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Gary Striewski - From Seiko to SportsCenter With ESPN's Resident Watch Guy
1.2k Plays1 month ago
Today I’m sitting down with ESPN and Sportscenter anchor Gary Striewski to discuss all things watch collecting. Gary got the bug early on when he noticed his father wearing a gold Seiko with his army fatigues and never got that image out of his head. Fast forward and as Gary’s career started to pave its way, so did his watch collection. He’s the guy you want representing your brand, simply because he loves this stuff. He’s walking proof that you can never have too many GMT’s and that being in the spotlight everyday doesn’t get you allocations, it’s your character that does the trick. He’s had the pleasure of being a guest on Hodinkee’s Talking Watches and his love for cars comes with the same passion he puts towards watches. We chat about how he’s ESPN’s resident watch guy now, citing the wrists of those at events like Formula 1 and the ESPY’s. It’s definitely not the last time you’ll be hearing from him on Collectors Gene Radio. But for now, please enjoy, this is Gary Striewski, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Gary's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thekimchipapi?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
Talking Watches with Gary Striewski - https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/talking-watches-gary-striewski
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Transcript
Breaking Unwritten Rules in Local Store Relationships
00:00:00
Speaker
I broke every unwritten rule as it relates to like going in and establishing a relationship with your local store. I went in after the gym. It was a dark like February night. I'm sweating. I'm in a car heart hoodie that's just like soaked in sweat. I got my beanie on. I'm in sweats. They probably thought I was going to rob the place, and I'm like, I want to buy this watch.
Exploring the 'Collector's Gene' with Gary Streiske
00:00:26
Speaker
What's going on everybody and welcome to collector's gene radio. This is all about diving into the nuances of collecting and ultimately finding out whether or not our guests have what we like to call a bunch for listening and please enjoy today's guest on collector's gene radio.
Gary's Passion for Watch Collecting
00:00:50
Speaker
Today I'm sitting down with yeah ESPN and SportsCenter anchor Gary Streiske to discuss all things watch collecting. Gary got the bug early on um when he noticed his father wearing a gold Seiko with his army fatigues and never got that image out of his head. Fast forward and as Gary's career started to pave its way, so did his watch collection. He's the guy you want representing your brand simply because he loves this stuff.
00:01:11
Speaker
He's walking proof that you can never have too many GMTs and that being in the spotlight every day doesn't get you allocations. It's your character that does the trick. He's had the pleasure of being a guest on Hodinki's Talking Watches and his love for cars comes with the same collecting passion. We chat about how he's yeah ESPN's resident watch guy now, citing the risks of those at events like Formula One and the
00:01:44
Speaker
Gary Streiske, welcome to Collector's Dream Radio. This is fantastic. And actually, this is the preferred medium, um depending on what timeline and what comment section you're reading is, hey, get this guy's face off of my TV and off of my phone. But now you're haunted by just my voice.
00:02:03
Speaker
Well, well don't don't run away yet, because we'll we'll definitely, I'm sure, do another one of these in person at some point, but do graph we' we're doing audio only today.
Diverse Watch Collection: From Apple to Gold Daytona
00:02:12
Speaker
But it's actually been a really long time since I've had a watch collector on the show. So we've got to start what's on the wrist today. You know what's crazy is I've actually been running like crazy errands. So we're going to see if this episode just has an instantaneous drop off rate, because I'm wearing an Apple watch right now.
00:02:32
Speaker
Hey, it's still on the wrist. Yeah, but last night, I mean, listen, that's that's the contrast that you get with me. You know, this being on a Thursday that we're recording, I'm currently wearing an Apple watch on wrist after I got done with the gym running a bunch of errands and doing a couple of work things. But last night I was in ah my gold Daytona, my John Mayer Daytona. So, you know,
Building Relationships with Local Watch Stores
00:02:56
Speaker
it's it's the contrast. And that's a watch that you've had your eye on actually for quite some time, isn't it?
00:03:02
Speaker
Oh my gosh, yeah. I've loved Daytona's. Actually, it's funny, before I got like heavy, heavy into watches, I was sort of like a lot of people have that story. Like I just went into a store and I was like, can I buy this watch? I'm ready to make this purchase right now. And they're like, what do you mean? You can't just walk off the street and get to steal anything. This was like 2019.
00:03:26
Speaker
And I work ah closely with a local store here, Lux Bond and Green. They're fantastic. I'm in West Hartford, Connecticut. And I broke every unwritten rule as it relates to like going in and establishing a relationship with your local store. I went in after the gym. It was a dark like February night. I'm sweating. I'm in a car heart hoodie that's just like soaked in sweat. I got my beanie on. I'm in sweats. They probably thought,
00:03:55
Speaker
I was going to rob the place. And I'm like, I want to buy this watch. But they were cool. they get the Get the F out. Exactly. It was dark outside. So they were like, this this is a suspect behavior. But no, they were cool. They spent some time with me. My guy, Dave, you know was asking me all the right questions and then a couple of minutes into the conversation. Hey, what do you do? Where you work? What brings you to Connecticut? And then he was like, oh, yeah, OK. You do look familiar. So that was sort of my initial entry into the relationship building side of starting to become a collector.
Sentimental Value of a Father's Gold Seiko
00:04:31
Speaker
I love it. And we'll talk about relationships a little later on in the episode, but you know, most people know you for being a personality on ESPN and SportsCenter and all that, but
00:04:41
Speaker
As a watch collector, you've actually loved watches since you were a kid. It's always something that you have admired. You've spoken about it ah in in depth. But there's one in particular that really kickstarted things for you, and that's your father's watch. Is that right? Oh my gosh. Let me go get it right now. I know this is a visual or this isn't a visual, but this
00:05:05
Speaker
Seiko world timer that I just went out and got from my watch box This is the watch that I saw on my dad's wrist. And mind you, I grew up in Colorado. My dad retired from the army. He was a government salary. My mom, she worked um just as a server um just to get sort of like side cash for us, like grocery money. So we were very, very fixed income. We lived comfortably. We were middle-class-ish growing up in Colorado. But I remember my dad, as I'm holding this watch now, um
00:05:42
Speaker
He would come home in his fatigues, his camouflage fatigues, his woodland camo fatigues. He was a sergeant first class tank commander, but he would come home with this gold watch on his wrist and gold and camouflage. the contra He made it cool before it's it was actually cool. I remember seeing this as like an elementary school kid thinking to myself, I think we're rich.
00:06:07
Speaker
I'm pretty sure we're loaded. I'm pretty sure and my dad can wear whatever he wants and this gold watch, everything's fine. It's this gold Seiko. I mean, of course, I didn't know what a Seiko was um at the time, but I just knew that my dad had a gold, you know obviously it's gold plated, gold
Significant Watches and Their Stories
00:06:23
Speaker
brushed. It's not a solid gold Seiko.
00:06:25
Speaker
He would wear this and I just thought he was so cool because he had this gold watch on. And then, you know, he stopped wearing it. He retired from the army and then became a Colorado state trooper. So he went from this watch to a more tactical watch. He wore a G-Shock, you know, when he was ah an active state trooper. So this watch just sort of sat dormant in his medicine cabinet until ah about college for me. I was like, what happened to that watch?
00:06:54
Speaker
So then I procured it on a on a visit home Um, and it's been in my watchbox ever since and I busted out on a pretty regular basis. So yeah, it's uh It's cool holding this thing and it takes me back to like being in fort carston colorado on a military base Yeah, this is cool. This is very cool. Yeah, I love it. I love it. It's such an heirloom piece, and it's such a, I don't know, it just has, no matter who the person is when you show them that, they can't not appreciate it, right? Yes. And appreciate the story and all that. And so, you know, growing up, obviously you were curious of your dad wearing this watch and had, you know, some idea what it was, but did you always notice what other people were wearing? Was that a thing for you, or was that something later on once you started collecting? Oh, yeah.
00:07:44
Speaker
Oh yeah, so I always knew, or at least I grew up with the perception. My dad had a gold watch. He's an adult, even though at this point he was in his late 20s, early 30s, you know, when he was in the army. um But I was always drawn to the watches that kids were supposed to be drawn to, right? The big, colorful, sporty, athletic. One of my first watches was just a digital Nike watch that we got at the PX.
00:08:12
Speaker
it was ah molded after the swoosh with the bands and dude you couldn't tell me nothing if I had that watch on man that was one of those watches where before like a fighting necklace or like those anti-gravity bracelets that are actually coming back before those were a thing having an adidas or a nike rubber waterproof watch like you were him In middle school if you had one of those and fortunately you were rich. Oh, yeah, dude I was I was rich with aura before aura was a thing um Yeah, you pulled up to elementary and recess with one of those and it added, you know It it took time off your 40 it added to your vertical. You know what I mean? so uh, that was one of the first watches I I had and I i've always
00:08:59
Speaker
had a keen eye to whatever is on people's wrists. And before it was like a status symbol of, oh, they must be doing pretty well for themselves because they have a insert brand here on their wrist. It was always just like a man, that person's cool because they have a insert brand of writ of of watch on their wrist.
00:09:19
Speaker
Yeah, I love it. And so time goes on, you know, your career starts to take off for you a little bit. And, you know, you mentioned you walked into the Rolex store after the gym with your hoodie on, and obviously they didn't have something for
Evolution of the Rolex Day-Date
00:09:31
Speaker
you then. But shortly after that, you were able to secure a Samariner, which was like your first love foray into watch collecting where you are today. And then another watch I was really excited to see in your collection was a 36 millimeter Day-Date. And of course, extra sauce on the kimchi with it being a birth year Day-Date. That's the one. That's the one. And and I love that the 36 millimeter Day-Date is making a comeback, but I got to get your opinion because for me, I don't understand what in the world Rolex was ever thinking making that watch 40 millimeters.
00:10:04
Speaker
I mean, it's the distinction, isn't it crazy how games, championships, I'm making a sports analogy just because it's what I live in, are decided you know by literal millimeters. Sometimes you know gold medals are decided by middle millimeters or thousandths of a second. And that matters, right? Like a thousandth of a second matters when you are deciding who is the fastest person in the world. We saw it in the 100 meter final this summer. So like a millimeter of a difference is a noticeable thing, especially when you're catering to an audience that pays attention to these things. So to forex that difference, right? Like to go from one or two or three or like, wait a minute, we're going now a four millimeter difference going from 36 to 40. And listen, I get it. It's it's certainly regression from 10 years ago when the bigger the better. And if you didn't have a 48 millimeter Breitling on your wrist, you weren't doing it right. Right, right. You're not the guy if you don't have that.
00:11:03
Speaker
Yeah, did you you're not you're not him, but I feel like to appease the masses, 40 is, I'm okay with 40. In terms of a precious metal, knowing and handling and wearing a 36, that's plenty. That is certainly plenty in my estimation of a precious metal on your wrist.
Rolex's Influence on Global Trends
00:11:24
Speaker
I like the quaintness of it.
00:11:26
Speaker
um Yeah, the 36 is certainly the sweet spot. And I mean, yeah, that's what people have to remember is, you know, when these watches came out in 87, the Tony Soprano watch, right? 36 was the masculine size. That was the manly size. That was the proper size of a wristwatch. And, you know, everything evolves, style evolves, things, of taste evolves, but it's all cyclical.
00:11:51
Speaker
at the same time. So, you know, it gets bigger, but also we're seeing sort of people revert back to, all right, let me go with something a little more understated in the 36 in the 39. It's a moving scale.
00:12:04
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. And for me, I think that the 36 millimeter actually packs a bigger punch than the 40 millimeter in a lot of ways because it is smaller and it is more understated that when someone sees it, they just get it. But yes a lot of times when you see the 40 millimeter, you're like, ah you know, you feel like flavor Flav.
00:12:23
Speaker
Yes, the 40 mil, any 40 millimeter precious metal, you're going to know you're wearing it, whether or not your watch walks into a room five minutes before you do. Or some people, hey, listen, man, they work hard to get that thing. um The 40 millimeter is certainly a step up in that regard.
00:12:40
Speaker
Yeah, they're beautiful. No doubt. I just, you know, I was happy to see the 36 in your collection. Definitely had to have them. And that was a cool story too. Because I had been on the hunt for a ah birth year, because I was was turning 35. So this was a couple years ago. And Funny enough, I was just scrolling on TikTok and my algorithm is very much cars, watches, real estate, sports. And this came across and this is a jewelry appraiser in Philly. His name's Josh. He's actually a good buddy of mine now. He's like, you will never believe what I just got in my store. I'm going to keep it one owner. So I messaged him and I was like, dude, I would love to buy that.
00:13:20
Speaker
Here's what i'm looking for here's why i would love it and initially he wrote me back is like i know i'm gonna keep it in my collection then you send me a message back i guess this is a perk of the job he's like. Okay, so I showed my sons your TikTok and they know who you are and they watch your show. So I'll sell it to you. And I was like, hell yeah. Yes, please. That's amazing. It's it's such an incredible watch. The story is amazing. And I love that you found it on the internet that way because it's just, it just doesn't happen like that anymore.
00:13:53
Speaker
Yeah, no, it was cool. We took a trip down to Philly. um In
Joy of Owning MoonSwatches
00:13:57
Speaker
hindsight, I should not have been as naive as I probably was a couple of years ago to me and my girlfriend stayed right there in the city center, but we walked down to like the jewelry district. And we got about halfway down and we're like, we probably should not have walked. We're definitely gonna, we're definitely gonna Uber back. Bold move, Cotton. For sure. It did lay off.
00:14:22
Speaker
Your other birthday watch is your moon swatch. And I would love to know how you feel, you know, how this and your day date could make an argument for a great two watch collection. Man, the moon swatches are so fun. It brings me back. I don't care that it's plastic. I don't care that Neptune, you know, the the blue on it bled a little bit. They corrected it. That's fine. Listen, I think people deserve to have fun at every price point. So the people who kind of turn their nose up to it I mean, there's a flavor for everything. there's there's There's something for everybody, which I think is one of the special things about being in this hobby. So whether or not you know you have a budget,
00:15:05
Speaker
to spend on a precious metal Rolex or precious metal, you know, high-end watch. Or if you got 250 bucks that you've been saving up, man. I think the beautiful thing about the watch world is you can get in at any level, but still connect on the same level with people who are entrepreneurs, or excuse me, um who are enthusiasts about the collection. And that's what I like about it. I don't like the i don't like the snooty aspect of any sort of hobby.
00:15:32
Speaker
you know you You want to broaden the hobby. You want people to come in, feel welcome and have a good time and want to pursue more of it. And I think a watch like a moose watch is the perfect example of that. I have a two moose watches. I have Uranus and I have Earth. And then you know the stuff that stays on my wrist more than anything are like my Casios. So Yeah, anybody who thinks they're in some stratosphere because they have a certain wash on their wrist and people don't, man. Yeah, those aren't quite the collectors I like to rock with.
00:16:08
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. That makes sense. And i I think, you know, like you said, the moon swatch is so fun and it is to me the perfect companion for something like a day date or a GMT or whatever it may be, because it adds this playfulness to the collecting category of anything. And you get to tell people who don't understand what the moon swatch is, why it's cool. And the fact that it's 250, 500 bucks, whatever it may be, when you compare it to a regular speed master, you know, there, there's just a,
00:16:38
Speaker
There's some novel quirkiness to it that that you don't usually get with other things. And you can still, and you don't have to worry about, oh my gosh, there's an X thousand dollar watch on my wrist. Like it's 250 bucks. Would it suck if it busted because it's plastic or you lost it or God forbid it got stolen? Yeah, that sucks. But like a $250 hit is far easier to swallow than a 2500.
00:17:03
Speaker
Dollar hey on that no ice I was at an event yesterday and uh, you know as a rolex event, so obviously the crown was sort of Running uh ruling mightily, but there was a snoopy 50th anniversary speedy and it was so cool You know the the case back movement um with snoopy on the rocket shift my dude That was like the funnest watch there. And you know I went from handling that and getting it in my reel that I posted on Instagram last night to then handling literally a ah rainbow Daytona. So um yeah, man, there's c incredible. that's the That's the cool thing about this hobby, man, is everything is cool. Right. If you appreciate it and you have an open mind, you can't be mad at really
Rolex Quality and Craftsmanship
00:17:47
Speaker
anything. You don't have to love it, but you can't be mad at it. Exactly.
00:17:51
Speaker
Speaking of the Speedy, I know that you had one and you sold it. And after seeing the Snoopy last night and having a moon swatch now, or a couple of them, do you think you want to add a speed monster back into the collection? Yes, yes, yes. I was actually just talking to my friend, Dan, who runs Boston Watch Shots. If there's anybody on the East Coast who's looking for a community,
00:18:13
Speaker
ah dialogue ah ah group me or a instagram page that post daily it's boston watch shots i was literally talking to him two weeks ago because somebody in the group i'm bailed on a white dial speed master and i think that watch is so sharp.
00:18:28
Speaker
I mean, I do have i have a Panda Daytona 116500. So those watches check all of the same boxes, right? It's a white dial, stainless steel, chronograph. But man, there's just something so sharp about a white dial with black accents.
00:18:45
Speaker
that I told myself like if if I were to get back into a ah full steel speedy it would definitely be the white dial variant and not for nothing whether it's the moose watch or a standard speedy those things are strap monsters man so like throwing it on a NATO just completely completely changes the dynamic and the usability and the functionality of the watch man like I like watches and I make my girlfriend sit through like watching James Bond movies with me because obviously the plot's cool and Daniel Craig's a legend, RIP, no spoilers but I just gave a a spoiler um if you watch No Time to Die but listen hey it's in the title. um I watch those movies in large part for like the quick glimpses of the watches
00:19:32
Speaker
of his Omega to be like, that watch is sick and here's why. like That watch is cool because you can also buy it. And that's the fun thing about watches is you can sort of in part live that identity, live that James Bond Identity or if you're in a Casio or a g-shock you live that spy kid mentality or in that spy kid Identity I watch I grew up watching, you know, I'm 37. I'm a millennial so like I grew up watching the Disney Channel So like smart guy he had the tech watch and that is the Casio calculator watch So, you know, you can sort of like transform yourself into these Identities just based off of the watch you wear and I just think there's not really
00:20:16
Speaker
other hobbies that allow you to do that so easily. Right. Whether it's a Casio or a Daytona, you can connect with someone on that level. Yes. Yeah. Rolex does make up a big part of your collection. You've gotten the call for some of the most sought after pieces. What is it about Rolex for you that no matter how many GMTs you have, they all still have a place in your life?
00:20:40
Speaker
So the thing about Rolex, um and I'll be the first to admit, i I'm fortunate enough to have been in this position to like accept these calls and gracious enough, or excuse me, I'm not calling myself gracious enough, but the people who have given me the call have been gracious enough to say, hey, you know I think this piece would really be great in Gary's collection. So I'll be the first to admit that.
00:21:04
Speaker
But there's no arguing, as saturated as people want to say Rolex is in the high-end watch market, or you know overexposed it is, or that it makes up 50% of the luxury watches that are on the market. there You cannot argue over the build quality and the craftsmanship of the watch. Now, it's one thing if You know, a lot of these people get Rolexes and they're flimsy and they don't hold up well, but like if you buy a Rolex.
00:21:36
Speaker
it's going to be with you for the rest of your life. Obviously maintenance and, you know, the standard care is obviously advisable, but like the build quality of that watch, I think is second to none. I have a Patek Calatrava, I have AP 15.5.10, and those watches, man, are like super delicate. I feel, even the AP, the Royal Oak,
00:22:01
Speaker
The bracelet is like super delicate. It's the most stylish in my opinion, but a Rolex is the most comfortable watch I've ever worn. And I feel okay working out in it, working on a car in it, doing lawn work in it. And I can't say the same about any other brand that I've worn. I love it.
00:22:22
Speaker
With a collection that is so diverse, you know, from Timex's and Casio's to Audemars Piguet and Patek, what does it take for you to add a watch to your collection? What is it that you look for? Are you a dial guy? or Are you a case guy? what What is it? I think I'm a dial guy. I try to, I ask myself that and I i want like diversity in my collection. I don't want to open up my watch box and just see all of the same stuff.
00:22:49
Speaker
Now, if you're on the heels of watching my episode of Talking Watches, you're like, what are you talking about, Gary? You literally have three GMTs. And I get it. Listen, hand up. I know this is this is just an audio medium, but hand up. I know I'm guilty of that. But I think colors catch my eye more than any sort of build. um And I don't want to spoil right like next questions that come down the road. But like the things that catch my eye are cool contrasting colors. Like I would love a Tag Heuer Carrera, like the Skipper, because i that's but such a unique color setup and it's ah it's a throwback. um It's an homage to a throwback. So the first thing that catches my eye is an interesting and an eye catching color palette. Everything else is interchangeable, like bracelets, straps. I mean, for most watches, if you don't like it, you can switch it out.
00:23:45
Speaker
Absolutely. And I think the thing with GMTs is that the bezel obviously is really the main differentiator, obviously with the two-tone root beer, you know, you get a little bit differentiating in the bracelet. Yeah. But that watch, when you put a GMT on and you get to travel with it, right, the Pepsi is so different from the root beer, even though it has the same function, they are so different in so many ways. And it is because of the color. And I think Rolex just does such a great job at using color as a huge differentiating factor for them. It's crazy how um such a, again, as we're talking about, like the minutia of change with these watches that have generally stayed the same in terms of the utilitarianism of them, the usage of them, the materials of them. Now, they mix and match them all the time, but I mean, half of a bezel people freak out over.
Acquiring a Patek Philippe Calatrava
00:24:39
Speaker
You know what I mean? like um Just like the the the slightest
00:24:43
Speaker
change in something people, I mean, people lose their minds over. But I think that speaks to how people appreciate the details and things, which is what brings everything together. It is funny, like, when Rolex releases their new watches every year, you know, everyone is is always speculating and, you know, coming up with renderings of what they think it is. And I'm always thinking to myself, I'm like, guys, history repeats itself. Correct.
00:25:11
Speaker
think of what colors they could change out. Let's not think about case changes and crazy dials, and obviously they've done that too, but for the majority, like let's just make our predictions based on colors, and I think we'll get a lot closer to what releases will be. It's very much like what Apple does, right? For sure. Every September, they come out with new models, and it's something as small, quite literally, physically as going from USB to USB-C,
00:25:41
Speaker
But it changes the entire market. it and It changes the entirety of what shoulder products have to do, whether it's cases or chargers or blocks. And I think to a certain degree, Rolex does the same when they say something is in. but We saw it with the color green. When Rolex says that the color green is in, every other manufacturer and brand gets on top of that and now all of a sudden we're seeing green variance from every other player in the game so as rolex goes so too does the industry in the same ways that we see with apple when they come out with something whether it be so a very small change or adjustment or something macro a new product the industry falls in line and we will then start seeing products
00:26:35
Speaker
mirror the changes that Apple makes. Absolutely. And, you know, I mean, it's so true. Rolex is such a trendsetter and you do see so many brands obviously copy them or or following their footsteps, ah for lack of a better term. And that there're they're the crown for a reason, I guess, right? Exactly. Tell me about the Patek that's on your wrist, because I'm wearing a Patek Calatrava on my wrist today as well. And I would love to know which route you went.
00:27:05
Speaker
Yeah, so I have a guy in the sounds like I'm like a drug mule. I have a guy in the British Virgin Islands and I went down there on a vacation. Gosh, this was holy smokes. This was pre-COVID. So this was 2020. I went down there. Is this before your did talking watches?
00:27:30
Speaker
Yeah, this is before I did talk and watches. And I went down there and I was with my girlfriend and a buddy and I walked into a... God, it's not a watch, it's a Switzerland. Uh, the name is escaping me, but anyway, um, they're right down there in the, in the little main drag of a downtown, um, St. Thomas. And I walked in and that's the day that I did buy my Speedy. I brought a, I buy bought a hessalite Speedy that day. That was, this is how long ago it was. That's when they were discounting, um, 15% in store. There was no tax. I crushed it. Yeah, it was awesome. Um, but I told him that my Grail, Grail, Grail Patek is a, uh, 57 12.
00:28:11
Speaker
or 5167. 5167 I know would probably be the entry point and then the Nautilus. So he said, okay, cool, I'll get you on the list. And then we we stayed sort of just stay in contact with each other. And he got a Patek 5226, the white gold variant with like the, I call it an asphalt dial. And he got that in and asked me if i'd be interested and obviously i was so i flew down there gosh this was two years ago prior to the miami f1 miami grand prix f1 i do f1 coverage for espm so before i went to miami i flew to st thomas from st thomas to miami with the patek and uh yeah i wear it often but again it's it's a white gold um well you know you have a call of trava so it's uh
00:29:02
Speaker
It's certainly more delicate than you know my steel sports watches. But yeah, it's it's a stunner on the wrist. It doesn't get as much wrist time as probably some people would hope for. um But it is cool. And and listen, everybody understands like that is that is a stepping stone and a relationship builder in hopes of getting the call for the watches that I told him.
00:29:29
Speaker
um that I would love to have in the collection. So we'll see. Dean, if you're listening to this, that'd be great. We're gonna tag him. I'm gonna make sure everybody tags him in the comments too. For sure. I love it. I mean, the 5226 is such a great watch. and And I do understand, you know, where you kind of feel about it is, obviously it's white gold, but it's a Calatrava, but the dial is also more sporty. So in your head, you're like, I can wear this when I'm working on my car. I can wear this while I'm mowing a lawn. But then you're like, wait, it's white gold.
00:29:59
Speaker
That's why I don't necessarily want to scratch it.
Watches as Icebreakers with Athletes
00:30:03
Speaker
The cool thing is, you know, it does have the black strap to go along with it. And I actually prefer to wear it on the black strap. um You know, it's like that ballistic mesh. Yeah. I like that look, sort of like the stealthy sporty look, even though it's a white gold Patek. So yeah, it it is it is what you make it. You know what I mean? yeah These watches watches are ice cream bars, man. you have You have all these options and you craft it to what suits your flavor. He did call me on a 6007 a couple of months later, but I was like, those those watches are sort of one and the same. The baby blue one and the red one, the yellow one. So I did pass on that.
00:30:45
Speaker
um Yeah, yeah i I understand that though. i mean that's a They're cool, but I think i think having the 5226 makes more sense in your collection and hopefully it is a stepping stone to get a 5167. Would you go steel or precious metal in the Aquanaut? I would love the 5167, just the all black, but the 5164, the green, the white gold, I would not say no to that. That watch is incredible and I like
00:31:16
Speaker
I like the fact that um it's obviously a very different color, but in my estimation, neutral enough that it could be a daily wear. And a watch like that on a rubber strap, people are like, what you would daily wear a white gold Patek? The answer in my head, if you're asking me, is yes. Absolutely. A white gold Sport Patek, yeah. Even though those two sentences are like contradictory.
00:31:42
Speaker
For me, the 5167R spoke about it on length here is like a total grail for me. I love the rose. And I would also daily that watch um because the rubber just does kind of casual it down a bit. It does what you need it to do. That's funny. i saw um I was at the Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 last November. And I have this bit on my socials where if when I go to these events, everybody sort of knows me now as the the um the resident watch guy at yeah ESPN. So I'll go to these events and it's like, here's the watches I saw at insert event here. And the very first one that I sniped was the 5167R on the wrist of Davante Adams, soon to be former Las Vegas Raider at wide receiver, because he's getting traded, but it was cool, man. and
00:32:32
Speaker
that's I guess to go down this path is like I've come to find out that watches are such an incredible ice breaking hobby to have that you know a lot of these athletes are very guarded because it's you know the media they're out they get me sometimes that it's ah it's changed a little bit but um Man, if you approach them with, hey, love the watch, hey, check out mine, hey, what's next on the wrist? Man, they open up. And it's not that it's like I'm trying to get something out of them, but I want them to know like, hey, you're a collector, I'm a collector. I'll never know what it's like to score a touchdown on a Sunday in front of 80,000 screaming fans, but I know what it's like to get a call from the AD that the watch that you've been waiting for for a year has finally come in. So Devontae and I, like we hit it off and he was showing me what was next.
00:33:22
Speaker
on his registry Appetech. So that was cool. So it's funny you brought up the 5167 because ah yeah, that brought up some some ah pretty cool memory um for a moment that I shared with him last year.
00:33:34
Speaker
yeah and you've you've done the watchspotting thing at the ebs two i mean does Does that now add like another layer of excitement to your job?
Creating Content as ESPN's Watch Enthusiast
00:33:43
Speaker
And obviously it's so not sports related, but obviously you know your employer doesn't necessarily care that you talk about it because you are kind of breaking these athletes down a little bit to be a little bit more humble and a little bit more um you know willing to talk and and all that sort of stuff instead of you know you you grilling them.
00:34:03
Speaker
Everybody knows at ESPN from the top bosses all the way down that like I am the watch guy at ESPN. And it's actually been a net positive on every account because it's content, right? Like we are in the content manufacturing business, ESPN.
00:34:21
Speaker
We are at the king of the hill. We have the most eyeballs and we have to continuously evolve into the content that we share and that we aggregate. So actually, this has been nothing but a net positive because there was nobody in at ESPN that was sort of in this watch space. But then they were realizing like how much access it actually gave you and how much different of a side of an athlete that you can sort of get out of them by just talking about watches. You know, the the barrier of entry is establishing the conversation, but then carrying on carrying on the conversation with these guys about why they like watches, why they collect, what's on their wrist, what's next on their wrist. Yeah, that has certainly been something that I actually am in most proud of that I've been able to do at yeah ESPN. and Yeah, because when we do these watches I saw at F1, watches I saw at the SBs, I mean,
00:35:12
Speaker
They do crazy numbers on social I love that everybody and not to to run on about it But they do know that when they send me out to places like obviously the task at hand is to host whatever show I'm out there for whether it's f1 whether a sports center But priority 1b is everybody knows Gary's gonna get his watch content And they're okay with it. I love it. They're okay with it, man. It's so it's good for the brand Yeah, for sure You talked earlier about relationships and and you know the ones that you've made with various ADs and you went to a Rolex event last night and people in the industry that you've made relationships with. Getting allocations aside, which is just a result of all those relationships, how important is having them and how important has it been to you for collecting?
00:36:00
Speaker
I would say the number one benefit of becoming a collector in any space, but specifically because I am familiar with this one, the watch space, it's not about, you know, the, the actual assets that you're you know able to collect. it It truly is as corny as it sounds. It truly is like the connections and less connection, more relationship that you're able to build.
00:36:26
Speaker
with the people who also enjoy the community. You know, the this watch collecting habit has, or hobby has literally done so much for me on many scales. Like I actually met
Building Community in Watch Collecting
00:36:39
Speaker
one of my best friends, ah the guy Dan I mentioned, he's like one of my best friends in life now. And I only met him five years ago, thanks to this watch hobby, professional connections, at work,
00:36:51
Speaker
connections that I can make that can help other people as well. You know, I've brought a ah bunch of like small business owners at West Hartford who are like, hey, I i see you call collect watches. I'd love to treat myself. You know, we had a good year. I'm like, you want to go see, you know, my folks at Luxbon if they're local. So it's it is it's such a people business. I feel like Michael Scott, right? Like the papers, paper people, paper person, right? But like, I'm the I'm the watch guy in that aspect.
00:37:20
Speaker
is I love creating the relationships and the connections and the friendships that come along with like this silly hobby. I love it. Let's talk about another special acquisition of yours, which was an insane 911. Oh, my God. The thing I love about Porsche, and I've said this before, is that there is no other brand that is more collected in the world in the car world that is. Was this a dream car for you? are you Have you been a Porsche fan your whole life?
00:37:49
Speaker
It is it was it I would I would honestly say cam like less less a dream because I never really thought like I'd ever be in a position you know as we're talking about like these precious metal watches or whatever but I think when you're talking about a car of that esteem I never thought I'd be in a position to realistically Acquire one. So when I did I mean I drove it today. I drive it like once a week You know, I try to take advantage of the weather while we still have good weather here in Connecticut yeah And every time I'm in it, man I'm just it's like no music windows down and I'm just driving like what the hell am I doing behind the wheel of this thing?
00:38:29
Speaker
You know, it's like it's ah it's a hundred percent gratitude, but then also a little bit of recognition And a little bit of i'd be lying if I said if it wasn't a little bit of me patting myself on the back like holy hell gary like You did this man. Like yeah, you've got to a point Where like you've made this? thing that wasn't even a dream into a reality. So um that's cool. And again, similar to watches, I've never met a watch person who wasn't into cars.
00:39:01
Speaker
right There are plenty of car people who aren't into watches. So i it's that's like an interesting Venn diagram that I'm sort sort of familiarizing myself with. Like there are some car heads, some gear heads who don't wear watches, who don't care about watches. All they want to do is gear down on their cars, which is totally cool. But I do ah do like that overlap in the Venn diagram of people who collect watches or car enthusiasts. And they're oftentimes like they're people that span like so many different professional fields. And that's where I get the benefit from, right? Like learning from people who just have different life experience. Cause you know, if somebody's listening to this podcast and maybe experiencing or listening to me for the first time, like
00:39:48
Speaker
I'm on TV and I do sports highlights and you know what I do isn't as important as the doctors or the lawyers or the you know the bankers who enjoy these hobbies who I get to interact with.
Journey to Owning a Porsche 911
00:40:04
Speaker
Yeah. No, it's it's a special car and I think once you get in one and you get your first one, you're kind of stuck forever um in the best way. It's just such a great brand. It's so badass. That's insane. And and you I love that you did all black too, because you don't usually see that spec on 911s anymore. Oh, my whole fleet is all black. Yeah, I drive a black truck. My girlfriend has a, I got her a black Grand Cherokee. And then, yeah, dude, I had to go with the ah the all black everything on the GTS. The big hang up I had was, i actually it wasn't even a hang up. I knew I was gonna get the Aero kit from the jump, but I made a TikTok like, should I, should I not? and
00:40:43
Speaker
Obviously, like the purists were, no, you don't get the arrow. you know you you have you already have um You already have the wing that comes up. But the arrow is just so badass. When you draw a car as an elementary school kid, you always put a wing on it. You always draw a wing, and it's always the silhouette of a 911. So when i'm building when I was building this car earlier this year in March is when I got the allocation from my friend, ah Bob, shout out B-O-B, at Porsche, the mainline.
00:41:12
Speaker
I knew I was going to go with the Aero. And then I built my car in March, they started it in May. And I think in June is when Porsche said they were discontinuing the the seven speed manual and the dot two GTS. So I immediately texted him because I got the seven speed manual. And I immediately texted and I was like, you're not going to pull the rug out from underneath me, right? Because this is now an immediate, in my opinion, collector car, because it's the last dot one in a manual box. Amazing.
00:41:42
Speaker
Amazing such a good acquisition. Uh, perfect weekend car and in connecticut there. I I love it You take it you take it through bedford at all or? Haven't been out that way. I have a spot in new hampshire. Um Up in gilford on lake winter pisake. I do some skiing in the in the winter time So i'm dying to get up there There's a cool scenic highway Not too far from me in gilford So as soon as I get back from this trip, I'm hoping to spend a couple of days up at my spot in New Hampshire and take advantage of those back roads. Hopefully get some cool pictures and videos. That car wouldn't look too bad with a roof rack on it either. That'd be sick, dude. What's the 911? What's the rally 911? It's escaping me. ah The Dakar one or? Dakar, yeah, Dakar.
00:42:34
Speaker
Same. Those cars are like 400. I didn't know how expensive those things were. Yeah, forget it. Forget it. Like three, 400,000? Absolutely. Golly. What are your thoughts on the NIL money? And I mean, do you see college athletes wanting to get into collectibles and things like cars and watches and all that?
00:42:53
Speaker
I hope so. Actually, um there there was a, oh gosh, what is his name? Why am I drawing a blank on his name? ah A UConn basketball player, Donovan Clingan, Donovan Clingan, back to back champ. He was a like high school legend here in Bristol. And I was at the store one day and he came in and he wanted a Pepsi. Those are the UConn colors. They didn't have one for him at the time, but um Lux Bond and Green eventually got him a GMT, a Pepsi GMT, and they got it to him in time for draft night. so Amazing. That's freaking awesome. so like That's one of those watches that Donovan Clingan hopefully has and keeps in his collection if it if he decides to get into the hobby um his whole life, because he can look at he can always look at that watch and say, this is the watch that I went into the store for.
00:43:43
Speaker
asked for, had to wait for, but got it in time that I could wear it the night I got drafted into the and NBA. And I say that because now he's in a first round pick in the NBA. He's got money that he doesn't have to wait in line. He plays for a team where he can walk into the local AD and probably skip ahead of people. So hopefully he looks back at that watch fondly and say, man, this is the watch that I acquired before, you know, I quote unquote made it to the league.
00:44:11
Speaker
So, um, I think back to your question about NIL, I think it's good for the players. I think it's good for the sport. I was just on the El Duncan show with El talking about how NIL I think will eventually make the professional product better because ah college athletes will opt to stay in college and play an extra season or two because the money they make as an upperclassman playing collegiately is about the same if not more than a rookie contract in let's say the m NBA or the NFL or another professional sport. And because they get to season a little bit longer on the D1 level, it will prepare them a little bit better for the professional level. So that's the sport aspect of it. What I do want to see though, is I would love to see
00:44:56
Speaker
Regulation is a hard is is a strong word to use, but we have to teach kids common sense money things. We have to teach them as as trivial right as this sounds for us because we're used to it. We've got to teach them what taxes are.
00:45:14
Speaker
You know what I mean? Like, we got to teach them that they signed a $100,000 deal. They might see half of that after they pay taxes and agent fees and manager fees. So I think we just have to do a better job educating these players who have the ability to earn money off of their name, image and likeness. I love it. And then they go get in line and get a Pepsi. And then go get in line and get a Pepsi and wait like everybody else. Yep.
00:45:41
Speaker
Before we wrap it up with the collector's dream rundown, I'd love to know you know, how has your your father's gold Seiko shaped your perspective on watch collecting and and the sentimental value that you place on the watches that you buy?
00:45:56
Speaker
um mainly that the hobby is for everybody and I would trade every watch I have um
Emotional Value of Heirloom Watches
00:46:05
Speaker
to keep this one because all of that stuff is replaceable right monetarily but like um I'm handling this one right now and it's like It's so patina and the links are scratched up and faded and the bracelets loosey goosey. But again, it it takes me back 30, 25 years ago to like my childhood, right? So I think as it relates to the hobby itself,
00:46:33
Speaker
never ever cast stones on anybody's sensibilities or why they like something or why something is so special to him. I mean, Ben Klammer started an entire freaking, he created an entire industry because of his grandfather's Omega, right? um And now he's, you know,
00:46:51
Speaker
into pieces that have two commas in them. i look at Look at the life that he's built. and And I actually hosted Ben and his brother and a couple of friends at yeah ESPN. So he brought a couple of those watches that have a couple commas in them during his tour. But um I mean, look at look at the life he made based off of this hobby. And if he would have got shut down, you know, on on first arrival to somebody who, you know, was turning their nose up because, oh yeah, that's a 30 year old Omega, like who cares about that? then
00:47:27
Speaker
You know, that could alter the literal timeline of like watch collecting history and like millennials like me who read ho dinky and are familiar with it and had always dreamed to have an episode of talking watches and you know, actually freaking got one, which is I still think so silly but um Yeah, man, this hobby is for everybody no matter your price points and anybody who meets you with resistance otherwise Pay them no mind, give them no time. There are plenty of people in, I think, this hobby in this space who would be glad
Collector's Dream Rundown: Reflecting on Collecting
00:47:59
Speaker
um to accept anybody for whatever reason they're in this hobby for. Couldn't have said it better. Gary, let's wrap it up with the collectors, Gene Rundown. Hell yeah. You can answer these based on you know all the watches that you've collected. You can answer them based on you know what cars you want to collect down the road. Totally up to you. So first question is, what's the one that got away?
00:48:21
Speaker
Okay, this is this is actually bad. um So let's go back to my friend Dean um here in in St. Thomas. And this was he did call me on an Aquanaut. He called me on a 5167 1A, so the stainless steel bracelet.
Missed Opportunity: Patek Philippe Aquanaut
00:48:42
Speaker
but he did say, like he would sell it to me. This was probably about a year after I bought my Speedy. He would sell it to me if I added, I think at the time it was like $30,000 worth of other purchases. right So you can, you would imagine me, I'm like, okay, cool, I'll buy six Speedy's and sell them all off. But at the time I wasn't in a position, nor like maybe a little bit of ego got in the way, right? I wasn't in the position.
00:49:11
Speaker
Or the really the headspace to be like okay cool i'll spend at the time i think the fifty one sixty seven one eight was twenty i think it's twenty five now. So i didn't wanna say i didn't i didn't wanna do it cuz i didn't wanna buy all the extra stuff so i'll say that's the one i i think that got away. A little bit but but maybe with an asterisk i don't know you tell me.
00:49:32
Speaker
Well, I think if you want to look at it as to where the market is now, you know you can buy these 5167As or Dash 1A, whatever it is. you know, in that range, if you were to buy all the extra stuff now on top of it, and gosh forbid you couldn't sell all the Speedies off and all that sort of stuff. So if you're in the position now to go ahead and buy one, you know, and you don't want to wait for the rest of your life, you can always buy it on the secondary market. yep But hopefully he gets you one ah again without all the yeah contingencies behind it.
00:50:04
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. So that that would be cool. And we and he and I, we we have a great relationship. So I'm hoping that call comes. But it's much like anything, right? Like it's great when it comes, but it's painful when you have to swipe the card. For sure. And then you then you forget about it as soon as you ah pay the bill. Exactly. How about the on deck circle? So what's next for you in collecting maybe something that you've been hunting after?
00:50:29
Speaker
So this I think this plays into very much like the the character that I'm in right now or the the character who I kind of want to sort of self-identify with. It goes back to the Tag Heuer. And I think it's because a lot of things, right? like So Rolex isn't going to be the title sponsor of F1 starting next season. Tag Heuer signed a 10-year deal to be the official time keep of Formula One. Obviously, it's a sport that I love.
00:50:57
Speaker
um Carrera obviously with the 911 Carrera. So the words the word play right there. So I think Something like it like a tag heuer a Carrera but something different like the skipper because of the color I would say something like that would certainly pique my interest before hopping into another steel sport of any variety. I Love the new skipper that they did. I think they absolutely crushed it. Yeah
00:51:28
Speaker
it's It's great, man. It's freaking sharp. Yeah, it's sharp. the The rubber strap looks awesome too on it. I think it's an undeniable choice for your collection. Oh, that's great. Okay, cool. I get one i got an endorsement. I guess I'll go buy it. I need an endorsement when I buy watches. How about the unobtainable? So this is one that is too expensive in a museum, private collection, it's just complete unobtainable.
00:51:57
Speaker
Gosh, I hate to close the door. I hate to i would hate to close the door on something that I would deem as unattainable because there's something, I guess, in my garage that I thought was unattainable the first 35 years of my life. You know what I'm saying? be You wouldn't be the first guest to say that everything is attainable. so Sure, sure, sure. sure that with the Listen, man, you you grind hard enough, you make you make enough deals not to be you know life coach Gary or anything like that or cliche Gary, but there's nothing there's nothing that I've ever seen that I'm like, there's no way ah there's no way i'll ever I'll ever sniff that. like i I never thought that I would be somebody who can like realistically maybe one day consider a rainbow Daytona or something something like as nuts as that is, but I'm like, you know what? Why not?
00:52:48
Speaker
I love it. No, I think ah all that's for sure obtainable. And I think you started at a good time in your life and your career making those relationships again to go back to relationships. But if you start too late in life to make those relationships, it's really difficult.
00:53:02
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's what I think hopefully listeners take away from. and i And I'm pretty sure that's what you mean too, like relationships, but not in the transactional definition of the relationship. Like you are my AD, I am your customer, not relationships in There's a common jumping off point this being watches and the relationship evolves into more of a connection more of into a dare i say friendship i'm at the very least an acquaintance um but like that's what. I hope people take away from this is the relationship not in the transactional sense but the relationship in the actual human sense that you get from a hobby like this.
00:53:47
Speaker
100% because if if people start to look at this as you know strictly transactional, I need to go and make this relationship with this AD and I need to start with this watch and I'll buy every yeah other other watch that they offer me. like That's the wrong mindset because I know plenty of people that walked into an AD, became friends with them, and the first watch they got offered was a Gold Daytona. I mean, there's plenty of stories like that you know and it's not about a lot of Depending on who you make friends with, but it's not about your previous spent history sometimes. Correct. And that's what it should strive for. For sure. All right, the page one rewrite, so if money was no object and you could collect anything else besides watches, what would it be? That's a great question.
00:54:31
Speaker
if i I would have gotten in, you know what I would have gotten into? um Everyone's like, oh, Bitcoin. No. um I would have gotten into sports memorabilia a little bit earlier. ah Well, I say earlier, I'm not really into sports memorabilia right now, but um seeing the boom and seeing its consistent evolution and boom. And I think the internet and having niche collectors and you know YouTube and podcasts and things of that nature have really helped all hobbies across the board. But I've been so close to the space for so long that if I would have paid a little bit closer attention to the athletes maybe that I got the opportunity to work closely with and the relationships again, that I've been able to sort of foster, I would have probably gotten into maybe sports memorabilia
00:55:20
Speaker
Collecting I say that today swings are crazy tomorrow. Yeah tomorrow could be completely different And I'm not talking about like, you know tops refractor cards because those swings are
Admiration for Curated Collections
00:55:33
Speaker
nuts. I'm talking like game used, game worn, here's a jersey, here's a helmet, here's a ball. Talking about sort of that stuff, stuff that I've been within arm's reach of, stuff that I've you know actually handled physically, probably something like that. I don't know, if you ask me tomorrow, maybe I say art. I don't know. Hey, both are good options. All right, how about the goat? Who do you look up to in the collecting world or who do you think is a great collector?
00:56:02
Speaker
There's certainly a lot of collectors that I pay attention to, you know, online, Ferrari guy, Dr. Lee. I think it's Dr. Lee, right? I think so, yeah. Like, that's cool. He's got the ketchup and mustard Ferrari collection. um But sometimes i I'm like, damn, how much is too much? How many do you need? I hate to make this freakin' Dan Gush session, but my buddy Dan,
00:56:25
Speaker
He collects and he's very modest with his collection, whether it's like sneakers or bags or or watches, but everything is like perfectly curated. Everything has a meaning, everything has a purpose, everything has a story, and everything is quality. And I think those are some some of the benchmarks. Because if you have a big enough bank account, you can literally collect anything that you want. But if you have to be judicious with your collecting,
00:56:52
Speaker
what you're able to amass a massive collection over a decade or two k decades or three decades and look back on it and say wow everything is quality the materials are great like everything is still in style i think that's like the real trademark of an awesome collection because you know there are people who have collections of stuff that were hot one day but. Now they just have a bunch of beautyie babies me twenty five thousand princess diana be any babies dude my girlfriend her family collected be any babies and i think last time we talked about it, she thinks they're still worth it. I'm like, I don't think I hate to break it to you, babe. I'm just sorry. They're just not. It's great. So I think if you can take a look back at anything that you've collected and one, it maintains its value. That's not the end all be all. But if it's a quality collection and one that you can be proud of, I mean, I think that's the the true testament to ah like a cool collector and they're they're in the space.
Insights on the Collector's Mindset
00:57:49
Speaker
for the right reasons to them. I love it. Yeah. I love when people have such thoughtfulness to the ways that they collect. And I, you know, curated is I think another level of the word thoughtfulness. But when someone is just thoughtful and has intention with the way that they collect, you can never go wrong.
00:58:04
Speaker
Yeah. What about yourself? What's, uh, what's the one that got away for you in terms of, uh, collectability? It's obviously watches and, you know, your family is in the auto business. So, you know, those are two immediate things, but like, what's, uh, what's something that people will be surprised to hear you wanting to dabble. Yeah. I, you know,
00:58:23
Speaker
I collect a lot of things, not just watches, vintage furniture and vintage abge and decor and all that stuff. I love to collect decanters and there's so many antiques and little pieces of you know um glass and and and tables and all that stuff. and i wish One, I had more space to put all that. But two, I wish that I collected earlier on all this vintage Hermes stuff. So back in the day, Hermes was making all these different, I guess you could call it home goods or decor or even like office supplies. They were making like silver ah letter openers with a massive horse head on it. They were making,
00:59:13
Speaker
Wine coasters and bottle coasters yeah and bottle openers and all these amazing things and they're all stamped Hermes and I've had a couple pieces here and there and A lot of them have gotten really expensive and they're still fairly obtainable But I wish I would have collected all that stuff early on and just had a massive collection of all this vintage Hermes stuff. Oh For sure. That'd be incredible man. Like that stuff is That's what you know stands the test of time. I have an old Louis Vuitton chunk book and it's just all of the, I mean, you forget that Hermes and Louis Vuitton, these were actually like utility.
00:59:52
Speaker
luggage companies that you know obviously you you had to have money to to buy them because that's what you would take on holiday. But these things would literally get hitched to bulls and horses and get thrown around on dirt roads. And ah I like looking back at old vintage pictures like that and saying, like oh, this is how you're supposed to treat it. And now you you know you have to put it down on a felt. You know you have to put Hermes bags down on felt surfaces. You can't let it touch the ground. and Um, it loses a little bit of its, ah it it loses a little bit of its origin story when you have to baby it that much. So I like, like with the Louis Vuitton trunks that like, if you're going to buy a vintage Louis Vuitton trunk, you want to buy one that's a little bit beat up at least and you know, it was used. Exactly. For sure. That's why I love, uh,
01:00:41
Speaker
I like I have remover luggage and I love going into the stores and seeing like they're they're they're old pieces that are just They're they're crumpled up coke, right? But they got the stickers and they have the stories and that stuff is freaking awesome vintage remover is the best and when you see someone with one that's beat up you're like, okay, you get it you didn't just you're not just like Unboxing it every time that you go on a trip. It's like the scratches are all there yeah each one and uh Yeah. So for me, it it would just be stuff like that. Stuff that has not become unobtainium, but you know, you're not going and spending on an average day, 20, $30,000 on a Louis Vuitton trunk. Let's see. All right. For you, how about the hunt or the ownership? Which one do you enjoy more?
01:01:29
Speaker
The hunt, for sure. It's not even close. It's not close. it gives it it's like um It's like going on vacation. Yeah, vacation's cool. And that's why I think um December 1st through the 24th is the best part of Christmas. You wake up Christmas morning and you're like, okay. Yep. This is cool.
01:01:48
Speaker
No, it's everything. It's everything that goes into it. It's the it's the spirit that it puts you in. It's the mood that it puts you in. It's the activities that you participate in leading up to the big event. So, you know, on the hunt while you're waiting, it's checking in. It's popping in having a conversation. It's talking to your buddies about what it's going to be like when you get the call or this is the first place I'm going to wear it or this is the first strap I'm going to put it on. Like having those conversations and having those experiences or if I'm like, I'm liking it to, you know, dating somebody and yeah, it's cool. You know,
01:02:26
Speaker
When you get comfortable in a relationship but like you'll never ever replace the feeling of like kissing the girl for the first time right or like her saying yes to the date for the first time so like it's this big build up and then you kiss her.
01:02:47
Speaker
come to find out, she tells you your breath stings, right? Like, damn, um this isn't as cool as I thought it was going to be because why I built it up to be this amazing thing. And I think the the limitless of what something can be is the most fun. And that's why I would say the hunt.
01:03:08
Speaker
I'm with you there. are you know the The ownership is an extension to me for me of the hunt. it and And I know I ask that question to people and I make them choose one or the other, but you know the the ownership is the legacy of the hunt. It's the story of the hunt. you know Correct. Yeah, love it. And not for nothing. If you eventually obtain it and you don't like it, you don't love it, you can always sell it. You can always sell.
01:03:36
Speaker
The product. You can never sell the hunt. For sure. You can't put a price tag on what that feeling is, what that buildup is. You can always get rid of something if you don't like it. Couldn't agree more. Most importantly, do you feel that you were born with the collectors, Gene? I don't think so. I think everybody is born with an appreciation for things, like innately as humans.
01:04:03
Speaker
We love art. I think we appreciate connection. We appreciate relationships. I think that we were taught to appreciate things. um And obviously appreciating things is the byproduct of then becoming a collector of things. So I don't know, I think I would say no. We're not born with the gene, but we are born with an appreciation of like beautiful things or cool things.
01:04:32
Speaker
or things that we end up loving and evolving into collecting them. I love it. Gary, thank you so much for joining me on collector's dream radio today. What a pleasure. Great chat. Can't wait to come and hopefully get a tour of the ESPN studios over there next time I'm on the East coast and chop it up a bit more about watches and cars. Oh my gosh, please make that happen. The invite remains open. um This was actually really fun. This was definitely, this was a very cool downshift away from Do you think Aaron Rodgers is gonna lead the Jets to the plate? Like, this was a very needed, very much appreciated and welcomed downshift into talking about the stuff that I actually care about. I love it. Anyway, cheers. Thanks so much for coming on and we'll do this again soon. Appreciate you, Cam. Thanks, man.
01:05:25
Speaker
All right, that does it for this episode. Thank you all for listening to Collector's Gene Radio.