trance220 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 (edited) Hi! I'm not really new to the concept of replicas, but I am new to this forum and never knew such a wealth of info existed. I have been learning so much the past few days! I'm a huge fan of the YM Rolesium and even contemplated spending 1300 on one from another site before I found this place. Glad I didn't make that mistake!!! Anyways, on to my story.. I recently took a job working for a pawn shop until I can get back into my regular line of work. The job market is wonky where I live and I had to keep money coming in so... do what ya gotta do sometimes. The other day I'm standing behind the counter watching a busted Cadillac pull into the lot, rear of car smashed in, paint oxidized, not a straight body panel on the car, etc.. watched a man and his wife/girlfriend get out of the car, neither dressed very well and then I spotted it! From my research and own lust for said object I spotted his Yacht-Master before he even got into the store. It practically jumped off his wrist it was so bright compared to everything else on and around him. The first thought that came to mind was "fake" and I thought no..give him a chance, don't stereotype, etc.. He walks up to the counter and without saying a word looks left and right and nervously takes off his watch. He hands it to me and asks in a low tone "Do you handle high end merchandise like this"? As soon as he took it off, I knew it wasn't real. The o in Rolex was wrong among other things. I said I would have to check with my supervisor and that I would be right back. My supervisor pegged it as a replica immediately and said to go back out and say this word for word: "My supervisor says we can offer you 10 dollars for your watch". His reason for this is that 1) It lets the customer know that we realize the watch isn't real 2) It saves the customer face. Better to only be offered 10 bux and left at that rather than have someone call you out with a fake watch in front of others. So I did what I was told. Instead of leaving, the man makes this big scene demanding to know why we thought his watch wasn't real (even though we never said that) and yelling that 10 dollars was an embarrassment. He only embarrassed himself in front of the other customers in the end. The watch had all the tells of the replica - font was wrong, o was wrong, date window was off, I wonder if he really thought it was real or if he was trying to scam me? On my pawn shop related note, I'm buying a funky Breitling replica I found last week. They were selling it for nothing, and I will post pics of it to the Breitling forum once I get it. I promise it will be good for a laugh! I also found out that legally the pawn shop is not supposed to even knowingly accept a replica But if it's dirt cheap, they usually will. Hope this is in the right area, my apologies if it is not... Edited August 14, 2007 by trance220 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FasTTaP Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 nice introduction Welcome to RWG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section8 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Welcome to the forum, and great story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Great first post. I look forward to seeing your Breitling. Welcome aboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trance220 Posted August 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Thanks for the kind welcome! As far as the customers replica YM, I sooo wish he would have sold it for 10 dollars!!! I would have jumped on it after the mandatory hold! I would have gotten it for about 50 after the mark up. I seriously think that I'm going to go with trusty's replica but cannot decide to go with the regular or "ultimate" waterproofed version. Probably just go with the regular for my first online purchase. I've bought cheesy replicas at flea markets and the like for years. they only seemed to hold together for about a month before disintegrating. I'm such a watch junky that I told my boss at the pawn shop that if any other replicas come in, to hold them for me no matter what they are... working at that place and being a watch lover is a dangerous combination! Once again, thanks for the warm welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoman Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 just get the regular - waterproofing is a scam - re: not sure how you handled the customer - but you would have been a regular RWG'er if you started ticking off - whats wrong?- well, your O is wrong, wrong font, your M's don't line up, bezel writing is too thick. Crystal is clearly mineral, movement sounds like your beat up caddy yadda yadda yadda. say goodbye to your wallet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usil Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Great story. Looking forward to more plus the pics of the Breitling. Usil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Great story, as phoband said, save your money and go with the regular model. Welcome aboard. RG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDukeZip Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 If the guy wants to cause I scene I would start pointing out all the tells right away. I guess you have to follow rules though which is respectful. Hopefully you'll get more stories and soon enough you can start a Stores From Trance's Pawn Shop thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jraines87 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 I think I would have called him out..... Welcome.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Nice story and welcome to RWG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselpower Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Love the story. Welcome. Come on in the water's fine. I seem to remember a few very useful posts re the YM. Use the search engine and you may find very helpful stuff. As I recall the red colour of YM on the dial is an issue as is the positioning of the date window.Tread carefully and you will not be disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertk Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 It's stories like yours that make this place so much fun. Welcome aboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dluddy Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Great story Welcome aboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manuel Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 "Do you handle high end merchandise like this"? How was his girlfriend? was she pretty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trance220 Posted August 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Honestly I can't really remember much about the girlfriend/wife. She was kind of a background character the whole time. I was more absorbed in his reaction to everything... There was a watch that came in Sunday, and it's making me crazy because it was a genuine and I can't remember what make it was now. I want to say it was Mont Blanc or similar, anyway, it was platinum and had a diamond bezel surround. The pawn shop tested all of the diamonds to be real then looked it up to find the price. They wouldn't even touch it because they said it was simply too high profile for them. At the same time a guy came in with a fossil and they turned him down because they said they have a case full already.. kinda weird how they base things.. They have what I believe is a ladies Rolex oyster perpetual in the case that an older gentleman claimed was false. I haven't had time to really look at it yet, but they have it priced at about 1300 right now.. any thing I should look for on it besides the o in Rolex and the date magnification? I don't have access to open it up so it would have to be external identification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Great story indeed. Welcome and have fun ! Cheers Stephane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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