"Now that I have mentioned it, I might as well tell you that back then I was deceived by a group of people into a rural place in Jilin. I actually found an ancient porcelain at first, but then I was almost put under house arrest and followed them to the deep mountains and forests every day.
I was looking for some so-called sacrificial items, which are said to be made of bronze. I stayed here for more than a month, and I don’t know what happened to me at that time. It seemed like I was falling into it step by step."
"In the end, I spent all the money I had and realized something was wrong. The group became increasingly impatient with me. In the end, your master went all the way to Jilin to pick me up and waited.
After I came back, except for the first three items which were worth some money, the rest were basically new and old and not worth much at all. I lost more than 300,000 yuan on that trip. That was fifteen years ago.
My career has just started, and this incident has a huge impact on me.”
Zhou Bozhai's eloquent talk made Luo Tian dumbfounded. He didn't expect that being a con man could be so complicated and expensive: "Godfather, besides this kind of serial deception, are there any other scams?"
"Of course." Zhou Bozhai pointed to his head: "The greatest value of the human brain is thinking. Those liars are also thinking all the time. In the antique world, everyone knows that there are pairs of antiques.
Value, if you get one of them, you will definitely find ways to get the other one, which has also become a method used by scammers."
That's right, Luo Tian nodded. When Xie Ming learned that the porcelain vases in Xiao Xue's hands were actually a pair, he tried his best to persuade Xiao Dingtian's one to be put up for auction, and as he wished, it was sold later.
The auction company achieved a pretty ideal price and made a huge commission.
The human urge to pursue perfection will never disappear. When you are in pairs, you must be in pairs.
"This kind of scam usually involves a scammer holding a real porcelain vase and pretending to be a pair. Usually the antique store operator will accept it without saying a word and will chase the other one, which gives the scammer an opportunity to take advantage of it."
If the opportunity arises, they will make the porcelain vase old, make it almost like the real thing, and then sell it at a high price."
Luo Tian couldn't help but interject: "But as long as the antique shop's skills are excellent, this can also be identified."
"Luo Tian, not every person in the antique shop is as good as you. In the antique world, even the most famous appraisers will know how to spot them, so these scammers have an opportunity." Zhou Bozhai said earnestly:
"Think about how many famous jade collectors there were among the people who were deceived by your master back then?"
A proud look appeared on Lu Tai'an's face: "That's true, maybe a hundred if not a thousand."
Luo Tian looked stern. This situation was unlikely for him. Because of the fragments, all the antiques in front of him could only be classified into two types, true or false. But this was a secret, a secret that could not be told.
He nodded obediently and echoed Zhou Bozhai's words: "There are so many mysteries in antique business. I really didn't expect it."
"Luo Tian, you have to remember that all scams can be broken, that is, don't be greedy. Many experienced antique shop operators fell into it because they saw the huge benefits disguised by the scam. For money,
If you dive in headfirst and don't be greedy, you can crack all the scams." Zhou Bozhai said earnestly: "It's easier said than done to not be greedy. Luo Tian, I hope you can do it."
"I understand, godfather."
"Now there are Lao Zhang and A Yi in the store. These two guys are pretty good, and I trust them more. As for you, you don't need to be too tired. That's how business is done. The more you want to take care of things, the more things you have to take care of.
The more people come, the harder it is to get away. When necessary, you must learn to authorize and trust them. Don’t trust people when you use them, and don’t use people when you doubt them!” Zhou Bozhai sighed: “I just didn’t understand this truth before, so it’s a hassle.
For most of my life."
It's a pity that Luo Tian thinks that he hasn't found anyone he trusts yet. He nodded: "When the store's operation improves, I will be a hands-off shopkeeper and go out to pick up goods. Just sitting in the store is a bit too passive."
"Oh, I think this is right. Look at your godfather, after he achieved some success, he just sat in the shop and stopped moving. Qifangzhai is still the same Qifangzhai. He seems to have not changed at all. He is less angry. He is older.
It's time to retire." Lu Tai'an always spoke straightforwardly: "Now that Qifangzhai is under the name of Luo Tian, I think this kid can take care of it better than you!"
"No one will think you are mute if you don't speak." Zhou Bozhai said coldly.
"Master, what classes are you going to take today?" Luo Tian was even more anxious about this. He only had one week, and he really wanted to firmly grasp everything Lu Tai'an had learned in his life.
"There are a lot of things I want to talk about today, so prepare your mind. I'm afraid you won't be able to hold it. Anyway, I will teach you everything I know about the methods of making jade."