I've previously pointed out a few instances on the old forum ('outed' being the operative word) that a number of eBay sellers use Instagram to promote their forthcoming listings. Some do it rather more subtly (read sneakily) than others and aren't always so easy to spot. But their intention is always exactly the same: to stir up prior interest. The smarter ones use a different Instagram handle to their eBay user ID and make no reference to it in their Instagram profile.
This morning I made another connection: UK eBay seller terrythewhippet is Instagram poster watchbonobo (Steve).
- eBay-terrythewhippet-Profile.jpg (55.36 KiB) Viewed 6039 times
- Instagram-Watchbonobo-Profile.jpg (191.69 KiB) Viewed 6045 times
As you can see, the 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 on a sand coloured NATO (middle second row in his Instagram feed) is, by no small coincidence, nor surprise, exactly the same 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 that he also listed on eBay yesterday morning.
Funnily enough, only yesterday, I'd posted about his eBay listing for an over-priced stainless 7A38-7060 in this thread.
I had also noticed the sentence he'd included in the description, claiming he's not a dealer.
- 7A38-7060-eBay-Feb2021-Description-Text.png (4.21 KiB) Viewed 6058 times
This morning, I checked Instagram and ran my usual quick searches on hashtags #7a38 and #seiko7A38 to see if anything new of interest had been posted. I spotted this post of a macro shot, that I instantly recognised as being the top part of the dial of a stainless 7A38-7060 - as included in the aforementioned eBay listing. That quickly led me to another post, a wrist shot of the same stainless 7A38-7060, made a couple of hours earlier by the same person - watchbonobo (Steve). I couldn't resist leaving a comment.
In fairness to Steve he had made a number of previous posts of this same stainless 7A38-7060, including these two:
That said, I remain unconvinced. His Instagram profile does state after all:
Steve. Serial flipper. Stick around long enough and I'll sell you a watch...
