great topic for discussion!! thanks for introducing this topic.

for me, it's simple . . . I had always been interested in watches and other timepieces, but the actual collecting began with the widespread availability of the internet, eBay and email, in the late 1990s. the early days (and nights) on eBay were a blast . . . we were buying Rally-Master pairs in the $1,200 range, the Autavia chronographs in the $300 range, and a nice vintage Monaco might reach $2,500. sellers were widely dispersed; primarily people finding these old things in drawers or at flea markets. we could identify most of the bidders (as eBay was not anonymous, back then), and there were groups of us who took turns bidding (and buying), so that we didn't bid against each other. participants were primarily in the US, the UK and Germany.

I was in a "buy only" mode for a long time; I only began to sell and trade later; currently, I think of the hobby as "self-funding", but I'm not actually tracking the dollars. hey, the phrase "self-funding" is nice, even if used only in discussions with my wife!!

It's all gotten more enjoyable, with the development of our community and the numerous new resources -- arno's book, websites (or blogs) from david and rich, and forums in italy. but it's easy to pinpoint how it all began: with the eBay registration, in November 1998. it's been an awesome hobby . . . thanks to all our readers and writers for their contributions.

Jeff

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

: I live in hope!!
: Having just read "An interview with Jeff S." coutesy of
: Collectors weekly bought me to this question.
: I was amazed to read that the above mentioned had only started his
: interest in Heuer in 1998. (Excuse me for using 3rd? person
: Jeff.) I was hoping some others may share their experience on
: how long it has taken them to build up their respective
: collections, knowledge and perhaps even what motivated them
: initially. At times I feel daunted by not only financial
: constraints, but also the sharp eyes and selective / collective
: experience from those within this forum. To be honest, I am yet
: to even hold a Heuer, (yep) and I live for the day, in the mean
: time I do my homework so as to speak. The clean lines of the
: Carrera's and some Autavia's are what really attract me. Day by
: day, reading, learning, and regretfully at the moment
: prioritising needs verses wants. Anyways, any info would be
: greatly appreciated and perhaps even make for a good topic.
: Regards Mark