It was lovely to hear how the collectors world functioned back at that time. It gives some idea of both the values & rarity of the pieces along with the communication between individuals.
As you were being quite humble in your open letter, i think it worth pointing out that even though you had the possibility to communicate directly with other enthusiasts, its the creation of OTD that allowed for the accumulation of knowledge in one easily accessible place that brought the community together. This wealth of shared knowledge is what has helped us understand & identify the models along with their relative scarcity.
My first experiences with OTD were around 2005 - i saw a Montreal on ebay & suspected it may be a "fake" ( redialled barrel Carrera ), as i had never seen the model before. I soon stumbled my way through the accululated forum posts & began my own Heuer education.
I too recall ebay in the days we could all see each others names & it was common to receive a "Congratulations on your buy", message after a win from other bidders. Its a lot different now with people trying to interfere with closed auctions & tempting offers but this is probably more an indication of the popularity of the mark these days.
The old days may well be gone but look at the legacy you have built Jeff - a wealth of information & a thriving community of like minded collectors. So step back for a moment & take a bow as we applaud your efforts over the years - thankyou again for all your effort.

Cheers - Darren