jacobsen1 Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 I'm going down to the city this weekend. Wife's running a half marathon. Where down there can I easily find some cheap reps? I wouldn't mind picking up something for $20 or so... Anything in particular to look for in a NYC street rep? I'm assuming it will be junk, so it's just for fun. Will they have anything beyond rolex reps? I'd love to find an Omega seamaster and or PAM... and help/suggestions/info would be great! Thanks, Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreeman420 Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Anywhere on 5th ave there will be guys carrying briefcases or watch cases full of reps. Sometimes they set the cases on top of a cardboard box. They see a cop, they close it up and they're gone in the blink of an eye. They mostly have junk for tourists. $15 to $50 and you can haggle. The knock off mecca in NYC is Canal St. Lots of watches, louis V. and gucci. Sometimes you can ask them for the good stuff and they will show a few high end pieces, but these are way over priced. You will have no problem filling up a shopping bag with $20 crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobsen1 Posted March 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 Anywhere on 5th ave there will be guys carrying briefcases or watch cases full of reps. Sometimes they set the cases on top of a cardboard box. They see a cop, they close it up and they're gone in the blink of an eye. They mostly have junk for tourists. $15 to $50 and you can haggle. The knock off mecca in NYC is Canal St. Lots of watches, louis V. and gucci. Sometimes you can ask them for the good stuff and they will show a few high end pieces, but these are way over priced. You will have no problem filling up a shopping bag with $20 crap. awesome. Are the guys at canal street on the street or in shops? That's right at the north boarder of china town right? Like little Italy is on one side and china town is on the other? Can't wait. Thanks! Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
who Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 I wouldn't buy from those ppl who "carry" a briefcase or flash you a watch for sale....they are too mobile and usually don't let you check on the watch for too long. Like someone said....goto Canal Street south, from Center St. all the way to Church St. you will see many shop selling watches/bags......etc You may also find some rep in Mid-town but they are not as concentrate as Canal St. btw....you won't find rep inside Chinatown, only chinese food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 should be able to find the cheap crap anywhere... outside the Empire State Building. Battery Park... no shortage of the suitcase sellers... Just watch out for the dudes that come up to you and pull a watch out of their pocket and try to get $400-$600 for it! I've had this happen twice... maybe I look like an easy mark or something. What they do is get a rep, not Rolex, or anything that is an obvious fake, put on a few genuine tags and stickers, and even a price tag. One guy tried to sell me a fake Tag Heuer that had a Neiman Marcus price tag of $2200.00. He even let me hold it and examine it. He said he just got it and had to get rid of it. I was just down the street from the store too. I don't even think NM carries Tag. The other time was a fake Movado, same thing, Neiman Marcus price tag and everything! They start at $600, saying what a deal it is, say you can resell for $1500, etc. Give you the hard sell, and if you say no, they throw the $400 price at you. And no, I did not buy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Category 5 Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Tell the cab driver canal and Broadway. Dress casual or the dealers get too spooked. When you get ther everything will fall into place. When you see Breitlings by the hundreds on racks tell them Rolex, Cartier, TAG, whatever and if you don't look to threatening they'll magically appear. Also, if they ask for $50, offer them $25 and settle on $30. Sometimers they'll ask the most rediculous prices, and as you walk away they chase you down going "Okay $20!" and cursing at you in Chinese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobsen1 Posted March 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Tell the cab driver canal and Broadway. Dress casual or the dealers get too spooked. When you get ther everything will fall into place. When you see Breitlings by the hundreds on racks tell them Rolex, Cartier, TAG, whatever and if you don't look to threatening they'll magically appear. Also, if they ask for $50, offer them $25 and settle on $30. Sometimers they'll ask the most rediculous prices, and as you walk away they chase you down going "Okay $20!" and cursing at you in Chinese. awesome, thanks. Will they have any PAMs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreeman420 Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 as you walk away they chase you down going "Okay $20!" and cursing at you in Chinese.Ahhh the memories.... Just watch out for the dudes that come up to you and pull a watch out of their pocket and try to get $400-$600 for it! I've had this happen twice... maybe I look like an easy mark or something. What they do is get a rep, not Rolex, or anything that is an obvious fake, put on a few genuine tags and stickers, and even a price tag. One guy tried to sell me a fake Tag Heuer that had a Neiman Marcus price tag of $2200.00 This scam also has another version. Happened to me several times, but I fell for it twice. A guy comes up to you and opens his hand. He has this huge gold chain wrapped in a paper towel. It is stamped 14K and the guy even pulls out a file and starts filing away at the links. Solid gold all the way through. So you figure he just snatched it and wants a quyick sale. Couple hundred bucks when the thing is worth $2,000. I buy one my friend buys a bracelet. We both turn green. Solid jewelers brass. The second time I only got took for $20.00, but hey i take a chance. You never know. I have gotten some great deals from crackheads at 2 am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreeman420 Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Another scam is a tv, computer, stereo equipment etc. They have this box all sealed and stapled looks brand new. You buy it deeply discounted get home, open it up and you find a shiny new brick. Never fell for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve G Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 I used to work in NYC on 5th Ave for nearly 10 years. I've seen the guys with the briefcases and even before I knew about our high end reps, i would always regard them as junk. But on two occasions I have had a guy approach me with a white bag and inside was a rolex green box containng a black sub w/papers. he claimed it was just stolen and he was looking to get $300, too good to be true, but of course it looked so real. He eventually would settle for $200. Now the better mind says it isn't real. And today I'm convinced at best it was a high end rep. But that's the closest thing in NY i've ever seen to what we can get here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSlickAK Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 Many moons ago I bought this "quartz" Breilting for $60 usd on Canal Street NY After a few months the battery stopped and the crown screw became stripped. Luckily I sold it for $40 cdn. Getting a PAM from rwg and then going back to NYC Canal Street. All I had to do was walk up and into every stall and ask if they had anything comparable to what I was wearing. Most of the displayed watches are gawd awful and the PAM rubber straps come in every colour of the rainbow! I'm assuming the sellers are like in Shanghai market. They will display all the $20-$30 crap and try to hit all the tourist marks for $60 to $100. Meanwhile their quaility reps (if any) are suitcased away in the back of the store and are only up for the serious Rep collectors that knwo their stuff and can instantly point out the Grades. bsak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.