BidAmount Asian Art News

Auctions Of Chinese and Asian Art, Auction Results News

  • Home
  • Weekly News Letter Page
  • The Forum
  • YouTube
  • plcombs Asian Art
    • Visit plcombs-Chinese-Asian Art
    • About, plcombs Chinese-Asian Art Antique Dealer | Massachusetts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • A Few Site Pages
  • Recomended Books
  • Blog
  • Sign Up-Global Member Pages
  • Sign In-Global Member Pages
You are here: Home / The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art

The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art

The Chinese and Asian Art Forum. For Fans, Collectors and Dealers.


Asian art booksBasic Rules For the BidAmount Asian Art Forum:  Talk about whatever you want.  You can even discuss and offer things that are for sale if they are authentic.  Maximum image file  size per post is 2 MB. Images of 700pxl x 700pxl are optimal if saved at a medium resolution. Be respectful of others and enjoy yourself. Click the YouTube link for a brief tutorial on using the forum. You can also EMBED Videos by cutting and pasting from You-Tube,  Vimeo etc.  

NOTE: To post an item or add a new post, click open the category title from the FORUM LIST, and CLICK the Blue ADD TOPIC button. 

Forums
The FORUM List
General Discussion ...
So, you want to sel...
 
Notifications
Clear all

So, you want to sell Asian antiques?

 
    Last Post
  RSS

Greeno107
 Greeno107
(@greeno107)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2875
Topic starter 16/09/2021 11:39 am  

I’ve decided to hold off just a bit on my estate sale post (sorry), in part because of my deep belief in the philosophy that you must learn to walk before you we can run (E.L. James).

 
So, for this discussion I’d like to make a few bold statements:
 
1. If you’re going to make money selling things (Chinese antiques or home computers… doesn’t really matter), then you need to learn how to buy at a price that allows you to make a viable profit.  This is what those in the biz call, ‘buying right’.
 
2. No matter what someone tells you (expert or otherwise), the only way to know what something is worth is to sell it, and the market will assuredly tell you (I prefer ‘teach’ you) the truth about an item’s worth.
 
3. What we value can (and often is) vastly different than what others value, and as a ‘seller’ you need to recognize how to differentiate the two if you want to succeed.
 
Allow me to offer up a little background on myself before delving into specific practices…
 
I’ve mention before that I came from a family without wealth, and without any interest in antiques or art.  Let me add that nobody in family had any business experience nor money sense (you sort of need money to manage money).
 
However, I was a bit different than family in that during my childhood I always was coming up with business ideas to make a few bucks (my dad called them schemes), and in my 20’s I developed an interest in Japanese woodblock prints (but I never sold any until my 40’s).
 
My situation changed dramatically after taking a temp job for a bank call center turned into a 10 year career ending as a commercial banker in Palm Beach.  
 
And what I learned came from interacting with hundreds of successful and failing businesses, and having the privilege to see every aspect of how their businesses worked, and how the owners made business decisions. It was a very insightful experience.
 
The lessons I gained are applicable in every area of business, including selling antiques. 
 
So, while my post may seem very anecdotal, that these are just my personal experiences and not necessarily true for everyone  (and they are my personal experiences), please take my word that my knowledge is borrowed from much smarter and successful people than myself.  
 
I’ve only applied it to the field of Asian art and antiques, but honestly, you could take these ideas and use them for selling ANYTHING!
 
So, let’s dive in with the first step at becoming  successful at Asian antiques - buying right!
 
Logically, a beginner will ask a very good question - How do I know what to buy if I don’t even know what is genuine and what is reproduction?
 
So, my first bomb shell belief - you don’t need to know if an item is genuine or not to start buying to resell, but you should keep a very thrifty budget, and you’ll need to learn if your personal sense of value is inline with those of your buyers.
 
How do you do that?
 
Start with your budget.
 
What can you afford to loose each week on lottery tickets and still feed your family and pay your bills?  That should be your budget in the beginning.  
 
Mistakes made at this stage are necessary, but the price (your tuition) needs to have no significant impact on the quality of your life - I’m not trying to cultivate gamblers, here.
 
Secondly, and very importantly, you need to teach yourself to buy at a price that allows for profitable reselling.
 
How?
 
1. Go to a thrift store.
 
2. When you see an item that looks ‘sellable’ based upon your current personal level of knowledge and experience, ask yourself what you would pay for it?
 
3. Pick up the item and look at the actual price.
 
If you’re a cheapskate like me, you’re going to find that a lot of thrift store items are over priced.
 
But, if the actual price is lower than your personal estimate, then you’re ready for the market test- put it up for sale on EBay!
 
 
LET ME BE VERY CLEAR - If you’re not 100% sure of what your selling, then don’t make claims of it being ‘antique’. Your reputation matters for future business success, and the lure of additional profit from a false claim won’t be enough to make it worthwhile in the long run. 
 
Fairly represent what it is you are selling with an honest description and good photos that show the item in its true nature (showing highlights and defects).  If you don’t know the age or if it’s a reproduction, say so. 
 
Your buyers, especially experienced buyers (your target audience) will know what is real and what is not, and their offer price will be the best indication as to authenticity.
 
Overtime you will acquire experience that will help you to differentiate genuine from reproduction AND (VERY IMPORTANTLY) having the knowledge to differentiate genuine from reproduction will make you a more successful seller, both by reputation and by quality of products demanding higher prices, but it takes time.
 
Early Tim (who knew almost nothing about Asian antiques) bought from thrift stores at extremely low prices (nothing over $10), and and if sold for a dollar more, I made money.
 
Depending on how much profit I made or lost , I could gauge how much to spend the next time.  For instance, If I saw the very same item again at a thrift store, I could adjust my purchase price up or down, and be more confident that there was profit to be made.
 
As you accumulate successes, its natural to want to increase your budget - and you should… carefully!
 
I suggest you set up a cash reserve for your initial investment of purchases, and never spend more than 10% of the reserve on any single item.
 
So, if your reserve is $200 that you’re willing to invest in purchases, then don’t spend more than $20 on any single item.
 
Items break, get lost, turn out fake, or get stolen during the process of a sale.  You don’t want to loose your entire working capital because you went all in with every dollar you have in just a single piece.
 
So, now that your on your way to buying right, let’s take a look at the 700 pound gorilla in the corner of the room- valuations / appraisals.
 
With all do respect, an appraisal of value is pretty much good for insuring against loss or theft, but has some real challenges in the seller’s matket.
 
First, if you’re not selling right away, the market volatility on Asian art is fairly significant, so 1 year after your appraisal, you’re probably going to have a different value.
 
Next, the Asian art market is quite huge, but still finite. So the identical twin of an item that sells for $1000 last month, might sell for only $500 this month because there is one less buyer looking for that piece.
 
And finally (and quite commonly), if an item is conservatively appraised based upon past results, and a renewed interest in the current market results in a sale many times over the estimate, then while we can celebrate the success of the sale, we also have to acknowledge the appraisal really didn’t add value.
 
Value appraisals do have their place, but it is far more important to invest time and money buying authenticated pieces using the ‘buying right’ technique detailed above than getting every item you buy appraised.
 
At the end of the day, the market is only going to pay what the market demands… not a penny more, and not a penny less.
 
The final part of this process deals with developing an understanding of market taste…you need to know what the market wants to buy, and not just buy what you like, if you want to buy to profitably resell.
 
A retired antique dealer that I use to buy some great stuff from, also loved buying cork carvings and would buy any that he came across.
 
Now, he had some spectacular carved cork landscapes, and tons of them!  But, 20 years have past and I still don’t see Christie’s opening their New York Asian Week with a single cork carving!
 
Do not confuse your hobbyist-level interests with the business end of buying and selling Asian antiques and art!
 
Everything is art?  No it is not. 
 
It’s genuinely old, so it has value - not true. 
 
Yes, taste is subjective, but when their is wide spread acceptance that a style or item excels above others in a similar group, we need to recognize it for what it is, and  reject those that attempt to copy it.
 
A ‘revival’ is widespread acceptance, and should not be confused with reproduction for mere profit.
 
To be anything short of brutally critical of art and antiques allows reproductions to devalue the genuine article, which in time could destroy the industry (some might argue this has already happened).
 
In close, let me tell you one more anecdote.
 
I am a fairly accomplished aquariumist, and managed several stores in my late teens.
 
These stores sold guppies and goldfish for a dollar or two, but they also sold saltwater angelfish upwards of $700.  
 
From a business standpoint, the sale of a $700 angelfish was exciting, attracted new clients into the trade, and certainly gave the business the appearance of being ‘experts’ in the field.
 
But, when it came to making money, the store sold a hundred times more guppies and goldfish - that was the bread and butter that kept the business profitable because there were 1000 times as many viable buyers.
 
The same is true for selling Asian antiques and art.  However, no matter how long you stay in this business, the three practices I’ve laid out should be tools you keep sharp and at hand for continued success.
 
Hope everyone finds a nugget of useful info in this article.
 
Thank you for indulging me!
Tim

   
Brian Crowe, Short Dong, Yin Hall and 7 people reacted
Quote
Shinigami
 Shinigami
(@shinigami)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 4879
16/09/2021 2:14 pm  

Though there are no antique malls, no thrift stores or estate sales in my country, I like reading your articles, there’s a lot of wisdom and also much to learn in them. Thanks a lot!
btw did you get my mail concerning the shipping of the vase?

Birgit


   
Adams Asian Art, Sharon P and Greeno107 reacted
ReplyQuote
Greeno107
 Greeno107
(@greeno107)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2875
Topic starter 16/09/2021 2:19 pm  

@shinigami I don’t see your email. I also don’t see the email I sent you with the tracking. Let me resend it. Just confirm receipt off forum and any other questions… weird.


   
ReplyQuote
Greeno107
 Greeno107
(@greeno107)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2875
Topic starter 16/09/2021 2:25 pm  

@shinigami Just resent tracking with pics of the form and receipt.


   
ReplyQuote
 Thomas Johnson
(@thomasumjohnson)
Honorable Member
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 413
16/09/2021 3:10 pm  

@greeno107 Interesting..   I go by - assume it's a fake and pay less than it would cost as a fake.   As long as you can put it back on the market and at the very least, get your money back, you'll be fine.  Also buy what you like.  Worst case scenario is you get to keep something you regard as beautiful.


   
Greeno107 and Sharon P reacted
ReplyQuote
Greeno107
 Greeno107
(@greeno107)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2875
Topic starter 16/09/2021 5:38 pm  

@thomasumjohnson That’s a common method- to buy what you like.

I know dozens of broke antique dealers with houses full of stuff they can’t sell who use that method.

I just think there’s a better method if you want to A) make money and B) grow your aptitude for buying better/more valuable items. 

in the end, it’s an individual choice.


   
William Huvar and Sharon P reacted
ReplyQuote
Brian Crowe
 Brian Crowe
(@lotusblack)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 4255
16/09/2021 6:57 pm  

@greeno107 do you have a store site you are selling on?


   
Greeno107 reacted
ReplyQuote
Greeno107
 Greeno107
(@greeno107)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 2875
Topic starter 16/09/2021 8:45 pm  

@lotusblack No, not for some time, but I cut my teeth on Ebay, and I highly recommend it for both learning the trade and making a decent supplemental living. 


   
Sharon P and Brian Crowe reacted
ReplyQuote
William Huvar
 William Huvar
(@william)
Noble Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 665
17/09/2021 7:48 am  

@greeno107 

“Buy what you like…” only works if one is born with an eye for quality.  I have never met such a person!


   
Shinigami, Sharon P and Greeno107 reacted
ReplyQuote
Shinigami
 Shinigami
(@shinigami)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 4879
17/09/2021 10:12 am  

I think „buy what you like“ is meant for collectors like me who don’t sell. It means that you live with the items for many years so only buy what gives you pleasure each time you look at it.

For example Japanese porcelain might be a promising field where money can be made but I don’t get warm with the style so I don’t collect it.

One can also get tired of countless Republic ladies with children. So in that field the more unusual topics appeal to me like people in contemporary 1920s clothes. That’s just an example of what „buy what you like“ means to me personally. 

Birgit


   
Brettm, Short Dong, Adams Asian Art and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
Short Dong
 Short Dong
(@short-dong)
Noble Member
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 1546
17/09/2021 11:41 pm  

@greeno107

In what way do changes in interior design and fashion effect the way you might view  a certain catagory of items. For example Japandi has recently just popped up as the new interior design style. It is being pumped now by magazine, designers,influencers and stores are advertising it. I am not sure who creates these crazy idea's or how they are marketed and distributed but Japandi as mental as it sounds is now a thing. How might something like this effect what you might procure for later sale. 

Japandi interest me as I collected a big bunch of Japanese Satuma Kyoto vases at very low prices. I would like to now sell some of them on for a profit. Would something Japandi (which highlights and encourages displaying ceramics, dark browns with light browns etc) 

How do we as collectors effect the market or how does the Market effect design. Japanese art is cheap right now, and along come japandi. 

 

Satsuma kyoto

9e3e540b 3524 4e13 a580 783c4af72b89
$ 1 (4)
download   2021 09 18T044602.501

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/campaigns/home-trends-at-ikea-pubf7706d30#9fa022a0-e3e5-11eb-9acb-d1e583aeaca3

 

This post was modified 4 years ago by Short Dong

   
Brian Crowe reacted
ReplyQuote
Forum Jump:
  Previous Topic
Next Topic  

Notice

Weekly Video’s on You Tube, Subscribe Today!

Bidamount on Youtube asian Art news

Hundreds of Online Auction Catalogs

Chinese Art Auction Catalogs

Blog Archive

Global Auction “member pages”, get them all in just one place.

chinese porcelain auctions

Join our weekly newsletter for current eBay Asian Art Listings

Newsletter Sign Up
For Email Newsletters you can trust.

Get Our Thoughts On Any Auction Listing Anywhere, BEFORE You Bid

asian art auction

Click to View the News Letter Page

Asian Art News

Recent Posts

  • Pierre Le-Tan Auction Chinese, Japanese and Islamic Art Paris
  • Investing in Chinese Art Versus Collecting Chinese Art
  • Later Chinese Bronzes of the Song to Qing Dynasty
  • Asia Week In New York City September 2020 The Auctions
  • Japanese and Chinese Art Collection of Brian Page At Ma San Auctioneers
  • Bidit Auctions Fakes of Chinese Art In Marietta Georgia | Opinion
Click Here
Share:
  Forum Statistics
8 Forums
12.4 K Topics
91.6 K Posts
37 Online
7,700 Members

Latest Post: Cleaning porcelain with peroxide: should I do it? Our newest member: Iliana Hristova Recent Posts Unread Posts Tags

Forum Icons: Forum contains no unread posts Forum contains unread posts

Topic Icons: Not Replied Replied Active Hot Sticky Unapproved Solved Private Closed

Powered by wpForo  Powered by wpForo version 2.4.5

Super Globals

Options and Features



Thanks for visiting "The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art"

If you sell on eBay, or have a shop feel free to post images and descriptions and links.

Check back often for discussion about the latest news in the Chinese art and antique world. Also find out about the latest Asian art auctions at Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams and Tajans.

Auction results for: fine porcelain, ceramics, bronze, jade, textiles and scholar's objects.  As well as Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and other Asian cultures.

Thank you,

Peter Combs


Topics and categories on  The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art

Kangxi vases, Kangxi dishes and chargers, Kangxi ritual pieces, Kangxi scholar's objects, Qianlong famille rose, Qianlong enamels, Qianlong period paintings, Qianlong Emporer's court, Fine porcelain of the Yongzheng period. Chinese imperial art, Ming porcelain including Jiajing, Wanli, Xuande, Chenghua as well as Ming jades and bronzes. 

The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art

Join the BidAmount Chinese and Asian art discussion board and forum today

The BidAmount Asian Art Forum | Chinese Art

A free Asian art discussion board and Asian art message board for dealers and collectors of art and antiques from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Linked to all of the BidAmount Asian art reference areas, with videos from plcombs Asian Art and Bidamount on YouTube.  Sign up also for the weekly BidAmount newsletter and catalogs of active eBay listing of Chinese porcelain, bronze, jades, robes, and paintings. 

Ancient Chinese Art - Ancient History Encyclopedia

The art of calligraphy - and for the ancient Chinese it certainly was an art - aimed to demonstrate superior control and skill using brush and ink. Calligraphy established itself as one of the major Chinese art forms during the Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), and for two millennia after, all educated men were expected to be proficient at it.

Arts of Asia | The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum’s collections of Asian art span nearly five millennia and encompass the cultures of China, the Himalayas, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In 2007, the Museum launched an initiative to create dedicated galleries for the collection, beginning with a gallery for the arts of Korea ...

Chinese Art: Characteristics, History - Art Encyclopedia

Chinese art is full of symbolism, in that artists typically seek to depict some aspect of a totality of which they are intuitively aware.

China Online Museum - Chinese Art Galleries: Home

China Online Museum is the finest online museum of Chinese art. It features Chinese calligraphy, painting, ceramics, bronzes, carving, and other artworks.

Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art | Christie's

Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. Overview Upcoming auctions Contacts Auction results ... Christie’s sales of Chinese ceramics and works of art showcase centuries of Chinese history. Held throughout the year in London, New York, Paris and Hong Kong, they attract a wide audience of collectors and connoisseurs vying for pieces as diverse as ...

Fine Chinese Paintings | Christie's

Explore Asian Art Week. Contact the Specialist Department. Chinese Paintings ... Senior Specialist, Head of Sale. [email protected]. Tel:+1 212 641 5760. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 September 2019 at New York. Bid in-person or online for the upcoming auction:Fine Chinese Paintings on 10 ...

Asian Art Week | New York | September 2019 | Christie's

Discover an abundance of must-see art from all corners of a vast continent at Christie’s NY Asian Art Week. From contemporary classical and Chinese paintings to works with exemplary provenance from the Art Institute of Chicago, our Rockefeller Paza galleries will be full of ancient treasures and contemporary masterworks in a salute to the vibrant arts of Asia.

Chinese Art from The Art Institute of Chicago | Christie's

Sold to benefit The Art Institute of Chicago’s Asian Art Acquisition Fund, the sale features 84 lots with a focus on Ming and Qing porcelains, and offers a rare insight into the taste for collecting Chinese ceramics and works of art in the Midwest from the end of the 19th century through the 1980s. Highlights include two Wanli wucai garlic-head vases, a Qianlong mark and period, blue and ...

Chinese Art in Hong Kong: A Brief ... - Christie's Education

Specialist, Chinese Paintings, Christie's London Dr Malcolm McNeill is a Specialist in Chinese Paintings at Christie’s, based in London. He previously worked as an assistant curator of the Chinese collections and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as a researcher at the British Museum, and as a translator and tour guide at the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

The Christie's Education 2020 Conference: The Chinese Art ...

The Christie's Education 2020 Conference: The Chinese Art Market 18 Jun 2019 Christie’s Education is delighted to announce our first international academic conference in Asia which will take place in Hong Kong from 26-27 November 2020 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and will run in parallel with Christie’s Hong Kong Autumn Auctions.

Chinese Art | Sotheby's

The summer Chinese Art sale in Hong Kong will feature works of art from several private collections, including Qing porcelains and textile from the collection of the legendary Chinese art dealer A. W. Bahr (1877–1959), fine gilt bronze Buddhist sculptures from an old Hong Kong collection, an East Asian collection of Qing dynasty wine cups and jades, and a Japanese collection of Song ceramics ...

Chinese Art Auctions - Chinese Paintings ... - Sothebys.com

Sotheby's Chinese Works of Art Department holds two auctions each year in London, New York, Hong Kong and Paris.

Chinese Art | Sotheby's

Chinese Art - View Auction details, bid, buy and collect the various artworks at Sothebys Art Auction House.

Important Chinese Art | Sotheby's

With more than 340 Chinese works of art dating from the Neolithic to the Republic periods, highlights of this sale include a selection of Qing Imperial monochromes from the collection of Arnold and Blema Steinberg, early ceramics from the Art Institute of Chicago and Chinese porcelain and works of art from the collection of Henry Arnhold.

Important Chinese Art | Sotheby's

Results: Sotheby's Asia Week achieved $52.4 million in six strong auctions, exceeding pre-sale estimates. With 76.5% of lots sold and 60.3% of lots surpassing high estimates, the Asian art sales at Sotheby's indicate continued collector interest in the finest works of art from China, India and and the Himalayas.

Important Chinese Art | Sotheby's

Today's sale of Important Chinese Art will proceed as planned with sessions at 10 AM and 2 PM EDT. Sotheby's will be monitoring the weather conditions throughout the day and will be available to coordinate alternative bidding options should conditions make it difficult for clients to attend the auction in person.

Bonhams : Chinese Works of Art

Bonhams Chinese Art department is renowned for offering the finest works of art representing the richness and breadth of China's artistic heritage, particularly Imperial porcelain, white and spinach green jades, cloisonné and Buddhist art. Specialised international auctions are held globally, including London, Hong Kong and San Francisco.

Bonhams : Chinese Works of Art

Bonhams : Chinese Works of Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Please refer to our privacy and cookie policies for more information.

Bonhams : Fine Chinese Paintings and Works of Art

Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Chinese Art (US) General enquiries

Bonhams : Fine Chinese Art

Bonhams : Fine Chinese Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Please refer to our privacy and cookie policies for more information.

Bonhams : Asian Art

Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars Bonhams : Asian Art We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site.

Bonhams | Asian Art in London

Bonhams are international auctioneers of fine Chinese and Japanese art. We specialise in rare Imperial and Export Chinese ceramics and works of art, as well as Japanese ceramics, fine and decorative works of art from the Neolithic Period to the 20th century. View on map

Bonhams : Asian Art

Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars. We use cookies to remember choices you make on functionality and personal features to enhance your experience to our site. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. ... Asian Art Bonhams. Work. 22 Queen St.

Bidamount is a member of the eBay partner network, eBay is a registered trademark of eBay Inc. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the Bidamount User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Bidamount, 185 Main Street Suite B., Gloucester, Ma. all content © 2006–2025

proudly powered by WordPress | web design by smallfish-design

‹›×

    ‹›×