A touching non-eBay rare Fossil Defender find
As collections grow we start to branch out to other forums to find nice pieces without having to pay wishful seller premiums. Anyone can start a website and attempt to sell collectible Fossil watches for $129. Likewise, anyone can sell watches on eBay and buy low with one user ID and sell high with another user ID…...we know who they are and over the years we’ve learned to avoid those traps. All of this to say in 2018 it isn’t difficult to still obtain vintage timepieces online at a reasonable price.
The purpose of this post isn’t to list out these other online avenues for great finds, but to highlight a nice story that worked out well in our ongoing attempt to finish the Fossil DE collection.
The rarest DE Defenders are the 4 similar models DE-1524, DE-1525, DE-1535 and DE-1536.
Some would argue that the DE-1542, DE-1543 and DE-1544 are rarer, but at least those appeared in several US catalogs. The 4 similar models only appeared in one Defender catalog, which we featured a few months ago.
Collecting tip is the more desirable Defenders and to some extent Speedways appear for sale in Germany more so than anywhere else and our site metrics would indicate that to be true - we have a lot of German collectors. I don’t always search German classifieds, but when I do I find a rare Defender and in late 2017 a DE-1535 made a grand appearance on a German classified site.
Common concerns dealing with classified sites anywhere is reliability and trustworthiness of the seller. Add a few thousand miles between us and questions rise up like will she actually ship it? What guarantees will I have? How bad is the exchange rate?
Swallowing my nerves I sent off a simple email expressing interest and name dropping the Collectors Club and to my surprise Nadja, the seller was very personable and I knew instantly I could trust her. After a few awkward email exchanges with the language barrier we had a deal! Like all watches she bought it to wear it and realized it was too heavy for a woman's wrist even after swapping out the original brown strap for a black one. Nadja even went as far as sending me pictures of the watch all packaged up and a parcel number for tracking.
After a few weeks the DE-1535 made it's way to Ohio where it's proudly displayed with all the other DE Defenders. I like stories like this and had to share -- we're all people and these unique interactions is what makes collecting anything fun. In the end I have a fun story to tell, a rare Defender watch and an extra OEM strap for another Defender that needed a good strap and I'll save that for another story. Happy Collecting!
Join the Club - Fossil Times 1996
Continuing our journey through the Fossil Times newsletters, we're pleased to release the 2nd newsletter from the 1996 Fossil Collector's Club. The volume and series numbers are ALL over the place, but our bathroom monkeys have been tabulating the data and we are presenting what we believe should be Volume 3 Issue 2. Also note that individual page scans are going to be fairly rough for the next few newsletters -- the only remnant we have from 1996 are full scan PDFs and yes there is some content cutoff (our bathroom monkeys are really upset!) 22 years later this is the best we can do.
Only two things really strike our fancy with this newsletter and first is the Collector's Breakfast. What a great idea....and we'd like to know when the last one was. November 23, 1996 was the fourth annual -- were there more? It'd be great if Fossil chose to do this again, but how many of us would attend? 35 year anniversary in 2019 coming up....wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Second thing of interest is the FAQs. Occasionally we still see limited editions and even standard releases with no numbering or sample numbering like DE-5XXX. Funny to see a corporation admit that samples made it out in the marketplace and if you're thinking that this makes your watch super valuable, you're wrong. However if you would like to buy a certain Defender numbered DE-5XXX I am open to offers and I enjoy real estate, steak dinners and Fossil gift cards.
Please enjoy the second newsletter and as always what happened to Virginia and Kim Johnson?
1996 Fossil Collector's Club - WOW
Greetings Fossil fans! Whelp…here it is 22 years later we are publishing the first of five 1996 Fossil Times newsletters. This newsletter came out in late 1995 and was hyping the 1996 kit, which is still one of our favorites. Be sure to rush to America Online and check out the Fossil Store with aol keyword “Fossil”. Let us know how that works for you.
This newsletter compared to others really shows the fans and we like that. Can’t help when I read the articles to wonder where is Larry Clark, Frank Monforte, Tim Duensing and the others featured in this newsletter? We get emails all the time from collectors young & old, but never this old! Come on guys reach out (and do you still have the Fossil bicycle)?
Not much else to note in this article besides some limited editions and a few Texas themed ones that are rare…probably because no one has heard of these guys or because the quantities were fairly limited compared to other releases. Byron Nelson has a limited edition pocket watch from Fossil – who knew?
Last thing of note is the FAQ around the warranty. Known even back then in 1996 was the famous Fossil 11-year warranty. A question of ours has been answered around why some of the older watches (like Defender & Limited Editions) didn’t have the standard warranty and we even see this in recent years with the limited warranty on the Fossil Swiss line. It’s sad now that the 11-year warranty is no more, but I can attest that Fossil does their best to repair the older watches, you just have to pay and that can be a hard pill to swallow, but we're fans and fans pay the bills.
Until next time!
A Fossil Defender DE Series Guide to start the new year!!!
Happy 2018! Let's celebrate by posting a 16 page guide of the Fossil Defender DE series from 1995. We have scanned all 16 pages and listed them out below individually and then uploaded the entire guide as a PDF. If you aren't from Germany, we apologize in advance -- found this in a lot of Fossil documentation found (and rescued) from Germany.
FOSSIL TIMES, ISSUE 4, VOLUME 1 - FOSSIL COLLECTORS CLUB GOES INTERNATIONAL
Greetings fans and welcome to another edition of the Fossil Times in 2017. As stated in previous posts the order becomes a bit blurry -- we know Volume 2 came after Volume 1 in 1994. Sometime in 1995 (don't all good stories start that way?), the next edition got a little confused and it's calling itself Volume 1, Issue 4 -- which is something we've already discovered before
Let's not focus on the numbers and remember that content is king and this newsletter holds some treasures for the mid-90's collector. The display case on the front page is from Korea and we can't help but wonder where it is now? Looks like they had some good stuff including the 16 inch tall Fred Q Fossil.
Superman makes an appearance in this newsletter and we've actually gotten many complaints that we don't talk enough about the Superman limited editions. Well here is a sneak peek of "The Man of Steel" launched in October 1995. How many Superman Limited Editions are there? Anyone? Anyone?
I've saved best for the last "Fred Fossil Soars Through Cyberspace" Launching in September of 1995, be sure to fire up your Windows 95 PC with a 1.0 GB harddrive and visit Fossil.com for all your Fossil watch, FSL Sport watches and leather goods. The website is a treasure trove of information and it's still active via archive.org. Man I wish they still had a Collector's Corner.....wink wink nudge nudge.
Please enjoy the last newsletter we have from 1995. Next stop 1996!
FOSSIL TIMES, ISSUE 2, VOLUME 2 - The World Prepares for DEFENDER!
Continuing our proud tradition of posting Fossil Times newsletters online about 20 years too late, we are pleased to have found a monumental issue -- Issue 2, Volume 2 - The World Prepares for DEFENDER! Some say we post too much about the Defender line on this site and not about other collectibles. Whelp here's our chance to talk more about Defender because it's next in line of a long line of Fossil Times newsletters.
What we like about the launch of the Fossil Defender line (in 1995) was that Fossil already knew that the line was going to be different -- some might say a risk, but deviating from the tins and launching special straps was a nice differentiator and they highlighted it early. Looking for those cardboard boxes and original straps are still something Defender collectors are searching for.
Moving on...other noticeable announcements are the Surfer launch LE-9465 in the custom wooden box. It wasn't until early 2017 where we finally got our hands on one -- 22 years later, sensing a theme here?
Besides Defender background, the other history lesson here is the tins. Believe it or not there are still tin collectors out there, this article on page 3 outlines a quickie history lesson. If you haven't already look for a book from Fossil called Tinspiration for all your Fossil tin needs -- that book is also becoming rare.
Now for your enjoyment please find Issue 2, Volume 2 below and as always whatever happened to Gianni Menozzi and his fabulous Fossil collection? Please honor his achievement of collecting 121 Fossils in one year!
Limited Edition Fossil Q x Cory Richards – a new Blue
Have you seen the news? There’s a new Fossil Blue in town and it couldn’t come at a more popular time. There’s a video, a blog entry, a press release and I got a special email about the new Limited Edition Fossil Q x Cory Richards smartwatch based on an old Blue watch Richards has. My first thought in reading the coverage, was “Hey I’ve been a Fossil enthusiast longer than Richards, where’s my collaboration?” I’m famous in my own world and I just so happen to be an expert in my opinion. I’m open for any collaboration, I have lots of ideas – let’s do this! Okay jealously rant aside, this is wonderful news and Richards seems like a great guy and from what I read it’s the first of a few collaborations in the future. Now that got my attention.
What makes this collaboration timely and why I'm highlighting it so soon after it's launch is the mention of the Blue watch. When the Underground Fossil Collectors Club site launched in 2010, a lot of the questions and comments were about the watches & advertising from the early to mid-90’s. In recent months a shift has happened and more and more comments and emails and search results are coming in around fans looking for particular Blue models. With all things nostalgic there is a known 20 year cycle where those things become popular again as we age and look for items from our past. Look at the popularity of the Classic NES console this past Christmas or the re-launch of DuckTales coming in the summer of 2017 or the retro Nike Air Max shoes I just bought that came right out the 90’s.
20 years ago just so happens to be when I started college and you know what watch I wore to college? Yep a Fossil Blue. What watch did all my roommates have in the dorm? A Fossil Blue. What watch did my girlfriend buy me for Christmas in 2000? Yep a Fossil Blue. They were everywhere and for years it seemed that the only watches Fossil made in those years were Blue models. I'll be disproving that theory shortly as I post more catalog scans.
Our beloved Defender series launched about 20 years after the original run. Could Blue be next? Fossil has hinted at some of the Fossil Blue series in recent launches with the Breaker, but we’ve yet to see Blue written on the face. It was refreshing to see it in this current release and let’s hope for more. Pictured below are 2 of my Blue watches that like most older Fossil watches have a special place in my collection.
AM-3054. Received as a birthday gift in 1999 from my good friend Tricia, who later that year was killed in a car crash. One of the most generous people I've ever met.
BQ-9065. Received for Christmas in 2000 from my then girlfriend and now wife. She was making big bucks selling Sprint cell phones at Best Buy!
Fossil Times, Issue 1, Volume 2 - Marilyn the legend the beauty
Greetings Fossil friends! Welcome to the latest installment of previous Fossil Times newsletters. Here is where things get a little blurry as far as order. Based on 1994’s issues we posted, one would wager to say that the Fossil Times came out quarterly. We posted 4 issues and they all were numbered accordingly, Volume 1, Issue 1 / Volume 1, Issue 2 and so on. Starting with the 1995 issues, we could go one of 2 ways – Volume 2, Issue 1 or sadly there are some additional Volume 1, Issue 1 newsletters, but FEAR NOT! we’ve spent countless hours reviewing these looking for hints of dates, release information, etc and believe we have the correct order for at least the next few issues.
With Volume 2, Issue 1 we see the start of some limited editions that are still collectible today including the firemen LE-9466 and the policemen LE-9469 watches. Marilyn Monroe and Elvis watches will never be unpopular and there’s an introduction to FSL watches, which were marketed starting in May 1995 as a durable sports watch. Additional scans of FSL launch materials coming in the summer of 2017.
Two things stick out when reading this issue. The mention of the Fossil Antler Watch (DT-3201) comes up. While not valuable, this is one of the first limited edition watches Fossil did way back in January 1992 and it was limited to 5000 pieces. Even in early 1995, it was on the hard to find list. We always liked this watch because it features a 5-legged deer and oddly enough the newsletter mentions that! How about that? Secondly as always we have to ask, where is Dennis Wiens, the Collector of the Month? Stay tuned with news on Dennis – we’ll see him in further issues. Until then enjoy the hits from early 1995!
Fossil Times - Issue 4, Volume 1 - 1995 Sneak Peak
Ah the 90's! Hard pill to swallow seeing 1995 Sneak Peak in our journey through the Fossil Times newsletters. Oh by the way this issue is 23 years old! On that note of positivity, let's dig in!
This issue isn't too exciting, unless you long for the days of licensed limited edition watches. Two things caught our attention and one is the updated limited edition checklist -- interesting that even at that time Fossil didn't have their facts straight and they admit that right here! I can't tell you how many questions we receive still on limited editions and what's what, who's on first, etc. The second interesting thing is a point we always like to make....where's Elaine Mapes now and how many Fossil goodies does she have?
Fossil Times - Issue 3, Volume 1 - Baseball Cards, Bottle Caps and Fossil Limited Editions
Continuing on our journey of posting Fossil Times newsletters in order month by month, here is the latest version for your viewing pleasure in 2017. Issue 3, Volume 1 all the way from 1994. We had it is easy this month because if you remember we posted about the importance of a newsletter in a previous post where we highlighted this issue. The question still remains however what happened to Larry Clark?
