Actually if you collected Heuer Monaco, which you don't and you have also made it perfectly plain that you don't care for them,

I don't usually get very excited about Monaco's... I find Carrera's or Pasadena cased models to be more my cup of tea. I haven't ruled out ever considering one or buying/owning one. I kinda like the Slate Gray Dialed 7736's. And I certainly cast my net far further afield currently than I did three or four years ago... No one knows what the future may bring... In a couple of years, who knows?

then you wouldn't consider it a good buy.

No, that is not entirely correct.

I would not consider it a good buy for me, at this time.

For all I know, it may been a good or even a great buy for someone else, perhaps even as far as what the market will bear on resale. I grant that I am not particularly knowledgeable about the complexities of market price ranges on Monaco's at the moment. So I don't consider it any flavor of a buy. I do not follow the going rate for Monaco's anywhere near closely enough to make a value judgement on if it was a awful/poor/fair/good/great deal.

My only real thoughts with regards to this specific Monaco was that by in large the Valjoux 7740 and 7741 are pretty much forgotten calibres these days when compared to the 773x series. And that may have had an effect as to why this Monaco went for the bid it did and not higher. This one didn't make a strong impression on me enough to make me feel it should have commanded quite so high of a price and still be considered a good/great deal... Others seem to have felt similarly.

I have "watched" some of the Monaco Automatic Blue Dial goes for over $5,000.00 lately. This was a rare Monaco which brought a reasonable price and I am sure the purchaser can make money on it if he decides to sell. Once again a watch is worth what someone is willing to pay for it and not what someone says that it is worth.

I don't follow Monaco's to be able to say I've seen Monaco's selling $5k+ lately.

As for if the 7740 Monaco in question was obtained at a reasonable enough price to sell at a profit, time will tell. I just hope the watch finds a good home and I hope the eventual owner gets many years of service and enjoyment out of ownership. I think that is a sentiment we all share here in the forum.

I may not bid on more Heuer on eBay than some other collectors but I most definely would think that I am in the top five bidder on vintage Heuer and I would put my collection of 250+ Heuer watches and timer up against anyones Heuer Collection. The reason I mention this is not to brag but to make a point.

Uh-huh... Speaking for myself when it comes to collections (of watches or anything else), The items I pursue in order to add to my collection I do so for my collection, not to compete with any one else, their collection or to be on some top five bidder list.

A person's collection should reflect one's personal tastes and interests. My collection hopefully reflects mine, your collection reflects yours, and everyone else's reflects theirs.

I am not afraid to bid before the last minute because someone might think that I am a "so called expert", therefore they would intentional bid against me thinking that I knew something that they didn't or that it was a bargain.

Nor am I afraid to bid prior to the last minute. However for me it is a better strategy not to bid early and often, regardless of what anyone else thinks about me. I'm not typically going to bid in a manner that is disadvantageous to my chances to prevail. That's common sense. I wouldn't expect anyone else to bid in a disadvantageous manner either.

Even if I bid at the last minute I have already put in a previous bid. If you wait until the last second it is nothing more than sniping. Sniping is perfectly legal and there is nothing wrong with it,

Good to hear you say that.

but don't claim that you are an expert and top gun collector (which you may very well be),

I do not believe I said I was an expert. In fact I didn't. What I said was "I have a fairly high profile in watch forums".

Nor did I say anything about collecting guns, much less my prowess (or lack there of) in collecting firearms. Neither of which is really germane to the discussion in this forum. (anyone who wishes to discuss firearms, there are plenty of firearm discussion forums out there, or if you wish to discuss firearms with me personally, my email is easy enough to find! =) )

which can only bid at the last second because you are afraid of the competition taking advantage of your knowledge and expertise.

People have bid on items I'd bid on in the past after reading articles I've written and searching eBay for what I was bidding on. That hasn't happened recently, as I rarely bid on anything prior to the last moments of an auction. I'm not in a habit of making it easy for people to know what specific eBay items I am currently seeking or interested in. Nor would I recommend it to anyone else.

I have no problems with people availing themselves of my articles or posts. If I did I would have password protected my web pages long ago and/or not posted 'em in the first place. People query me all the time... I've received and cheerfully replied to hundreds if not thousands of requests for information over the years... My eMail boxes are chock-a-brock full of watch related queries and replies.

Nor am I "afraid" or ,,scared,, of people reading my articles/posts to make themselves a better consumer. I have a standing policy of allowing and encouraging eBay and Web sellers to link to my articles (rather than copy and paste them) so that their potential buyers know as much about the item as possible.

On the other hand I see no need to bid on an item driving up the price for myself/someone else on unless I'm committed to a serious attempt at the end of an auction. At which point I will place my bid.

The really easy way to avoid/minimize price escalation in an eBay bidding war is to not start or get entangled in one in the first place.

On more than one occasion I have not bid because I have noticed that Jeff Stein was the high bidder (I would consider him an expert and top gun collector) on a auction and to offer my respect for him I did not bid.

I've done the same on dozens of occasions... For Jeff and an number of other friends who I've been in contact with in my travels over the years...

I know for a fact that he has done the same for me (he told me he did).

I'm sure I've mentioned items I was serious about to Jeff (among others) and I'm sure he (they) have reciprocated in kind.

If Jeff had not bid early and often I would not have known that he was after the Heuer he was bidding on.

Most times, I mention what I'm interested in to Jeff or other friends I talk with regularly via email, AOL-IM, phone or via other means. Or if the friend was someone I was/am not currently in regular contact with but knew in the past, I would contact them directly if I was serious about an item and let them know. I also have directed friends and acquaintances to items that I'm not interested in but thought they might be.

I have also done this to other Heuer Collectors that I had previously sold to or had previously purchased from. The majority of them never knew that I passed on raising the bid on which they were the high bidder. As far as I was concerned the only person who needed to know was me.

I have done the same in consideration for other friends and acquantances as well. Not limited to Heuer, Omega or any specific brand either.

Good collecting to all fellow Heuer Collectors, Charles.

eBay isn't entirely unlike many other pursuits.

In sports (Fencing, Football, Golf or Racing among others) or games (Chess, Monopoly, Bridge or Poker among others) different competitors have different approaches, styles, strategies, techniques, etc. they fashion in an effort to maximize their efforts and results.

In the competitive arena that eBay is... use the combination(s) of those approaches, styles, strategies and techniques that are best suited to you in order maximize your results.

Good Hunting Everyone!

-- Chuck