UA Fan

Anyone know if such tables are still produced and where I can get them for cheaper?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Chin...-/201523146283

The one above is old (1930's?) and expensive.

moondog

Try panjiayuan in Bj or the gubei furniture district in Sh, but don't expect spectacular bargains any more.

jiejie

The one on ebay, if it's in great condition, is IMO a very good price at $600 + $500 shipping. You're not going to find any substantial bargains on this in China even on newly-made versions, and the shipping + Customs into the USA will be a chunk of change. I'd source from somewhere in the USA, trawl the internet for some Chinese furniture importers who might have something in stock or can locate something and put it on their next container load from China so they deal with shipping/Customs.

anacapamalibu

Try craigslist. Chinese furniture is not a quick seller. You have to sit on it for years to sell it high. Adhuntr.com has listings for all craigslist.

Small old Chinese items you can find cheap on ebay. People find them in an attic and just want to sell off quick.

tentseller

This, if genuine, would sell for many times that price if it was in a major city with buyers who know what it is or even more at a major Asian city's auction.

sinoflyer

That's rosewood furniture with inlaid mother of pearl. I know a friend who manufactures new replicas in southern China and imports them here to North America. He has a store in L.A. and sells retail and wholesale all over U.S. and Canada. Caveat emptor, there are lots of nice-looking rosewood furniture that, if you look underneath, is actually plywood with a thin rosewood veneer. Solid rosewood is very heavy, and if you accidentally kick it with your foot or bump your knee into it, you will feel the pain. I have several rosewood furniture at home (I'm typing on a rosewood desk right now), and I would advise that you physically examine the piece before committing into it.

If you are in Dallas, I don't know a rosewood furniture store locally. But IIRC there are several in Bellaire in Houston.

moondog

Like you and jiejie, my initial reaction to the eBay listing in the OP was that it seems like a very good deal on the surface (though, in the absence of well crafted questions to the seller, it's impossible to say for sure).

When it comes to furniture that you're actually going to use, genuine v. new has never been a huge concern for me. Basically, the people who restore antiques also make replicas using the same materials, and tend to know their stuff.

The numbers for resale abroad worked out quite nicely 15 years ago:
-e.g. canopy opium beds that cost $350 in Beijing and $600 in Shanghai (slightly better quality) sold for $4500 in the US (easily), and shipping to port cities was less than $200/unit (free for returning expats that had excess container space)

But, it didn't take long for the folks at Panjiayuan to realize that arbitrage was taking place, and begin catering to demand abroad (i.e. work less, charge more). Consequently, it's now difficult to find the same opium beds for less than ~$1200.

All that having been said, I certainly don't want to discourage the OP from visiting furniture markets/districts. Even if he doesn't find great deals for himself, he will surely enjoy the experience more than checking off another random temple (assuming he appreciates Chinese furniture).

anacapamalibu

I just recently sold an opium bed I bought in Beijing 18 years ago and used
for a film shoot. Paid 600 + freight 500 in 1999. Ended up selling it for $600, took 4 months, in LA... a city of millions of Chinese.

It was identical to the ones advertised for $4500 - $7500...but you got to
have a gallery/shop and several years to find a buyer that will pay that price.

Was similar to this but mine better condition

TOMFORD

In China they're called tea tables.