7A38-7020 SAA010J variation on the 'Official Timer' theme

[Seiko7A38]

I've already slated greedy profiteering German eBay re-seller quartzwerk for his continued efforts at flogging well-worn stainless 7A38-7020's for grossly inflated prices, based on the UEFA Euro '84 connection and by his inclusion of a 6 Euro generic 'Official Timer' pin in his sales. Not only in his own dedicated thread in the eBay section, but also in this thread.

Whilst he's certainly not alone (there are currently half a dozen profiteering eBay re-sellers dabbling in 7A38's, active in Germany), he appears to be providing inspiration for others. I've already briefly mentioned one of them: m.a.k.2979 in another thread in the eBay section.

Yesterday evening, they listed a no better than average condition two-tone 7A38-7020 SAA010J, with an absolutely ridiculous Buy-it-Now price of 669 Euros. The sale doesn't include a pin, but instead a Seiko Official Timer sticker !!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4469007568

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The final rounds of the 1983 World Ice Hockey championship were held in Germany between April 16 and May 2, 1983. Note that the caseback serial number of the watch begins 41xxxx, indicating it was manufactured in January 1984, so the seller's inclusion of the 'Official Timer' sticker is something of a red herring but smells more like Surströmming !

[Seiko7A38]

I wasted some time this morning, googling variations of Seiko Offizieller Zeitnehmer der Eishockey WM '83, in the vain hope of finding a period Seiko advert - without success. I came across a few different WM '83 enamel pins, but none with SEIKO on them. However, the Seiko Eishockey WM '83 Official Timer sticker seems to be cheap and plentiful on eBay Germany. Here's a couple of recently ended listings I found. Check the eBay seller ID of the first (unsold) one.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/133863294016

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https://www.ebay.de/itm/294392793391

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That second auction which ended a week ago and sold for a mere €1.50, was for a collection of 12 Seiko Official Timer stickers and not only included the Eishockey WM '83 sticker (bottom right), but also the UEFA Euro '84 sticker (second row left). I'm surprised that quartzwerk hadn't latched onto that one before - as a cheaper alternative to his pins.

rsz_seiko-officialtimer-stickers-x12-ebaygermany-sept2021.jpg (239.6 KiB) Viewed 7389 times

[Seiko7A38]

The final rounds of the 1983 World Ice Hockey championship were held in Germany between April 16 and May 2, 1983.

Incidentally, the preceding 8 intermediate rounds were held in Tokyo Japan, between the 21st and 31st March, 1983.

I wasted some time this morning, googling variations of Seiko Offizieller Zeitnehmer der Eishockey WM '83, in the vain hope of finding a period Seiko advert - without success.

While doing so, I came across this excellent GMT+9 blog article by Anthony Kable, which includes scans of three JDM 'Sports' brochures from 1983, but unfortunately there's no reference to Ice Hockey among them.

[Seiko7A38]

Yesterday evening, they listed a no better than average condition two-tone 7A38-7020 SAA010J, with an absolutely ridiculous Buy-it-Now price of 669 Euros. The sale doesn't include a pin, but instead a Seiko Official Timer sticker !!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4469007568

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The sticker-fingered German eBay seller m.a.k.2979 is evidently having doubts about what price he can get away with. He re-listed it this morning, with the Buy-it-Now price reduced to 'only' 595 Euros.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4470778516

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[Seiko7A38]

Speaking from experience and to give an idea of how relatively common they are, I've had a few two-tone 7A38-7020 SAA010J's pass through my hands over the years. They all came from eBay Germany and the most I ever paid (for the mint example on the left of this group shot photo) was 180 Euros.

rsz_p1290070.jpg (244.66 KiB) Viewed 7360 times

[Seiko7A38]

Admittedly, I bought mine a few years ago, so to be fair to m.a.k.2979, putting his still ridiculous 'reduced' Buy-it-Now price asking price of 595 Euros into a more current perspective:

Whilst he's certainly not alone (there are currently half a dozen profiteering eBay re-sellers dabbling in 7A38's ....

It just so happened that one such long-standing German eBay re-seller silversurfer365 listed a two-tone 7A38-7020 in similar condition, back on 8th July. I can't remember exactly what Carlo's original Buy-it-Now price was (possibly €339), but he later reduced it to 289 Euros and subsequently sold it off eBay (his preferred modus operandi) on 3rd September.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274860400554

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[Seiko7A38]

The sticker-fingered German eBay seller m.a.k.2979 is evidently having doubts about what price he can get away with. He re-listed it this morning, with the Buy-it-Now price reduced to 'only' 595 Euros.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4470778516

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I note with mild amusement that profiteering German eBay re-seller m.a.k.2979 has made a few revisions to his listing.

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Seems like he's come unstuck ! Although he hasn't bothered to replace any of the 5 photos which prominently display the Eishockey WM '83 SEIKO Official Timer sticker, it is no longer included in the deal.

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[Seiko7A38]

I note with some satisfaction, that profiteering German eBay seller m.a.k.2979 has since decided to re-list his grossly over-priced two-tone 7A38-7020 once again - this time removing the photos which had included the Eishockey WM '83 sticker. Judging by his latest price reduction, evidently he thought it was worth 100 Euros.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4473957983

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[Seiko7A38]

It appears that greedy profiteering German eBay re-seller m.a.k.2979 is not only deluded, but possibly also dyslexic - and prone to making errors.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284473957983

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He's just re-listed it again, for a third time, with the previously reduced, but still ridiculous Buy-it-Now price of 495 Euros increased to 594 Euros - €1 less than his first re-listing (the true value of his deleted Eishockey WM '83 sticker) !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4474555816

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[Seiko7A38]

So, having arbitrarily increased his already ridiculous Buy-it-Now price from 475 to an even more ludicrous 594 Euros, he's broadcasting unsolicited 'discounted' offers of 475 Euros to anybody watching. Note there's no option to make a counter-offer. So if you receive one, I strongly recommend you do as I did - and tell him where he can stick it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4474555816

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Belated update: Just 48 hours later, on 9th October (after those 'discount' offers had expired), he revised the re-listing, 'reducing' the Buy-it-Now price to 485 Euros. Who did he think he was fooling ? Nobody but himself.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4474555816

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[Seiko7A38]

At the risk of repeating myself ....

When failing to sell over-priced and mis-represented offerings, a favourite tactic regularly used by devious eBay sellers, like m.a.k.2979, is to end their listings as item allegedly no longer available and immediately re-list them, so that they appear to be new listings. Yesterday evening, he did just that, re-listing 40 of his current batch of 45 listings, including three other 7A38's ....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284474555816

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Whereas I've got much better things to be doing with my time, it takes but 5 minutes and a couple of quick copy and paste screen grabs to record these failed shenanigans. No reduction in price, nor any other changes that I can see.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-7A38-7 ... 4504589421

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[Seiko7A38]

In the words of Victor Meldrew .... I don't believe it ! It appears that some mug punter bought that common-or-garden two-tone 7A38-7020 yesterday evening, paying the full 485 Euros Buy-it-Now asking price. All it ever takes is one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284504589421

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