Gary Getz, aka GaryG, needs little introduction on Quill & Pad as he has been writing articles about watch collecting, watches, and watch photography for many years. Gary has been a serious watch collector for decades with a penchant for independent watchmakers and boutique brands.

Gary Getz and friends

Gary has just launched his latest project, The Collectors Room, with the aim of providing an online resource combining in-depth educational content with a dynamic and modern user-centered discussion forum for its community members.

The Collectors Room launched on Friday, September 13 with an introductory webinar in which Gary explains his collecting journey, his aims for The Collectors Room, and how you can join.

Below is an excerpt of a few of the things Gary covers in the 50-minute video, but if you are just starting your journey into watch collecting, or are ready to take it to another level and interact with like-minded future friends, I highly recommend watching the full webinar below.

Gary Getz explaining The Collectors Room:

“Watch enthusiasts have always wanted to learn and to connect with each other, but the ways in which they meet those needs are continually in flux. We saw a void that wasn’t being met by any of the alternatives available today, and The Collectors Room is designed to close the gap in an entertaining, informative way.

“The old watch forums were wonderful, but too flat and linear and required too much work for their users. Outbound online journals and individual sharing on Instagram, YouTube, and elsewhere can inform, but by their nature those things are more about broadcast than community – and comments sections there are not a real substitute for true dialogue.

“And private discussion groups on WhatsApp and elsewhere are both unavailable to many enthusiasts and, once you are in, are generally just a stream of text remarks with a few photos added in.

“We believe that the twin pillars of education and community are essential to adding real value for our members. Each new member begins by participating as a member of a learning cohort, going through a 5-chapter initial education course on collecting principles, the economics of collecting, smart buying and selling, and building an effective personal watch network.

“This adventure unfolds over a 6-week period and includes weekly cohort video discussions and at least one masterclass with an industry superstar.

“This isn’t your grandfather’s watch forum, either. The online site itself incorporates text posts and responses, but also direct posting of images and videos, links to photos, videos, and posts on other social media, emojis, and GIFs – with more to come as we continue development.

“In addition, we will host weekly video chats for the community on member-suggested topics and present an ongoing series of masterclasses – The Collectors Room is meant to be a dynamic and immersive experience.

“We won’t shy away from sensitive topics – in fact, one of our big objectives is to debate hot issues in a way that seeks common ground and allows members to disagree without being disagreeable.

“Our membership and educational model is designed to ensure that your fellow members are as committed to the community’s success as you are, and to prevent the sort of trolling that is a sad feature of so much of online watch discussion today.

“There are lots of information sources out there, but remarkably few that focus specifically on collecting and collectors like we do at The Collectors Room.

Key features and benefits of The Collectors Room

“The discussion forum itself will be organized around topics our members suggest – so instead of a march down the alphabet of brand names as the organizing model, our discussion rooms may feature themes like market behavior, perceived scarcity, photography skills, and fashion vs. function in the luxury watch market – but we’ll see what our members tell us!

“The folks who join us will do so because they understand the value of building a coherent collection, becoming smarter buyers and sellers, sharing and debating with equally enthusiastic collectors, starting or expanding their personal watch networks, gaining an insider’s access to industry superstars, and avoiding those dreaded ‘what was I thinking’ mistakes of buying the wrong piece or selling in the wrong place.”

Becoming a member:

Enrollment is a two-step process: establishing a username and signing up for forum membership, and then clicking on the Learning tab at the top of the ensuing page and enrolling for the first five-chapter educational adventure as a cohort member.

The Collectors Room introductory offer

Introductory pricing is $129 for the five-chapter educational experience, including weekly chapter discussion calls, access to members-only masterclasses, and 45 days’ free access to the discussion forum, including both the full-community topic areas and a cohort-specific private room.

After the first 45 days Free Trial, recurring forum membership, including all weekly video meetups and masterclasses, is $39 per month, cancellable at any time.

Pricing for subsequent multi-week, multi-chapter educational experiences will depend on member feedback and interest and will be on an opt-in basis.

You can enroll in The Collectors Room at https://www.thecollectorsroom.net/communities