Hello New Guy - It's All About You

[TJGladeRaider]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

I am not an official anybody, and maybe just a busy-body, but I have bought a watch or two, and I want to tell you how important you are here - especially since some of the regulars can be a bit short tempered.

I buy lots of stuff, but these are my Rolexes.

In a recent post you could find on the forum, someone asked a kind of technical question. Ziggy, one of our favorite experts replied as follows.

Probably not, it's a design issue, and time will not change the way it is... Most Asian models are close copies of the Miyota 8215, and are interchangeable... Replacing it with a Miyota is probably the only way you will fix it...but it's only astetics, it will work fine and keep good time...the one I have does...

The question doesn't mean much to me - I never buy Asian movements, and the answer doesn't mean much to me - it's not a problem I'll have. Probably doesn't mean anything at all to you either at this point.

As I read threads like this, by the real experts on these forums (and there are so many, that I'll not try to name for fear of leaving some out), it is an absolute marvel to me that so many members of these forums are not willing to pay a few bucks for access to this kind of quality information.

That's not a pitch for your money - it's more a thought provoking comment for others.

In the beginning, I thought the moderators were crazy - I am a man with little patience for asshats and I'd just give all the freeloaders the boot. Having been here for long enough to see what's actually happening, I can see why they have no choice.

Other than the most honest and dependable of our dealers, the most important people here are the noobs - and by that I do mean you.

For the experts, regulars and freeloaders who read that and said, "WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!," I'll explain why I believe that. If you would agree with me that these forums ultimately depend upon the presence of our first rate dealers, I think you are going to agree with me . . . you just haven't figured it out yet.

Regulars, pick your favorite dealer -- does anyone actually think they are here for the privilege of having their best efforts critiqued over fonts, mags, crown guards, pearls, . . . all those little, petty, picky things over which they have little, if any, control?

It's great that we have experts here to do that, as it helps those of us who don't know to make our selections, but I suspect the very nicest of dealers all find themselves sometimes wishing you'd eat Draino and die.

They are here to make a living selling reps.

Now, pick your favorite pundit -- the expert you think is the absolute last word when it comes to what's wrong with a given rep and how it should be improved, and ask yourself, "How many of these does he actually buy?" Two, or twenty, very few people keep right on buying these things forever.

The bottom line is, if these forums were closed to the noobs, the brand new people prone to ask questions that have been answered a hundred times, purchases would dwindle and die, and the few sales that would happen wouldn't support our dealers, or justify the aggravation they put up with. They'd leave.

So, to the new guy I say - don't spend a nickel. Read a lot, use the search function, find out if collecting these things is really something you are interested in, and take full advantage of everything a lot of really competent, and very nice people, have posted here - all for free.

If you do buy a watch(es), compare it to what you may otherwise have bought from some scam artist - or what your friends have bought. Look at what you paid compared to what they paid, what you got for your money, and all you learned along the way.

Then let your conscience be your guide.

Enjoy this place - it's great.

Bill

[KB]

A great post thank you Bill

And yes the newbie's are the lifeblood of any forum, stop the intake of new members and from that point on the forum is dying.

Ken

[V]

It was me who asked the question to The Zigmeister

Nice post Bill

[ubiquitous]

Well said!

And remember, we were all noobs at some point. Except Ubiquitous, who was apparently BORN a genius.

Welcome Noobs!

Whaaa? Deep down inside, I'm just a noob. Seriously, I learn something new every day!

[TJGladeRaider]

Whaaa? Deep down inside, I'm just a noob. Seriously, I learn something new every day!

Yep, I'll buy that . . . Randy, our ubiquitous noob.

Knowing my place in the pecking order of horological acumen, I guess that means I need to don my pointy hat, sit in the corner, suck my thumb and drool down my shirt.

Bill

[Pugwash]

And remember, we were all noobs at some point.

At what point do we stop being noobs? I got into replicas, and watches in general, in Feb 2006 with the discovery of TRC. Only five months have passed and I still consider myself wet behind the ears, yet I already feel I can slap noobs about for fun.

[Guest TTK]

@TJ....with every post you make now....I'm cringing inside......I'm seeing you in a different light.....maybe I was wrong in pigeonholing you.....hmmmm.......yeah I was wrong......a GREAT post and true......it doesn't stop me being nervous about giving PERSONAL info to noobs tho'.....but that's a different ball game.....!

[Alextor]

Great post TJ! always clear and direct...and your post on IP...priceless (well for 17 years anyway)

[robertk]

Thanks TJ. smart post

[TJGladeRaider]

@TJ....with every post you make now....I'm cringing inside......I'm seeing you in a different light.....maybe I was wrong in pigeonholing you.....hmmmm.......yeah I was wrong......a GREAT post and true......it doesn't stop me being nervous about giving PERSONAL info to noobs tho'.....but that's a different ball game.....!

Well, I'll be flogged and keel hauled. Somebody pin that damn post before he can edit it!!!!!!!!!

As far as personal information to noobs, I don't think I've addressed that point directly.

Since you bring it up, I would suggest that an individual operating a biz that motivates certain authorities (not to mention certain private interests), to aggressively lust for a piece of their butt, that they have a greater, or lessor degree of difficulty identifying and locating (depending upon how canny and clever you are), telling people you don't know who you are, where you are, and how to find you is, shall we say . . . stoopid.

Actually, I think stoopid is an inadequate word to meed my needs here, so I'll call it, "Stoopicidal."

As you may recall, I previously opined that it would be smart to have a separate, PRIVATE, area where Dealers could compare notes, and share experiences because if/when the above referenced certain parties make that effort to identify and locate the above referenced butts, it will not be clear to any individual dealer that perilous works are afoot, but the investigative endeavors that I would anticipate would be pretty obvious to dealers collectively and privately comparing notes.

Further, some dealers may have access to better information as to how to cover those previously referenced lovely butts than others, and it would be beneficial to be able to share that information, privately, and amongst yourselves.

Finally, having had just a wee bit of experience to draw from, I would also observe that as dangerous as the noob you don't know may be, death generally comes from those close to you who suddenly, and unfortunately, find themselves forced to cooperate with those previously referenced parties.

Your best friends will have good intentions, but when nutz get crushed, they'll play ball rather than have the bat shoved up their little [censored].

Just my rambling, rhetorical babbling, for whatever it happens to be worth.

Bill

[Indyclmbr]

Great post and must read for anyone in the forum, old or new. I will only add that in your research new guy, check out the "top three" thread. Here you have a group of established members sharing with you their favorites and why. It will give you some insight to collecting reps.

Climb on.

[sashwatch]

ok - i took me 10 mins to digest this post, does that mean i am a noob or my english is that BAD?

haha.. great post there TJ!