How to avoid buying Chinese, Japanese or Korean fakes on Ebay

The Chinese love creating fake art works and they have been doing it for hundreds of years. Each dynasty copied the best work of previous dynasties and called it "Homage". Sometimes they even improved on the work of their forebears. Unfortunately, in the last twenty years they have started faking art in huge quantities, not as "Homage", but for profit. And not content with copying their own art, they are now copying Japanese and Korean art too.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer connected to the Internet and half a brain.

1. Ebay is a very good place to buy and sell art and antiques. But there are a few things you must remember when buying Chinese, Japanese or Korean art on Ebay. Ebay offers no guarantees.
2. Assume that every item is a fake and then find reasons why it isn't a fake. Check where the item is located? If it's located in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan, it is a fake. Even if you only suspect that it could be located in one of those places - it is possible to disguise the location - assume it is a fake. The location can sometimes be listed as hongkong USA or china USA and many people may be fooled by that - don't be. Click on the Ebay member's name and it will give you extra details: the country where he became a member, date of joining Ebay and if he has ever changed his username.
3. If the object is Chinese and the syntax of the description gives you reason to think a Chinese dealer is selling it, it is a fake. If the object is listed on either the French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swiss or Belgian Ebay sites and the description is written in English first, it is probably a fake.
   
   You may think I'm being hard on Chinese dealers, even racist, well forgedaboudit. I love the Chinese. I love doing business with them. I love their art. But if you ignore my advice when buying on Ebay, nine times out of ten, you will end up with a fake.