Anyway....... This guy said he could always make quick cash by standing outside of Sears stores by the door. Always had a couple of men's and women's watches. Someone would get ready to walk in or out and he's whispers "want to buy a good watch?". If the person stopped and was interested he shows them one IN A SEARS BOX, always talking low and looking around, say's he would let it go for say $350. The person would hand him the $$$$ and the dude gave him the watch. Then, he would go to another door and start the routine again.
He explained to us that the sucker ASSUMED he had just walked out of Sears where he had stolen the watch, and, in this case, the watch must go for about $800 in the store. So, he buys for $350 and thinks he just got a super deal. Dude said what he would do is go in when he first got there and BUY 4 or 5 cheap watches for $25 - $30 each. Kept the receipt in case he got hassled by a cop ("who me...I just bought these and here's the receipt, officer. I'm just waiting here for my mama to finish shopping") He always bought the ones with the brand in small writing on the face or no brand showing. He would say it was a (name any expense brand) and not let them look too close. They would leave real quick because they didn't want a cop to catch the with the 'stolen' watch he had just bought.
Swindle the swindlers or sumfin
So he had ‘his craft’ perfected! Good little thief!
While vacationing in Spain a guy walks up to us - probably because we looked like damn tourists - and opened his long coat and on the inside on both sides of the coat - all watches! Right on the Costa del sol, no stores around, no promises, just dumb tourists! We did buy one with a nice leather band - it was cheap IIRC $10 - that was 30+ years ago. He closed his coat and walked away. What did we get out of it, a story to tell and really the shock when he opened his coat - WTF?