Thoughts on Reviews and Recent Releases in the Fossil Collectors Club
Some of you have been asking and maybe others are wondering where did all the reviews go primarily on the new releases. As a Fossil fan & collector I’m honored that other fans have reached out asking where these went. Truly honored! With that in mind I wanted to officially post a response because there has a been a shift in the type & frequency of content published on our site.
Greetings Fossil Fans!!!
Some of you have been asking and maybe others are wondering where did all the reviews go primarily on the new releases. As a Fossil fan & collector I’m honored that other fans have reached out asking where these went. Truly honored! With that in mind I wanted to officially post a response because there has a been a shift in the type & frequency of content published on our site.
My approach to this site and community is first and foremost as a collector and I know a thing or two about what collectors want to consume. Unlike other watch sites that post branding approved photos and thoughts about the watches via those photos – I like to have my hands on the piece, the packaging and then review it from a collector’s standpoint.
My collector heart gets beating when I can make a connection in the review from the old to the new, like what we saw in 2019 with the Starmaster release. Fossil has almost a 40 year history and it’s great to make the connection for old & new collectors in a review. Does that limit my reach in the standard watch news space? Yes, it certainly does. Am I heart broken when watch reviewers don’t review the Fossil packaging? OMG YES!
In 2019 and into 2020 I had physical access to most limited-edition Fossil watches and could wear them, review them and post at my leisure. I did my best to post in sync with the official launch dates because without a large social media presence this is honestly the best I could do. It felt good to be an insider.
Without access now to the physical pieces unless I purchase them, I don’t plan on reviewing limited-edition watches via photographs or what information I can pull from the website. Call me old fashioned (because I am), but that’s my approach.
Some of the new pieces & collaborations look great and once I get my hands on them I’ll be sure to add a review in my own time – I’m dying to wear and post about the new Fossil Heritage watches and even some of the Harry Potter pieces that released today.
Coming soon is a Fossil Speedway review from 2006 that I’ve been on the hunt for since about 2006…haha. In my own time indeed!
-Terry
11 years of the Underground Fossil Collectors Club: another retrospective
Every February 10, I like to take some time to give an update on how things are going here in the home of the Underground Fossil Collectors Club. A time of reflection, updates and maybe even some ideas for the future. Just to preface - 11 years ago I started this website as a shout out to other collectors of Fossil stuff to build a community. Stuff is the official term that encompasses advertising, catalogs, limited editions, men’s watches, ladies watches and packaging all from Fossil. Over the years we’ve uncovered a lot of amazing collections.
Every February 10, I like to take some time to give an update on how things are going here in the home of the Underground Fossil Collectors Club. A time of reflection, updates and maybe even some ideas for the future. Just to preface - 11 years ago I started this website as a shout out to other collectors of Fossil stuff to build a community. Stuff is the official term that encompasses advertising, catalogs, limited editions, men’s watches, ladies watches and packaging all from Fossil. Over the years we’ve uncovered a lot of amazing collections.
First let me give you an update. The past 2 years we had a nice relationship with Fossil to review and promote both ladies and men’s limited-edition watches from the official Fossil Collectors Club. Watch reviews were something new for us to post and it was a wonderful experience to learn the lingo of watch reviewing. I was immensely honored to be part of it and was always surprised to get contacted from readers with questions on models, specs, features, availability, etc. Intertwined in those limited-edition reviews, I sorted through a lot of my old catalogs and Fossil Times to give a good mix of new & old.
Going forward into 2021 I don’t know if I’ll have any new Fossil limited edition pieces to highlight from the official Fossil Collectors Club, but I can give you a sneak peek into my wish list for 2021 content as it sits today. Some of you old time collectors are going to be thrilled!
European Fossil Times. I have them all thanks to our friend Heino
A special Fossil Speedway
Fossil Notebooks
Finish posting the watches from the Around the World Series – only a few years late!
Collectors Club Kits – We’re missing a few in the archives - oops!
Fossil Compass pieces
Oddball scans including FSL, RoadTrip, Swiss and even some Defender brochures
Hybrid HR – if and when Fossil releases one with a color screen, you bet it’ll be posted here.
See the latest FTW7019 Review Here! I love this watch
I’m toying with the idea of another watch guide similar to the Defender Watch Guide. Open to suggestions!
A few older limited-edition reviews from the 2010’s that I did not previously cover.
After 11 years of content on this site it is also getting cluttered and hard to find content. I’ll be doing some tag cleanup and some shortcuts on the homepage to find sections easier.
Analytics are fun
I also like to take time annually and highlight the most viewed pieces of content on the site. Excluding main navigation pages from the report like blog, about, etc…the top pages in order of popularity from 2020 were:
In addition, here are some of the more popular search terms & phrases used to find content on the site in no particular order
Elvis Presley, FS-4473, Men’s Fossil Defender, ftw7008, fossil forrestor (notice the misspelling?), fossil watch collectors, fossil solar watches, fossil crosley, fossil pride watch, old fossil watch, cleveland fossil store, fossil watches from the 90’s, road trip Fossil
I have 100’s more of terms used, but these stuck out. I’m always fascinated in how people find our site and what they do when they are here. 2020 was also a year where a lot of readers finally found the Contact Me page.
How do I know this?
Whelp….in the early days of the pandemic I was getting 7-10 messages a week with people asking me about old Fossil watches. I started to respond to all of them with great thought and care believing they were all collectors. Quickly found out that everyone was cleaning out their closets and selling their stuff on eBay! While you can’t blame them because I did the same thing, the majority of readers never said THANK YOU or even acknowledged my replies! I would sometimes go to eBay and type in terms from their item and on more than one occasion I would find my entire email pasted in the listing description! While it’s nice to be an expert, it’s exhausting being taken advantage of with little to no return. Going forward I will be more cautious in providing values or input on Fossil items for people looking for the quick flip.
It wasn’t all bad though. A lot of messages were people looking for specific pieces, telling me about their collections, Fossil memories and asking for more information about reviews & new watches that I’ve posted. That is why this site exists and I have tremendous pride being part of this for the past 11 years. Of all the watches people are still looking for I would say with 100% certainty the Crosley Fossil watch from 2019 takes the cake with a few messages a month with readers asking for one and offering me big money for mine!
Feel free to Contact Me anytime and looking forward to going into our twelfth year.
Fossil Times, Collectors Have A Big Date with Fossil
Greetings Fossil Fans. We’re emerging out of quarantine here and as such have emerged another copy of the Fossil Times….this time it’s the 2nd quarter edition of the 1998 Fossil Times.
Greetings Fossil Fans. We’re emerging out of quarantine here and as such have emerged another copy of the Fossil Times….this time it’s the 2nd quarter edition of the 1998 Fossil Times. We’re missing the 1st quarter edition of the Fossil Times so please reach out if you might have it. Pretty please????
First thing first – this issue is HUGE. I won’t cover everything, but definitely read everything in these images, there is a lot of good content and even some new things that fans might not know.
Okay onto the content. Let’s talk the LE 2003, I have never seen one of these! It was a limited edition just for the Collectors Club members outside of the 1998 Fossil Collectors Club kits – 1998 if you recall had the limited-edition pocket watch, but this 1998 collector’s only watch had the biggest date window yet (as of 1998). Any Fossil fans out there have this piece? Would love to see it - Contact Us
Secondly – in all my years collecting Fossil goodies, I didn’t know they had boxer shorts. 22 years later still seeing new things. Any Fossil underwear collectors out there? A challenge was posted on our Facebook page to see if anyone has any of these boxers…something odd, something fun – living the dream!
I love learning about the Collectors Club Events that I never attended. Looks like by 1998 things were winding down with only a few of these in the diary, but look at that content! Fossil artwork will be up for bid along with snacks, games, prizes and I’m sure much more. Postcards were mailed out; did you get yours?
The Snoopy Collectors Watch is another one of those limited editions that I’m always chasing. Mrs. Underground Fossil Collectors Club is a big time Snoopy fan and this particular Snoopy watch LE1639 or LE1640 is the first and the best Snoopy limited watch from Fossil. Fossil Times really had a nice Snoopy spread in this issue and the watch came with a doghouse bank, that’s swell!
The last item of note I wanted to highlight is Advance-o-Matic. Much like the boxer shorts, I didn’t know about this short-lived program that let Collectors Club members reach out to Fossil to reserve a VERY LOW number of upcoming limited edition watches. Reading the steps for how to reserve your VERY LOW number watch is the most 90’s thing ever because now we would just use an app or even a special email address. Oh those 90’s!
Enjoy Volume 5, Issue 2 of the Fossil Times and as always what happened to Greg Faddis and his three-foot tall Fossil iron globe?
Fossil Times – Shaken Not Stirred
We’re winding down 1997 with a timely throwback to the last Fossil Times of 1997 Volume 4 Issue 4 and yes, we are still waiting on Issue 2 to magically appear. Bathroom monkeys get on it!
We’re winding down 1997 with a timely throwback to the last Fossil Times of 1997 Volume 4 Issue 4 and yes, we are still waiting on Issue 2 to magically appear. Bathroom monkeys get on it!
Cover image is part one in the James Bond 007 Series with part two coming in 1998. The article here officially launching LI-1623 and LI-1624 is one of the more stranger articles found in the Fossil Times archives so please do enjoy! The LI-1623 and LI-1624 in recent months has really skyrocketed in value with some crazy eBay sellers asking $500, but more completed sales are seeing them in the $150-$250 range, wow!
The next 2 pages are really unique and help solidify the fun & uniqueness of collecting Fossil advertising merch. Recognition is given here for awards won for some of the iconic Fossil pieces including those oil can tins and that Fossil wrapped bus from 1997 – yes we posted about our love for that bus almost 10 years ago! We would love some pictures.
The 1998 Collectors Club Kit was also announced…did Fossil know 1998 would be the last year? Sad to see it announced knowing what we know now, but fear not we still have 3-4 Fossil Times left to post and at the rate we’re going we’ll have them posted by 2022.
The last 2 things worth highlighting are the lost Starmaster with the barnacles on it. Reminds us of the GameBoy on display at the Nintendo World Store in NYC. These older Fossil are amazing – most of the ones I have from the time period still work, so it’s no wonder this Starmaster went through hell and still works!
Enjoy the last of 1997 and get ready for 1998 and as always, Mr. Kikuchi where are you and congrats btw!
Fossil Times: It's Toy Time
Collaborations are no doubt something you’ve seen with Fossil lately – all these collaborations in 2019 with Crosley, Pride, etc and way back in 1997 Fossil collaborated or teamed up with T.K. Toys of Japan to come up with some limited-edition pieces that came with tin toys.
In our never ending series of posting Fossil Times newsletters we are proud to post Volume 4, Issue 3. Now you maybe wondering it’s been so long since you posted any of these and last post was Volume 4, Issue 1……so where is Issue 2? Sadly….very sadly Fossil fans we no record of this issue exists and we do have our bathroom monkeys actively searching for any signs of Issue 2, but until then please accept Issue 3.
Not all newsletters can be winners and Issue 3 isn’t one of the greats. There are a few highlights and we’ll review
Collaborations are no doubt something you’ve seen with Fossil lately – all these collaborations in 2019 with Crosley, Pride, etc and way back in 1997 Fossil collaborated or teamed up with T.K. Toys of Japan to come up with some limited-edition pieces that came with tin toys. These toys launched at $150 each and they definitely haven’t retained their value over the years, but with a run of 5000 pieces each – they are one of the rarer LE’s.
The second page is 100% dedicated to the Collectors Breakfasts that we have discussed before. We are still looking for anyone with photos or exclusive merchandise that was available at either of these 3 locations.
The Sneak Preview is well stocked this time with 2 Mickey Mouse pieces,1 James Bond watch…. including the gold one that was limited to 1000 pieces and finally the infamous Boba Fett LI-1619 and 1620 – the Boba Fett is one that I’ve always liked and I do go back and forth on getting one on eBay. Christmas 2019 here we come!
Not much else to highlight as we wind down 1997 and start moving towards 1998. Volume 4, Issue 4 coming up next!
A RETURN BACK TO THE OFFICIAL COLLECTORS CLUB
Howdy Fossil Fans!
Today is a red letter date in the history of Fossil collectors - after 21 years the official Fossil Collectors Club has relaunched from Fossil. Yes, you read that right, it’s 2019 and Fossil is relaunching the Fossil Collectors Club. How did this happen? Cue the flashback….
I’ve been collecting Fossil watches since 1996. I would find watches on eBay, Craigslist, garage sales, resale shops and always find a little flyer or brochure in the tins talking about the Fossil Collectors Club. The short lived Collectors Club ended in 1998 and there was NOTHING online about it and zero community around it. In those dark years I would collect & gather any materials I possibly could find from Fossil including newsletters, brochures, catalogs, web archives and anything else.
Sometime in 2009, I decided I had enough Fossil content and frustration with the lack of community that I had enough to start the site www.fossilcollectorsclub.com
The site was launched with the hopes of bringing Fossil collectors together AND re-igniting the Fossil Collectors Club from Fossil HQ themselves vs. just a passionate Fossil fan from Cleveland. I had the URL, Facebook group, Flickr page setup and probably a few other sites all linking back into this site to bring people together who collect (not buy & resell) these fine timepieces & collectibles. I’ve had some communication & one awesome trip to Fossil headquarters over the years to discuss history & various product lines, but no mention of ever re-launching the Fossil Collectors Club came up until just a few weeks ago.
And that brings us to modern day….
Starting today (March 25, 2019) the www.fossilcollectorsclub.com will be redirecting over to Fossil’s official Collectors Club page and eventually be owned by Fossil altogether. On this page you’ll have the ability to read about Fossil’s new Collectors Club, the Archival Series of Limited Editions and signup! Please signup!
For the fans I’ve acquired over the years, our little fan site will always be located here:
http://www.undergroundfossilcollectors.club
In the coming weeks & months, you’ll see some changes in this site’s identity and branding. I’m super excited and can’t say now how this fan site fits into the Fossil ecosphere, but please remember this is all still coming from one passionate fan from Cleveland and not Fossil. The overall identify and future main URL is currently in the works, but I’ve been assured that we have a home in the future now that the Collectors Club is back in action!
So here’s to a new generation of Fossil Collectors Club starting in 2019! I’m very proud of the community we’ve built here & on Facebook. Now a little blurb about the OFFICIAL FOSSIL COLLECTORS CLUB that was recently announced at Baselworld:
A tribute to more than three decades of design, this curation of limited editions celebrates Fossil's innovative spirit. Rediscover our beloved past styles with the reissues of the Archival Series, or explore our collaborative exclusives with the Curator Series. Welcome to the only club where Fossil fanatics can continue collecting one-of-a-kind accessories for years to come.
More to come obviously stay tuned to Fossil, Fossil Collectors Club and this site for the latest!
Here’s to the new www.fossilcollectorsclub.com
Fossil Times Reaches 1997 – Pop Quiz Hot Shot!
And then it was 1997. Welcome to our ongoing series of bringing back to life Fossil Times from the Collector’s Club era. Up for your consideration today is Volume 4, Issue 1. The newsletters from 1997 & 1998 were the first ones in a different size at 10.5 inches wide and 16.5 inches tall (ie..very hard to scan in)
Let’s start with missing socks. Remember those from last time? In this day and age, it’s hard to imagine a major company (or any company) announcing that they received a sock and have a hard time identifying the sender! 22 years later did anyone ever claim that sock and what was the reward?
The highlight of this newsletter and the reason why this site was created was for the collectors. On Page 3 we find an article called, “C’mon in Collectors” and wow it really made me long for the retail days where you had to go to the stores to get your goods and talk with salespeople. I had a good relationship with the salespeople at 2 of my local Fossil stores and they would call me when the good stuff came in! Like my own personal Cheers Bar minus the drinks. Those Fossil stores in the 90’s were magical and I can attest that they were designed to keep us coming back for more.
Further inside in the newsletter we learn about the international presence of the Fossil Collectors Club – 1500 members internationally! Suspicions confirmed that the retro-American style was loved internationally just as much as here in the good old USA. Little known fact that has been forgotten was Fossil Collectors had their own inbox direct to Fossil HQ: COLLECT.FOSSIL@FOSL.COM
Other points of interest are always Star Wars watches (how many did they make?), information on the 1997 Collector’s Club option and always a highlight for Collector of the Quarter – where are you Matthew Martin?
Enjoy the first issue of Fossil Times from 1997 – it was a good year!
Fossil Blue - you can swim in it
Fossil Blue. Fossil Blue. Fossil Blue. Say it a few more times and you'll be instantly transported back to the late 90's where everyone (yes everyone) had a Fossil Blue. Going through our historical documents, the Fossil Times we've traced the beginnings of Fossil Blue. Welcome to Volume 3 Issue 3 of the Fossil Times released sometime in the spring of 1996. Apologies up front for the quality of this issue -- it's bad and our bathroom monkeys aren't happy with it's quality, but the price is right (free).
Only a few things to highlight in this issue besides the launch of Fossil Blue. The Fossil General Store is something I don't remember and curious who might know anything more about it. I suppose there's a few of you on this site who have their own Fossil General Stores in their homes including the webmaster! Betty Boop made her appearance in this issue as well as a mention of a very hard to find hand painted dial series LE-9408 & LE-9409 - interesting to note that students painted the dials, sounds more like child labor, but the results were amazing and if you find one of these complete with the display card, you have a rarity. Again rarity doesn't mean big bucks, but enjoy and display with pride.
Before we show you the goods, let's talk about the jacket. The Fossil Letter Jacket Model Search - only 2 of these jackets were made. Who's got one and how did you impact the world as the 1996 Mr. or Ms. Fossil Letter Jacket Model Search Winner?
Onto the show! Oh and whatever happened to Jorg & Reiner?
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!
