Ulysse Nardin

ThomasM
[PuristS]
14331

• Show profile
• Show other posts

LOL! Very creatively phrased, but my dear fellow Kung Fu acolyte and...

fellow shellfish aficionado, much as it pains me to say this publically, there is some merit to the comments made by Aaron and Cen.

Before I comment further, I want to remind you and Rolf how much I have supported the authorized dealer channels, with  both my own  purchasing dollars, and all the efforts and costs of ThePuristS (and subsequently PuristsPro) as well as my various published writings around the world.

That said, between the extremes of "the rule" versus "the exception" is a wide expanse of grey area known as the area of "too much" and "far too little."

I completely agree with your comments about far too many online dealers (authorized also, but especially non-authorized, dealers) offering pieces for sale which they do not have in stock, even specific pieces which are being offered "in syndication."

But a variant of this "syndicated offering" game is extant in the authorized channels as well - pieces which WILL BE gotten in on memo, for example, which an AD claims to have in stock.

But more importantly, the area that I find most disturbing and sorely bothersome is something that Aaron and Cen specifically mention as well - that many (not necessarily most!) non-authorized dealers are actually enthusiasts themselves who found they could service fellow enthusiasts better than the AD's - with enthusiasm, knowledge, and REAL passion.

FAR TOO MANY authorized dealers (and their staff) really are qualified mainly for their ability to pay their invoices based upon their credit, rather than any real knowledge or passion for the products or industry.

Before this descends into an endless debate ad absurdum about which "more" is more, and which "less" is less significant (meaningless and ultiimately frustrating, not far from debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin) let me just put it as simply as possible - as good as the really good AD's are, there are FAR TOO MANY lousy ones, who are (or should be) shamed by the far more than the industry wants to admit good secondary market dealers.

In principle, I have supported, and will continue to support, the AD channels, because I believe it is the right thing to do.

But I can no longer stand quietly by and allow the myth to continue to be propogated that "AD good, non-AD bad." That is a myth, no more universal than "Jews and Chinese cheap and money grubbing" or "European superior in culture and virility."

(last tongue in cheek, to hopefully reduce any latent tension in a controversial subject. Which is not meant to trivialize a very important subject, of course...)

Broad, general, over-arching generalizations are good, and bad, both ways, and cut both ways.

Cheers,

TM