Jeff,

I have to thank you (again) for turning me on to these Hodinkee podcasts. I think there were 4 of them when you told me they were worth listening to. I have since consumed them all. They are all worth a listen. I think my favorite might be Spike Feresten. Some of my favorites aren't really much about watches. This newest edition with Michael Weisberg is another favorite. I am not sure he is a guy with whom I could be great friends. He doesn't seem like a guy who likes to hang out much. I think the talk with Hodinkee might have been a bit of a strain for him That said, he is honest and genuine and very self aware. He doesn't seem to care if his honesty and his view might seem brutally honest to some. His outlook on collecting is interesting. I agree with most of it although his target market collector is much different from me. I don't agree that a collector can't look for bargains but I do agree that a collector should look for quality above all else. I really agree that a lot of collectors are just checking boxes instead of having an actual passion.

I guess what is really interesting about the best of the Hodinkee podcasts is that they get me into how the minds of collecting types of people work. Weisberg is really more of a collector of information than of objects. To hear him talk this is especially when it comes to watches. He is passionate about watches. His mind is built to collect the stories and details which give him an intuition about what is right and wrong/good and bad about them. His mind is not built to desire or to want to possess them. I love it when he says that after touching and feeling and seeing a watch for a few days he sort of does possess it even after he sells it. On the continuum of collectors he is at one end of the spectrum with the hoarder on the other.

Again, I am not sure I could be his friend, but I would love to see him work the Parma show and I would love to be invited to his house for a scotch and a tour and a bit of conversation.

Best,

JohnCote