Items from China

davethemoneyerMember

Hi all,
This is just a 'Heads Up' warning to anyone thinking of buying some of the nice grave goods and antiques coming out of China at the moment, they are offered at incredibly low prices with no reserve and seem like a wonderfull bargain. READ THE POSTAGE AN PACKING (sorry for shouting) it is not unknown for them to charge £50 (Fity pounds sterling) to send a small item such as a coin by standard uninsured Airmail. I Have NOT been caught by this but felt it warrented this alert.
Also recently offerd a small Gold chinese coin (Currency ingot) of advertised weight 3.5 kg was (and is) on Ebay. On quering the metal and weight of the item I recieved a reply stating that it was silver not gold,

and the weight of the piece is actually the weight of the final packaging ( which also costs $50 to ship)
3.5 Kg of gold has a value of £9000-£24000

depending on fineness
3.5 kg silver has a value o £450-£500

The coin on offer is actually worth £50

is this a case for reporting for mis-selling?
all the best Dave the Moneyer

4/14/0412:15 AM

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littlebitMember

Hi, Dave.

I am a "freedom-loving American", as they say, an unabashed free-market capitalist with Libertarian tendencies, at least in theory. Yet, like everyone else, I have grown used to the safeguards our system imposes on commerce, with "truth-in-advertising" laws (as if!), safety regulations,and all the protection that those many layers of various government bureaucracies can provide. It is so interesting to watch social/commercial arrangements like eBay find their way to balance free enterprise with safety, and even more so to watch an entire nation like China try to find its way.

In either case - caveat emptor!

(Sorry, rambling again. I've read too much Ayn Rand, Adam Smith, and Ludwig von Mises! Shame on me.)

4/14/041:48 AM

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robertMember

Regarding Chinese antiques:

Greetings all...I collect mostly Buddhist items and have some experiences procuring items from China.
First off...China has VERY strict laws concerning export of antiquities, so if a seller claims it's really old, most likely it aint.
The Chinese are extremely skilled at reproduction (and artificial ageing), and at a very high level of craftsmanship. You can get some very beautifully made items on the cheap, just don't believe claims of age.
Shipping is very expensive, but I've found that a lot of shipping costs are inflated to compensate for low prices, shop around...you can find some sellers that don't inflate shipping.

Good luck, I've found some exquisite things that even with outrageous shipping costs were still a bargain.
Namaste,
Robert
"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness"--

4/23/044:47 AM

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mrsmMember

quote:
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness"--

And, this is what is taught us, I believe!

4/23/048:37 AM

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