Uncomfortable Meetings

An invitation by a close friend to a one night stay at an island has brought about a good experience for me. When we first arrived at the jetty there was a restaurant, I saw a vase and was within my reach to feel the glaze and the owner brought down the vase for me to see if it is genuine. I was really surprised that there are so many collectors who are interested to collect old porcelain and also there is a shop that sells old coins and other collectable items. The first question was is this vase old? And my reply is that why do you want to collect old porcelain items and also my interest is to know what is old and what is new in porcelain. He then said that imitations from China can be made exactly the same as the old. My reply is that all old items can be ordered from the factories in China then why keep the old ones, might as well take the a stone from the road side to the house which is the world oldest and further conversation that I am looking for teapots that leaks and they seem more friendlier.

The shop owner of the antique shop was very proud at first and after I told him why we look for old porcelain items and Chinese teapots, he then said that those must be worth a lot and I said that only to those who knows. At his shop, he sells very few types of coins and most of the coins I have in my collection like Straits Settlement coins Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V and Malaya and North Borneo King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II and others.

In order to get better collectors must get knowledge and exchange what genuine is like and fake is like and not shouting at the person for selling fakes. I am getting a new batch of collectors who will be able to tell the fakes and not, whereas the old batch knows just to shout and avoid Ng Ting Kau Antique Shop for selling fakes.  The experts that I mentioned will be able to help to bring better understanding in authentication.

In my lifetime experiences, many collectors will be at my place with my father trying to buy antiques and once the items are said to be fakes or copies by expert or experts, my father is thrown aside and they even send someone to celebrate his death. Many have known to point fingers at him for selling fakes or copies has the ability to tell the importance of old Chinese porcelain. I am yet to learn from collectors what are Bandung fakes or copies, Jingdezhen copies or fakes and genuine ones and not on wishy-washy basis because I have been thrown aside as well. There was a Chinese tea dealer who defaced my name card in front of me and after many years, he wanted to talk to me and his friend wanted me to help him check his items from hand phone photo clip which I turned down. I felt very uncomfortable talking to the people which were the reason for me to leave immediately after any talks or meeting with them at coffee places.