Antique Chinese Porcelain Buying Tips for Beginning CollectorsAvoid some of the pitfalls when buying antique Chinese porcelain and increase your chances of a real "find". The following tips for antique Chinese porcelain buying can be applied both to purchasing from online sellers as well as to acquiring Chinese porcelain from a dealer at an antique show or in a brick and mortar business (antique shop). Watch these points... Seller deception or ignorance: Look at the seller's other items. Are there many reproductions or mostly genuine antique porcelain items? How about fakes?
The presence of many reproductions of antique Chinese porcelain and even more so that of fake old porcelain could indicate one of two conditions:
Provenance If the seller mentions any kind of provenance... my advice is: disregard it. Provenance is often false information. Depending on where you buy, the dealer or his source may have made up a story. At the best it is useless. The only provenance that I could think of right now, that I would rely on, is that of shipwreck ceramics bought directly from a company involved in legally recovering this from ship wrecks, and only if they have a good reputation. Even with shipwreck ceramics, if you buy them elsewhere the risk of buying a fake antique is the same as with other porcelain that is not originating from a wreck. Even shipwreck ceramics are faked nowadays, completely with false covering of maritime growth. Apply common sense when buying antique Chinese porcelain... As with any other collectibles, Chinese art and ceramics are usually costly if the item in question is rare and/or of exceptional quality. To find an extremely rare or valuable item in the average shop, at an antique show, or online at a bargain price is almost impossible. The following three just don't go together:
Just keep it real. A good deal or lucky find is in everybody's mind - but, can these be hunted down or only found by chance? Decide by yourself.
It is is always better to let that nice, rare antique porcelain vase go, if after a careful inspection any doubt remains. Or, you could ask for a second, independent opinion. Another opportunity to buy an authentic antique is always around the corner, even if you now think it was your only chance... Attitude makes the difference Buying as a novice collector is actually the same as with a seasoned collector. However, the seasoned collector has two advantages: experience and attitude Well, here you are looking at that antique porcelain jar...no matter if it is on the web or if you hold it in your hands - ask yourself if it looks intriguingly old? Hold it! - At this step some restraint is needed or you easily fall into the "old look = antique" trap. Low-level copies and fakes often draw on this initial excitement to make the sale. --Cool off! Reconsider... is it possibly a fake antique or is it genuine? -- When replica are made to look old the forgers often are overdoing it. The experienced collector knows this and gives himself time at this point. He evaluates the overall appearance, considers the sales location (situation) and the condition of the piece. Porcelain Glossary
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