copies out there that it's hard not getting sucked in by a mediocre copy touted as a 'mirror-image' by a dealer who doesn't know any better. Personally - and living in Paris as I do - there's no way I'm going to take the chance of giving one of these absurdities as a gift to a pretty Parisienne who knows what the real deal looks like. So it's still wait and see.....

@thomasng: That sounds like the real deal - even the price is in-line with what I've been quoted for these. Stories like yours fuel the quest - but once again, the key is knowing someone who knows where to go and having confidence in their ability to get you what you want.

We used to have a resident expert on RWG1, but she apparently never made the transition to the new forum - or else she simply changed her name since she was constantly being bombarded with messages from people asking 'Who has the best......'. Out of curiosity (and a friend who would be highly appreciative of a Birkin Bag that could compete with an authentic), I myself have been trying to get a handle on the situation for more than a year. My conclusion is that it's a crap-shoot. Francis Tse used to be the gold standard for replica bags, but even Tse's quality was not consistent from one marque to another. As late as this July, Tse was also offering Korean Hermes bags at a slightly higher (+ $100) price than his own Chinese-made ones. Which certainly seemed like a tacit admission of the higher quality of the former. Since there's always someone out there claiming that their bags are better than everyone else's, I think the only way to go is through a seller in whom you have confidence. For many of us, Ken or Jaymoi would be logical choices for obvious reasons. On the other hand, I think it's safe to say that no one seller can offer the best reps straight across the board since there is so much variation relative to brands, sourcing and other imponderables. Once again, and like they say for rep watches, first choose your dealer, then your bag. And then hope for the best....

From the looks of things, I'd venture that their Hermes 'croc' bags are really embossed leather - if not some sort of synthetic. ''Regular price: $35,000. Your price: $450.00." Right. As for the LVs and others, their best quality bags look ok...

Damn! I finally understand the difference....

Jaymoi, read my post again: I only said that Tse was the (italics) contact. Tse's own bags are manufactured in China and have long been considered the top-end of the Chinese copies (which is to say a notch below the Korean bags) but he can and does access the Korean products. Possibly through your man Han....