u/KingRodric

I’ve really only gotten into watches this year and with the arrival of our son, I didn’t want to get swept up in the excitement of a new hobby/passion and spend a bunch of money just to scratch an itch. I’ve been patiently saving up while hunting for deals on Facebook marketplace and local antique stores and flea markets but I figured I was still several months away from actually pulling the trigger on anything Swiss or automatic. I had my eye on a few Hamilton Khakis, Seikos, and the PRX but obviously not the sort of stuff you come across every day in a $5 watch bin at a yard sale. On a whim I stopped in a local pawn shop yesterday and behind row after row of Invictas and Fossils, I saw this sitting in the back of the display case. I couldn’t believe it when I picked it up and it actually started ticking! It had been sitting on the shelf since March and they had it listed for $425 but offered 20% off for the holiday. I remembered reading some threads on here and r/watches about how eager pawn shops are to move stuff and how if something has been sitting for over a month or two, you can really get some deals. We went back and forth for a while and I ended up picking it up for $240 out the door! So excited! I always see threads about people finding a 90s submariner in a Goodwill for $6 so it feels awesome to have my own “I got a deal” story and a beautiful watch to boot! I woke up twice last night and picked it up off my nightstand just to hold it and appreciate it. Feels cheesy as hell typing all this out but I’m thrilled to bits and it’s nice to share. Thanks for all the inspiration and advice in the comments!

You guys were super informative yesterday helping me figure out my flea market watch. I got a cheap amazon NATO band and this is my first time attaching one. I just ran the strap under the spring bar but this feels….wrong? Is there another way to attach this that I’m not seeing?

Thanks!

Found it at the bottom of a bin of broken toy watches and Chinese junk, didn’t know much about it but figured it was worth picking up for $5. It was absolutely filthy when I got it, someone wore the dog piss out of this watch. Some warm soapy water and a toothbrush made a huge difference. The features are a little overwhelming, but very impressive. This thing must have been mind blowing in 2003!

So I went back and forth on posting this because I feel like any time I see a post highlighting a local business the comments are all insanely inflammatory and someone digs up where the owner was cited for littering in 2016 or is a registered republican and the entire thread turns into a giant circle jerk of shitting on the whole thing but regardless I felt compelled to share. In case you missed it, the owner of Aloha Waffle posted on IG and TikTok recently, basically asking for help/support at their Jax Beach location because they were struggling at getting people in the door. We live on the other side of town and honestly I had never heard of the place but my wife had been to the River City location and said it was good so we figured what the Hell let’s drive out there and try it out. My expectations were essentially zero and I was fully prepared for it to be mid as Hell, we were really only going out of sympathy for a struggling small business, so I am thrilled to report that it was genuinely delicious. We each got one of their dessert waffles which were extremely gluttonous and extremely good. I don’t really fw the booger tea things but my wife said hers was great. The owner posed on social media last night saying that they sold out of pretty much everything yesterday so they will be closed today (Sunday) while they restock which is nice to hear, but also devastating because I woke up thinking about the strawberry banana waffle I had. We may end up actually driving out to River City today to satisfy my craving there. Anyway, kind of a ramble post but wanted to share a nice experience we had at a local business and maybe throw some exposure their way. I hope they can turn it around and keep the doors open because we really enjoyed it.