Chapter 68 Porcelain Expert
"But I don't think it's worth much, so I'd better take it home and keep it as a souvenir."
Unexpectedly, the lady threw a boomerang at old George, causing him to sprain his waist.
"Please let me estimate the price." Old George looked at the put away photos reluctantly and sighed. He knew that he had alerted the enemy.
But he has already made a lot of money today.
It would be rude to make more money.
"Do you have anything else to sell, ma'am?" asked Old George.
The lady immediately took out another box and took out an ancient bronze artifact from it. She said seriously, "This is a bronze swan oil pot that I bought from an antique dealer in Chinatown a few years ago. It is said to be an item from the Shang and Zhou dynasties! I want you to estimate the price. If it is suitable, I will sell it to you."
"..." Zhang Ailun took a look at the palm-sized bronze oil bottle she took out.
I didn't know what to say for a while.
Did you buy it at an antique shop in Chinatown?
Or from the Shang and Zhou dynasties?
That's fine.
Old George was also a little unsure. He put on white gloves and held the product in his palms, looking left and right, up and down. It was obvious that he had touched upon his blind spot in knowledge.
He said very seriously: "I need to ask a professional to identify it. Please wait a moment."
"Ok."
Old George immediately started dialing people.
"I have already notified the porcelain expert in Chinatown, and he will be in the store in about 10 minutes," Old George explained.
He looked at Zhang Ailun again, smiling amiably, "Guest, what do you want to do?"
Zhang Ailun immediately took out the ceramic horse with a damaged front hoof, the Ming Dynasty's Tongxing Baochao that was full of holes from being eaten by insects and rats, and a platinum pocket watch.
Old George was stunned when he saw it.
It's bad, I've touched upon my knowledge blind spot again. Don't I have to continue to see a specialist?
Fortunately, the porcelain expert is also proficient in other antique research, so there is no need to notify other people.
After all, the other party’s charges are not cheap, costing hundreds of dollars each time.
Old George decisively picked up the pocket watch and looked at it carefully. This was the only one he recognized and it was his major match.
He immediately said, "William Airy Company is the predecessor of Waltham Watch Company. This platinum pocket watch should have been produced between 1860 and 1880, and more likely during the Civil War. But there is no inscription on it, and it has no special historical significance. Fortunately, it is in good condition and relatively well preserved. Even now, it can still be used for timekeeping. I like it very much! How much do you want to sell it for?"
"150000 USD!"
Zhang Ailun said the price without saying anything. No matter if the price is right or not, at least it should be exaggerated! It should make the other party nervous! It should make him feel overwhelmed!
He has become smarter and basically understands the other party's bargaining tactics.
As expected, Old George's scalp immediately went numb and he was a little confused. He almost pooped in his pants.
How much? 15? US dollars?
Not Zimbabwean Dollar?
Are you sure you didn't say two extra zeros?
You really dare to say that!!
Old George instantly put on a mask of pain and scratched his scalp.
Explain: "Although this pocket watch is made of platinum, it does not have much collection value. It is not worn or collected by a celebrity, nor is it signed by a celebrity. There is no relevant historical record. The price of a watch like this at an online auction is only $600."
"How about $6000? This is an antique with a lot of history! After all, it was made during the Civil War, and I bought it from an antique dealer for $2000!" Zhang Ailun began to sell enthusiastically, speaking fluently.
But his skills were still too shallow, he was just learning on the job. Old George had been a soldier for half his life, and he wielded the Dragon Slaying Sword with great skill, without even blinking an eye. How could he fall into his trap?
How could it be so easy to stumble in front of him?
He immediately gave a price for the coffin, "800 dollars. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, forget it." Zhang Allen looked at him speechlessly. You dare to give 800 dollars, and you still say the auction price is 600 dollars?
By flipping the deal, you must have made nearly 1% profit!
But I also made a little money.
It’s not a lot. If you do the math, it’s only about 54 times the profit!
After all, it was $15, no wonder people say he is poor, Heizi brother is honest in business!!
Zhang Ailun sighed, "Okay, I'll take the loss. I want cash. Send someone to come over and see how much my ceramic horse and Ming Dynasty banknotes are worth."
"Don't worry, the experts will be here soon." Old George replied slowly.
I took out a white towel and started to wipe my platinum pocket watch. It was already in my pocket, and the more I looked at it, the more I liked it.
Not long after, about five or six minutes later, the registered porcelain expert arrived.
"Hey! George, I wonder who wants to sell bronze ware. You know, I'm an expert in this area." The man who came in was an old white man with deep eye sockets and a high nose bridge. He started shouting as soon as he pushed the door open.
Zhang Ailun heard the voice sound familiar, turned around and saw that it was the overseas student from the flea market.
The old white man also saw Zhang Ailun and was stunned.
Oh no, how could this be such a coincidence?
Isn't this the end?
"This is Wall, a porcelain expert from the Netherlands. He currently lives in Chinatown. He is very knowledgeable about the history and culture of China. He also often does some bronze ware business." Old George introduced them enthusiastically.
The lady shook his hand. "Hello, Mr. Wall."
Wall smiled awkwardly, "Hello, ma'am."
Zhang Ailun looked at him strangely, stretched out his hand, and said half-jokingly: "Holland? If you hadn't told me, I would have thought you were from Henan."
"Where is that?" Old George wondered.
"It's nothing. It's just a birthplace with thousands of years of history, but it's not very famous internationally. Most people only know about Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen."
Wall signaled to Zhang Ailun with his eyes, asking him not to trip him up.
Zhang Ailun had no such intention and just pointed his mouth at his ceramic Manu.
Wall suddenly realized and quietly gave a thumbs up.
It's OK, even if it's fake, I'll blow it into reality! I'll blow it hard for you!
Tang, Yu, Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin and Han, just choose one.
Anyway, this thing is worthless if it has a broken leg.
Wall immediately began to study the swan bronze oil bottles that the lady was selling.
After examining it for a while, he said, "Unfortunately, there is bad news. This is not a bronze ware produced in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, because the bronze ware in the Shang and Zhou dynasties did not have the casting shape of this swan oil pot. If it was a bronze ware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, it would not be made so petty. The good news is that this is a real bronze ware with a history of at least two thousand years!"
"This is a typical bronze oil tool from the ancient Roman period. In Greek mythology, the swan is one of the incarnations of Zeus, and the face molds on both sides are the appearance of Cupid, the god of love, symbolizing a good marriage. It is also something that newlyweds will use as bedside lighting. There are many people in the market who collect it now."
This guy really has something going for him, he's not just a simple fraud.
Zhang Allen looked at Wall in surprise.
"So how much is it worth specifically?" The pawnbroker and Old George were both very curious.
"Many people would like to collect this bronze artifact, and it is worth about $1000 to $1500." Wall gave a reasonable price.
(End of this chapter)
