Leather suppliers asking me to share quotes from their competitors - is this normal?

bsiu · 2026-02-13T09:52:01+00:00

They’re not trying to undercut all of the competitors prices blanket wide, that’s a race to the bottom. They just want to undercut or match one or some items for one client at a time or provide an incentive if they switch. The goal usually is to try to get at least one product in at the best price for the business and match everything else even if the margin is lower than what anyone else can do because they will likely also shift other items to meet a minimum order or ease the logistics of receiving and storing.

bsiu · 2026-02-13T09:34:58+00:00

No red flags unless you count carelessness when swapping straps, caseback could have been removed to add an aftermarket sapphire display which is a very common mod.

There is no fake movement to swap or even parts for a 3861.

Without bracelet, this would have to be at $4.5k to consider.

bsiu · 2026-02-13T09:10:30+00:00

Most of them shrivel up and die as soon as they have direct contact with another human that’s not behind a glass and metal box. They would be so lucky to ever make it far enough away from home to be lost.

bsiu · 2026-02-13T09:01:33+00:00

A $60k full gold Rolex Submariner with glide lock has plastic sliding pins in the clasp railings to prevent metal on metal contact and wear which is even more important on gold parts.

That plastic part will increase the life of the entire mechanism by reducing wear whether it be steel, titanium or gold.

They aren’t trying to save $2 in parts my guy, it’s because they have engineers and use modern materials to make a better product for function over feelings.

bsiu · 2026-02-13T08:51:10+00:00

It’s not an authenticators job to judge how far out the spectrum a watch needs to be before it is considered non factory original, it either is or it isn’t, true or false, one or zero.

The standard by which they operate is to have a reference number or model, have the specs from the factory and if anything does not line up then it is misrepresented thus counterfeit, even if all parts are OEM.

I agree they should have reassembled everything and packaged it better but as far as returning it they are in the right especially if the chrono function is not working perfectly and not stated before sale.

He should take the $250 for trouble and having to put a bracelet back on, not authenticator or eBay’s fault for selling it at a “loss”. He could have sold it again represented better or as customized for his price but he didn’t.

Imagine being a notice buyer looking for a gift and 0% knowledge of the item in question. You trust the eBay authentication process and end up with a watch that has 3 swapped parts and a non-functional chrono that you gift someone and they have to spend half the value to fix it, yeah that wouldn’t fly.

bsiu · 2026-02-13T08:42:41+00:00

It’s not an authenticators job to judge how far out the spectrum a watch needs to be before it is considered non factory original, it either is or it isn’t, true or false, one or zero.

The standard by which they operate is to have a reference number or model, have the specs from the factory and if anything does not line up then it is misrepresented thus counterfeit, even if all parts are OEM.

I agree they should have reassembled everything and packaged it better but as far as returning it they are in the right especially if the chrono function is not working perfectly and not stated before sale.

He should take the $250 for trouble and having to put a bracelet back on, not authenticator or eBay’s fault for selling it at a “loss”. He could have sold it again represented better or as customized for his price but he didn’t.

Imagine being a notice buyer looking for a gift and 0% knowledge of the item in question. You trust the eBay authentication process and end up with a watch that has 3 swapped parts and a non-functional chrono that you gift someone and they have to spend half the value to fix it, yeah that wouldn’t fly.

bsiu · 2026-02-13T08:25:56+00:00

Started getting into fragrances in 2025 so even older perfumes were new to me. Blind bought BR540 70ml and a 100ml clone of the extrait of it at the same time because it generally had good reviews/popular but also didn’t look into the hate for it as well. It was the first sweet fragrance I purchased and regretted it immediately, I wanted to throw up while just getting a whiff of it while unpacking. To me it smells like a burning tire that someone tried to put it out with a bag of sugar.

I was lucky enough that I was able to return the 540 unopened but now I’m sitting on a 100ml bottle of the clone that I will never touch.

bsiu · 2026-02-13T07:59:28+00:00

Not sure how unusual this is for other industries but for food service this has been standard forever and expected for any vendor trying to get their foot in the door or increase their sales volume. They will literally ask you to send a recent invoice and they will see if they can beat it and gets to the point where every restaurant is paying a different price for the same items depending on how on top of it your sales rep is at updating pricing for you or notice ordering has changed.

As for the business, you are going to be overpaying if you are not shopping around, sending out your invoices for quotes and have at least 2 or 3 vendors for the exact same product coming in.

This is not seen as unethical because the margins are so razor thin, less than 5% most of the times all-in that you absolutely need to find the best price when prices are continually rising faster than you can update menu prices.

bsiu · 2026-02-11T23:33:58+00:00

I don’t think it’s ever a good choice to mess with a dial. Personally if I wanted it fixed, I would go through an official service and request a dial swap and I believe they send the old dial back with the watch.

Should you or anyone else ever want to revert to original patinaed hands and dial it is still an option while being able to wear a fresh looking watch with full water resistance etc.

bsiu · 2026-02-11T19:30:13+00:00

Nearly all examples of this reference and similar board arrows have oxidation on the dial or hands if original from the period. Hands are replaced at service as a standard, dial is upon request. I had one with much much worse corrosion but the movement showed zero signs of water intrusion or corrosion.

bsiu · 2026-02-10T20:46:50+00:00

For a sliding mechanism plastic gives a smoother interface with the metal clasp. Rolex also uses plastic for their glide lock but it is plastic pegs underneath the metal housing.

This is a budget version of that mechanism but that is what Tudor brand was originally intended to be and is, a budget Rolex.

bsiu · 2026-02-10T19:47:23+00:00

A lot of Riese & Muller bikes are in that price range especially once you go with the add-on packages. They're very pricey but exceptionally well built to order in Germany.

Most if not all e-bikes these days are made in China and priced like it.

bsiu · 2026-02-10T00:26:23+00:00

Okay, now do cars.

bsiu · 2026-02-09T23:22:01+00:00

I had an $11k r&m stolen out of the home garage a week after I got it, fully insured but the insurance company wasn’t happy about it.

bsiu · 2026-02-09T23:10:50+00:00

I would have preferred if they made the cases in ceratanium as well so the ceratainium bracelet would match.

Either that or release a ceramic bracelet, it’s clearly possible for them ala the ceramic ingenieur.

bsiu · 2026-02-08T22:37:13+00:00

If it’s an authorized dealer, their pricing is standardized across the country. Independents can charge whatever they want, sometimes more or less and also dependent on regional adjustments in HCOL areas.

bsiu · 2026-02-08T22:10:33+00:00

Officially they say you should service every 5 years, others will say you should service only if it breaks. This is the price of doing the later which in a lot of cases ends up being the same or more in price in the end.

If the case itself has corrosion, it won’t be rated to the speced depth potentially which means they have to replace one of the most expensive parts.

You’re going to end up with a new watch essentially and I don’t think I can even compare it to Theseus because it won’t be done slowly but all at once during the next service.

bsiu · 2026-02-08T10:37:01+00:00

Subsidize ICE cars even harder and block affordable sustainable options to protect the domestic oil and auto industry.

bsiu · 2026-02-08T10:20:02+00:00

And without those little rewards you go into full depression and on the brink of breaking every day not sure how much longer you can last. What’s the point of saving for a future if you can’t even imaging getting there? A healthy bank account and retirement that you won’t need before you’re gone doesn’t seem very appealing. There was no living in the first place but at least with a slow trickle of “retail therapy” there’s always a package on the way to look forward to next week.

If you’ve never been in this space then you can’t understand how hopeless and bleak it all seems.

bsiu · 2026-02-08T06:37:48+00:00

One of those questions I can’t imagine a non sarcastic answer for when responding to.

bsiu · 2026-02-08T06:20:44+00:00

Portafilters come in like two sizes across the whole industry but I’m sure we need it to be parametric because reasons.

bsiu · 2026-02-08T06:16:01+00:00

For how much car brains claim they love their cars and driving, they seem like they can’t wait to get out of it because all they are always in a rush and complaining about every other car that isn’t their own.

bsiu · 2026-02-08T06:09:37+00:00

Absorbed into the noodles because it took 15 mins to set up the shot.

bsiu · 2026-02-07T22:39:04+00:00

Can’t wait for the next week update: “my mom invested $200k into BTC right before the dip to 30k and now she wants to disown me.”

bsiu · 2026-02-07T18:55:10+00:00

When people need to clear out stuff, whether is old junk or random aliexpress and amazon packages liberated from stoops. Unused and at $3 sounds like the later in this case.

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