AboutTime Summer 2022 | Page 55

TO FIND THESE TREASURES , YOU CAN SCOUR TAG SALES , LOCAL FLEA MARKETS , AND OF COURSE , EBAY . MORE AND MORE FAMOUS AUCTION HOUSES ARE OFFERING WATCH MEMORABILIA TOO , TYPICALLY TOWARDS THE END OF AN AUCTION .

design and aesthetics of this era were fantastic and I felt like a kid in a candy store rummaging through all these horology ephemera .
I couldn ’ t help but imagine this gentleman , dressed in a sharp suit and working in New York City , working at his desk buying parts , fixing watches on his bench , leaving his cigarette in the ashtray , glancing at his calendar .
CONDITIONS AND PROVENANCE As with any collector ’ s items , you must be careful when buying vintage watch merchandise , packaging , and accessories — even though you hardly ever come across fake items .
What you do have to watch out for is the condition of the items , which is the first parameter that will affect the value . Like other kinds of ephemera and accessories , they were not necessarily made to last over long periods or to be preserved throughout the years . Other considerations to keep in mind are the rarity , style , colors , and if any , the provenance of the items at hand .
I recently purchased a vintage rubber dust blower with provenance to remove the dust on watches . It was old , used , and dirty but I was so excited . I had in my hands a tool that
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