Bud - given your ebay bid fiasco I would stick with new (or pre-owned if available) from an AD only. A possible second choice would be a reputable - long established grey dealer in your area who will unconditionally guarantee the watches authenticity (pass on fly-by-night second hand stores or pawn shops).
Seriously - how much more advice can we give you in this area? Stick to the advice of the friends you referenced and the new ones you have on this board who don't want to see you get jacked.
As for value, my rank in "keeping its value" would be as follows:
1) SD
2) sub
3) gmt
K4S
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