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High cost of rep ownership...


Packard

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So I went to the shoe repair shop the other day and the shoe maker took note of my Date-just and said, "Maybe you give me the watch and I repair shoes for free?" (Smiling and apparently thinking this is very funny.)

I replied, "Yeah, and you give me the Mercedes you drive on the weekends." (Smiling, thinking this is funny too.)

I handed him the shoes and said, "Half soles and heels with taps."

He said it would be ready in 2 days. The prices he listed on the ticket were $25.00 for the half soles; $15.00 for the heels and $10.00 for the taps.

Now the last time I had full soles he charged me 25.00 for the soles. I'm pretty sure he is "Rolex-adjusting" his prices for the soles.

I know that he told me that "taps are $3.00 and I will put them on while you wait." (And not $10.00.)

So, when I go to pick up the shoes I will dig out my old Timex and question him closely about the prices.

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Its great for trying cars with dealerships though :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Have a expensive looking rep on your wrist and you can pretty much test drive anything you want :whistling:

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Its great for trying cars with dealerships though :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Have a expensive looking rep on your wrist and you can pretty much test drive anything you want :whistling:

That's very true! I wore my Omega DeVille Hour Vision, which is the most incorrect rep I own and the salesman was enthralled by my watch. "Oh wow that's a really nice watch! You must make a lot of money." I just smiled and thanked him for the compliment on the watch and then had a blast test driving the new Dodge Challenger SRT8. Man that beast is fast!!!

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That's very true! I wore my Omega DeVille Hour Vision, which is the most incorrect rep I own and the salesman was enthralled by my watch. "Oh wow that's a really nice watch! You must make a lot of money." I just smiled and thanked him for the compliment on the watch and then had a blast test driving the new Dodge Challenger SRT8. Man that beast is fast!!!

Sweet :tu:

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You have to know when to show em', know when to hide em'. :)

Works both ways. I have had gens/good reps, actually open a few doors for me. I get great service and comps from a very nice, and hot, Japanese waitress at my local Sushi hang out because she likes my Daytona Rep. ;)

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i've stopped wearing my rolex reps just because of the assumptions people make ... is that real? and partly because the money perception thing. i switched over to panerai - 111 and 127 models ... simple clean lines but BigA$$ watches.

when you go back to the shoe cobbler with your timex update us if his reaction is different to you weather you have the rolex or timex on. will that be the timex ironman digital?

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On the other hand, walk into an AD of some sort and wear a nice rep (not one of the brands the AD is selling of-course), you'll get a VIP treatment...

I'm a grad student, and at my spare time probably dress and look like a typical broke college student. I do like to try many gens before I decide which rep to get, so I bother ADs quite a lot... The different attitude I get if I wear a nice watch is amazing, and actually I get better price offers like that. Of course, I could get the same results by wearing a nice suit, but simply wearing the watch is so much easier....

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On the other hand, walk into an AD of some sort and wear a nice rep (not one of the brands the AD is selling of-course), you'll get a VIP treatment...

I'm a grad student, and at my spare time probably dress and look like a typical broke college student. I do like to try many gens before I decide which rep to get, so I bother ADs quite a lot... The different attitude I get if I wear a nice watch is amazing, and actually I get better price offers like that. Of course, I could get the same results by wearing a nice suit, but simply wearing the watch is so much easier....

I agree, I was wearing a pretty poor rep GMT II Coke when we went to Tokyo, but in the ADs I stopped in (both UK and Japan) there was none of that "What do YOU want??!" snobbery. Of course, when I popped into the Rolex AD, the GMT went in my pocket, and funnily enough, of all the brands I looked at, it was the Rolexes which impressed me the least :lol: That said, coming back, I think it helped that I had my wingman with me to help get the attention of the ladies ;)

IMG_0370.jpg

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"Oh wow that's a really nice watch! You must make a lot of money."

"No, but I presume the geezer I kicked the crap out of last week and then stole his watch did. So, how about me and my mate here take an SR out?" :lol:

The only person who ever noticed my watch and showed me grace was the kid at the Go-Kart track. He knew what fly was and noticed my rep 116520.

"Nice watch!"

"It's fake, hold onto it for me while I take my laps"

He started the field and then disappeared. When we came in he ran back around the corner out of breath and said he would give me another 'round on the house if he could wear the watch a little longer. There were a few more G's he had to jaw drop at the race park.

I gave him Joshua's addy. I wonder if he ever bought one. I should have just given him mine. It crapped out two months later. Two years on a A7750 secs @ 6. Meh, not bad.

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I'm aware of the watch I wear when I know that negotiations are coming up. For example, when contractors come to the house I want my watch to be completely inconspicuous, and probably won't even wear one. I want to be perceived as the struggling homeowner who will be agonizing over how to pay for the work being discussed.

An exception was the last time I bought a new car -- I wore my Pam 192. Unfortunately the negotiator collected watches himself and oohed and aahed over mine. I felt like telling him, "Listen, this is a fake because I'm a cheap bastard, so you'd better give me your most agressive price!"

But you wouldn't think you'd have to sweat this detail with the local shoemaker.

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Not to get to far off topic but... If I were to ask you "what Is the most recognizable watch In the world" you would probably say a "Rolex Submariner". and that would be correct. The thing Is, people who know nothing about watches know a Rolex Sub when they see one, Thats some powerful brand recognition right there. BTW does anyone know where I can get the best sub? sorry I could not resist :lol: Mike

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I've never run into issues with stores like what you did. Typically if I wear my gen sub when I go somewhere to negotiate, I get a better price. Perhaps it comes with making sure you know what you're talking about.

Example: I just purchased a new Altima with the cash for clunkers program. Traded in an old Bronco that i paid $2000 for 3 years ago and got $4500 for it through the program. Wore my gen to the dealership. Looked at the car, salesman did notice my watch and commented on it. Asked if I wanted to test drive it and I said that I wanted to work out the price first. Then I'd test drive. In the end, with the clunker rebate, they came off 35% on the car. Then I test drove it. While driving it I told them to throw fog lights and an extended warranty into the price and I'd buy. They did.

I think alot of it has to do with your attitude and how you present yourself. Present yourself the right way and people will realize that you're wearing that watch not just because you can afford it, but because you know what the hell you're doing and that you got to where you are not because of your money but because you know how to handle the money and situations.

I personally would have told the shoemaker to take a hike if he tried to change the price on me like he did to you. I wouldn't have waited till after the work was done.

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